FindJodi: Search for missing TV anchor continues 30 years later | Full Episode | Forensic Files

[Music] And at this hour, investigators still have few clues about where Jodie Husen
might be. The FBI is now involved in the case, and they're beginning to concentrate their effort. Search dogs
turn up clues, but tonight it remains untested evidence. Where is she? Who knows? Something hasn't come forward.
Caroline Lo is in Tiffan, Iowa with an update right now. Caroline. Well, Ameilia, tonight there is a stained silo
door. Being a journalist, I know what gets covered and that's why we do things like billboards to try to get the
attention. [Music] We really wish we weren't here today. 23 years later, what happened to Jod is
still a mystery. You are watching News Channel 3 Daybreak. The time is 6:00, 64°. Some light showers falling in North
Iowa. Jod grew up in Minnesota. Then she went to Mason City in 1993 to become reporter, morning anchor.
This morning, our morning anchor, 27-year-old Jodie Husenfruit, apparently disappeared. She was running late.
Appeared that Jod had been attacked from behind and then dragged away from her car and her stuff is scattered behind. I
called her and I talked to her. She was there. It sounded like I woke her up. Um, her first question was, "What time
is it?" I said, "Jod, it's 10 after 4. You need to come in." That was the last contact anybody has had with Jod. It's
been 38 hours now since anyone has spoken to Jodie who's in truth. Good evening, everyone. I had such a strange
collision of emotions. Residents from all across North Iowa are in turn feeling the emotion and the desperation
for Jod's safe return. And I thought, I know her so well. And all of these folks
who are watching on TV right now feel like they really know her, too. They had her in their home every morning and they
loved her. Way to go, Kevin. She has a hard last name. Who's in tr after the 27th of June? She's Jodie. Doesn't need
a last name anymore. She'll always be just Jodie. The clock was ticking. I'm John Shine from Kimt Television,
Mason City, Iowa. We need your help. One of our news anchors is missing. It's been 42 hours since we last heard
from our dear friend Jod. There are lots and lots of theories. How would you classify John Vanis? I would classify
him as a friend. Jod spent more time with John Van SC in the last month that she was in Mason City than anybody that
we know of. And he said I was the last person to see her. I interviewed him the next day. Have the police indicated
whether or not you're a suspect? No, they haven't been any indication. They've interviewed me twice, but they
haven't any indication I'm a suspect. Is anybody live? The Mason City Police said
they're now concentrating their efforts on 12 people. There's been no detainments. There's only been people
that have been interviewed. It could be somebody we least expect. Did she ever express concern that she was being
stalked? Yes. Yeah. This case is not going to go away. We're never going to realize it.
Got a couple investigators out. You want to go back this way? These are phone in
tips, psychic leads. We have never closed the case. It's never been a cold case for us. It's been an active
investigation since it happened. But we're 23 years in, right? I'm not ready to quit yet. The more we keep this story
alive, it might just unlock the puzzle. I may be walking around with my cane and
maybe in a wheelchair, but I am staying on this until we find Jod. Somebody knows something. Is it you?
[Music] [Music] 48 hours. Find Jodie. Reported by Jim Axelrod. relay sound of music. I'm going to send
things right back to the studio. Thank you very much, Sarah. Are they or are they not? I think
they're just being questioned right now. Here's a look at what we're working on for Kimt News3 at 5.
[Music] The yellow ribbon is still there 23 years after anchor Jodie Husenrude vanished on her way to work in Mason
City, Iowa. I said earlier there's no way they still have those old desks. But and here it is. Here it is. Jod's old
desk still occupies the same spot in the Kimt TV newsroom. I'm certain it is. Doug Murbach was the news director back
then. I haven't been back in 15 years. Robin Wolfrram was also an anchor. Makes me sad to be right here for some reason.
Sad and then peaceful, too. Jodie was more than a colleague. She was a friend. What words pop into mind when you think
of Jod? I think the first word that always comes to my mind is effervescent. Good Thursday morning. Welcome to
Daybreak, June 15th already. I'm Jodie. who's in truth. And people would often describe her as bubbly. Kind of a bright
light in the morning to get people started for the day. She was your cup of Joe in the morning. Yeah. A lot of
energy, fame. I want to live forever. This was not going to be her last stop. Mason City. She always talked about
being on national television. We always would have these conversations, the two of us. She was beautiful. She was
engaging. She was smart. The only thing she had to overcome was that Minnesota accent. President Clinton leaves this
morning for the Group of Seven summit in Nova Scotia. And she was working hard on
that. She was working really hard on that one. But Jodie Husentr's dream of making it big ended the morning of
Tuesday, June 27th, 1995. The anchor of KINT's 6 a.m. newscast. She usually arrived at work by 3:30 in
the morning. If she's not there between 3:30 and 4, I give her a call, say, "Hey, are you awake?" all the doctor.
