Hunt for missing Midwest news anchor focuses on fight over unsealing evidence

Jodi Huisentruit, a 27-year-old Iowa quality anchor, vanished astir 30 years ago. As authorities proceed searching for her remains, a backstage researcher is pushing to unseal lawsuit records.

Huisentruit, a autochthonal of Long Prairie, Minn., was connected her mode to enactment arsenic a greeting anchor astatine KIMT-TV successful Mason City, Iowa, erstwhile she disappeared successful the aboriginal greeting of June 27, 1995.

Over the years, backstage researcher Steve Ridge has pushed for the courts to unseal records relating to the case.

On March 27, Senior Judge James M. Drew successful Cerro Gordo County ruled to partially unseal a 2017 hunt warrant connected to Huisentruit's disappearance, portion keeping the supporting affidavit nether seal to support the integrity of the ongoing investigation.

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Jodi Huisentruit was a TV anchor earlier she disappeared successful 1995. (Findjodi.com)

Ridge's attorneys, Nellie O'Mara and Jesse Marzen, sought to unseal records related to GPS tracking devices placed connected 2 vehicles tied to John Vansice. Vansice has agelong been considered a idiosyncratic of involvement successful the investigation, but helium has ne'er been charged successful the case.

The vehicles, a 1999 Honda Civic and a 2013 GMC 1500, were reportedly registered astatine the Arizona code wherever Vansice was surviving successful aboriginal 2017. The vehicles did not beryllium astatine the clip Huisentruit's disappeared successful 1995.

Judge Drew denied the question to reopen the tribunal grounds to enactment unsealing the hunt warrant. The tribunal ordered that the affidavit indispensable stay sealed, since the probe remains active.

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Private hunt for Jodi Huisentruit. (Steve Ridge)

The tribunal noted that the affidavit mightiness uncover accusation lone the perpetrator would know, specified arsenic circumstantial times, items recovered oregon country details. It added that an unsealed affidavit could assistance imaginable suspects "know what to hide."

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The justice stressed that, adjacent aft 30 years, nationalist curiosity unsocial does not warrant jeopardizing an progressive investigation.

READ THE ORDER:

Huisentruit’s household released a connection connected the Jodi’s Hope Facebook page, saying they bash not enactment unsealing the documents.

"As a family, we’ve received a fig of inquiries astir the ineligible conflict presently playing retired successful the courts with Jodi’s case," the household said successful a statement. "Without getting excessively heavy into the weeds, we each hold that if the merchandise of the accusation would hinder the probe successful immoderate way, past the hunt warrant should stay sealed.

"We are not onboard with the accusation being released to the public, particularly portion the probe is unfastened and ongoing. We bash admit determination are a fig of differing opinions connected this – we respect that and inquire that you respect ours arsenic well. At this time, this is our lone nationalist remark to marque connected this matter."

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Huisentruit was 27 when she disappeared successful June 1995. The quality anchor vanished successful the aboriginal greeting hours of June 27, 1995, successful Mason City, Iowa. 

After Huisentruit didn't marque it to enactment by 7 a.m., Mason City Police were notified. Her conveyance was recovered astatine her apartment, on with a bent car key, her precocious heels and signs of a struggle. 

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To date, she is believed to person been abducted, but extended investigations person failed to uncover immoderate factual grounds arsenic to what happened oregon wherever her remains could be.