Producer Amy Coons noticed nothing unusual when she called and woke Jod up about 10 after 4 that morning. She was
asking about the show. She was concerned about the show and she said, "I'll be right there." But at 5:30, still no
Jodie. And this being a time before cell phones, Amy tried her at home again and
got her answering machine. At 6:00 a.m., Amy had to step up and deliver the news
in Jod's place. She loves her show. She calls it her show. You know, she wouldn't miss it for anything.
The police were called shortly after 7. When they arrived at Jod's apartment, she wasn't home, but they found her
shoes, haird dryer, and keys scattered on the ground near her beloved red Mazda Miata.
Jack Scher was police chief then. We do have things that would make us uh believe that there could be foul play
here. There were also apparent drag marks near her car. Signs of a struggle. The vehicle was processed on the
outside. We did process it for fingerprints. Police found someone's palm print on the car.
Special K9 units quickly began a search of Jod's apartment complex and the banks
of the Wnebago River. This is News Channel 3's Evening Edition. Police are investigating the
disappearance but aren't saying much else at this time. That evening, Kimt's lead story was the devastating news
about one of its own. Jodie Husen was and still is a very dear friend of mine as well as all of us here at Kimt and
we're inviting all of you to join us and keeping her and her family in your prayers this evening. Toughest thing
you've ever done in your career, Robin? Probably. Yeah. I don't know what it looked like to the viewer, but I just
know inside it was a mess. Police descended on the newsroom, searching Jod's desk for any evidence of
an angry or obsessed viewer. And Jod's natural warmth made her a target. You know, she went grocery
shopping and it took her two hours because she talked to three people along the way. And she always had time for
everybody. Joanne Nathy is Jod's sister. She definitely was too trusted. Not thinking that maybe some of those people
watching her had their own potentially troubling ideas. Yeah, that's what I worry about that she, you know, was too
personable. Way to go, Kevin. I'm getting there. Way to keep me in check. Revealing too much maybe what she did
daytoday. I live by a big swimming pool and I can hear the children swimming and
splashing and yelling. Everyone she met loved her. Do you know how many people think she was her best
friend? Stacy Steinman and Kim Feist actually were Jod's best friends. Do you remember
when she nicknamed us all stupid things and her nickname was Focus. She wanted us to call her Focus. They grew up
together in the small town of Long Prairie, Minnesota. In high school, Jodie lived up to her nickname when she
helped the golf team win two state championships. She just doesn't fail. What would she
say about what she wanted to achieve in life? She wanted to be famous. Yeah, she
did. She wanted to be famous and she knew that in high school that she wanted to be a news anchor. The Twin Cities
metro area is among the top 20 areas in the nation in total population. Jodie pursued her dream at St. Cloud State
University with a starring role on the school's TV station. Jill, I'm not clowning around and I say our show has
to come to a close. She was just 25 when she landed the 6:00 a.m. and noon anchor
slots at Kim. Joining us the time right now, 6:30, right on the button. Now she was gone. Jodie vanished just
days before she was to be in Stacy's wedding party, leaving Stacy to struggle with whether to go ahead with it. A good
friend of ours was a priest and we were just like, "What do we do?" He said, "Now's a good time to keep
people together. This is when we need prayer and pray for her and don't cancel the wedding." It's been 38 hours now
since anyone has spoken to Jodie Husentrude. Our News Channel 3 co-anchor disappeared yesterday morning, June
28th, 1995. The investigation was expanding. We had to ask for the FBI to give us some
assistance. And Jod's story was national news. Fear is growing in one Iowa farm town. Someone is missing. Not a face in
the crowd, but one of the most familiar faces in town. It just struck me as so I don't know so
sad and I was just sick and I thought this is not what we meant about being on national news.
[Music] Yellow ribbons there. the yellow ribbons there everywhere you go all along the
road. [Music] News director Doug Murbach was overwhelmed by Mason City's show of
support after Jod disappeared 23 years ago. It really gives you a boost to know that
people care. They really love Jody. She was not just a person on TV every morning. She was
our friend. Somebody's got to know something to bring her home. It's now been nearly 2 and 1/2 days
since the person who usually sits in this chair disappeared. June 29th, 1995. Investigators say
they've now narrowed their focus to around a dozen people they'd like to continue questioning. The police also
revealed Jod had reported a possible stalker nine months before she disappeared. We did find out that uh
Jodie did make a report of u an incident that occurred when she was out jogging.
How long ago was that report made? I believe that was in October of 1994. She got shook up one day when she was out
hiking or jogging on a trail and a black truck had followed her. But the police never got to the bottom of that incident
and Jod never reported another one. And now Joanne Nathy was pleading on TV for her baby sister's return. I just pray
that whoever has her out there, they'll just remember she's so sweet and good. She'd never hurt anyone. Just let her
go. It's been 84 hours now. Jodie who's in truth, the 27year-old colleague of ours, disappeared 3 and 1/2 days ago.
She was supposed to arrive June 30th. The fire department has intensified its search in the Wnebago River. Okay, go
put that line of class at the highway bridge. In case a body has floated to the surface,
it's a scenario no one wants to think about. I've never personally talked with Jod, but myself and everyone else
doesn't want to find Jod this way. July 1st, this announcement. We are now officially classifying this as an
abduction. Several neighbors have told police they heard a scream around the time Jod disappeared, but no one had
called for help. This type of white van was also seen in the parking lot that morning. I couldn't
even walk outside in the dark because I was so afraid of how it happened in Jod's parking lot. You had a police
escort home. Mhm. Whoever took Jod seemed to be familiar with her schedule. Could it have been someone she knew? To
find out, investigators were piecing together the last days of Jod's life. And this man popped up on their radar by
declaring he'd been the last person to see Jod alive. They've interviewed me twice, but they haven't given me any
indication that I'm a suspect. Jod's friend, John Vanice, told Robin in an interview that Jod had visited his home
the night before she was abducted. She was laughing the whole time she was there and she laughed the time she left.
How did he strike you? Way too happy and gleeful. And he wanted to be interviewed. She was like a daughter to
me. She was just like my own child. Uh I treat her like my own child. And so who
exactly is John Vanise? Drilling down into that question is complicated by the passage of time. But this certainly
helps. 23 years ago, days after Jod disappeared, 48 hours was in Mason City, and we spent time with the man who had
put himself at the center of the case. Honestly, she's alive somewhere. I just hope she's not hurt. Hope she's
okay. I hope she'd come back soon. Back in 1995, we caught up with John Vanise and Jod's close friend Anie Cruz
dockside where we learned the three often water skied off his boat. Vanise certainly wasn't hiding or acting like
someone under a cloud of suspicion. She wouldn't wants to sit around home and cry and and so she'd want to be out
having fun cuz that was her. Is her. It is. Everything is It is her. She's coming back. We'll be ready for
her. In the days directly after Jodie disappears, you're speaking in present tense. She was one of my closest
friends. You know, she was coming home. I I really thought that. Van SC, who was
a seed salesman, was recently divorced. He had once lived in Jod's apartment complex, but Jod and Anie had met him at
a bar. He offered to buy us both the drinks and just started talking to him and didn't know how we felt about him
and then we met him again and again and although he was 22 years older than Jod he became part of her inner circle. Just
a bunch of people we get along fine together and have a good time. Two weeks before Jod disappeared Vanice helped
Anie throw a surprise birthday party for her. That's the water skiing cake. Yeah.
You look at the pictures and she's smiling. She's so beautiful and happy and she's in her prime. Then the weekend
before Jod's abduction, she and Anie were out on Van Cis's boat. This is News Channel 3's Daybreak. On Monday, Jod was
back at work for the last time. Good Monday morning. Welcome to Daybreak. It's June 26th. I'm Jod who's in truth.
That afternoon, she played in a charity golf tournament where she complained she'd been getting some prank phone
calls. She told some people at this golf tournament that she was going to have to
change her phone number or do something or go to the police. It was later that Monday evening that
Vanise claims Jod came over to his home to watch a video of that surprise birthday party. And we watched the tape
and we chuckled and we laughed. We giggled. We we we he hauled. We did everything. We're going to cut this
portion out of the tape. We're going to cut this portion out of the tape. Then we laugh about it. The next morning, Jod
was gone. Would John Van Sice have a reason to harm her? Anie couldn't think of any. Without a doubt, I had no no
question there. There's no possibility in my mind that he could have ever. The police were also asking Anie what she
knew. The investigators are asking you about John Vanise. Yes. And you're saying it couldn't be John. No, he's our
friend. For me, I'm thinking, why would you hurt somebody that that brought so much joy in your life?
But Robin had long suspected that Vanise had feelings for Jod that weren't mutual. I truly believe that he had very
strong and deep feelings for Jod. And something he told her back then sent chills down her spine. I named my boat
after her because just just because she's Jodie, you can't help but love the woman. You just can't help but love her.
When he said I named my boat after her, that's when I said h that's an obsession. I remember holding
on to the microphone and just feeling so ill at ease and thinking to myself, I think you might have done it.
[Music] [Music] In the fall of 1995, some 3 months after Jodie Husen disappeared, her family
allowed a local TV reporter inside her apartment. Well, it's definitely a little strange
being in here. There were no obvious signs of a struggle. Dishes were still piled up in the sink.
I mean, clearly this is a woman that was just headed out to work. Had Jodie taken
the time to neatly make the bed before rushing to work? Other people had been in the apartment, so we don't know for
sure. There's apparently a message for her on the answering machine. A message she never had a chance to retrieve.
She'll be back. You just have to have patience. We can't be down cuz Jody wouldn't want
him. John Van SC remained under suspicion. 48 Hours has learned Jod befriended him
during what seems to have been a turbulent time in his life. There was his recent divorce and he'd been ordered
to install a breathalyzer device in his van. He had a series of arrests related to drunken driving. Did John's life
improve just through his connection to Jod? Absolutely. She brought so much joy into his life and he didn't have a lot
of friends and you know all of a sudden now he's kind of accepted you know he's hanging out with us we're having fun.
Anie Cruz says Jod thought Vanise understood the boundaries in their relationship. She knew she knew he had
an interest but just blew it off. You know he's like a father to me. She made that mention
quite a few times in front of him. Yeah. Yeah. But some of Jod's friends doubted
he got the message. I cautioned her. I said, "Jodie, there's going to come a point in time when he's going to want
more." When she told us he named his boat after her, we go, that was our like, "Okay, Jod, something's weird.
This is a little much." But she didn't see it as odd. No, she laughed. I think she was like honored like, "Hey, it's
kind of cool." Jod's sister Joanne and other family members met John Vans a few days after
Jod's disappearance. You were a funloving group. We were we had a blast together. We just laugh and laugh and
laugh. 48 hours was there as Van Se told them about his friendship with Jod. I just I just love to watch him have fun.
She Joanne found his demeanor again. I tried to watch over. I tried to check on her once in a while. Not all the time,
just once in a while, see how she get off. In my mind, there's a good chance that he is linked to Jod's case some way
or other. What makes you say that? It's just that he was so obsessed with her. They go to her apartment. She
finished his clothes. They're mine. If I had a shirt she liked, you know, I'd wear it for a while, but I'd give it to
her. But Ben SC has never been arrested. He's never been named a suspect. I know
he hasn't. It's been 23 years. I know. If he is the one, let's get the evidence, but we have to be objective.
We have to have an open mind. It could be somebody we least expect. Looking back 23 years later, Anie now
believes Vanise could have harmed Jodie. When you think maybe it was John, what would his motive have been? and maybe
being rebuffed, maybe finally saying to her, I I'm not your father. I want to be
your boyfriend. That's the only thing I can think of. But the the thing that has
always puzzled me, like, why in the morning in the parking lot? Could what was in that parking lot have had
something to do with it? 48 hours obtained a copy of a search warrant for Jod's 1991 Miata and learned it was not
in her name when she vanished. It reads, "This license is listed to John Lassard,
the previous owner, pending title transfer." John Lassard is a prominent businessman. He told 48 hours the sale
to Jod was arranged by a friend who was a car salesman. The friend has since died, but his son remembers the sale.
She worked hard for that. She was proud of getting that car. She was excited about it. And that car seemed to be on
John Vanis's mind. His close friend, Ladonna Woodford, claims he told her the car was a birthday gift to Jodie from a
boyfriend. He said, "But she doesn't like want the car. She's going to give it back to
him." She never said anything about a gentleman buying it or paying for it or anything like that. So, I think that's
hogwash. Inconceivable to you. Yeah. Lassard says the only time he met Jodie was to hand her the car keys.
Anie says Vanise had a history of jealousy when it came to Jodie. If we were out somewhere, if she was visiting
with somebody, he would come join the conversation. Just swoop in. Pretty much. Yeah. He wanted to make sure that
everybody knew Jod was his. But Liddana insists Vanis had no romantic interest in Jodie and no reason
to hurt her. When you talk about Jodie, it was like, I'm protecting her. She's like my daughter. What if on June 26th
and then into the morning of June 27th, what if John Vanis had picked then to share with Jod that
he wanted to take it to the next level? And people always ask me that question, and this is what I say. He would not do
it where they think he did it, where she was abducted. He used to live in those apartments. Everybody knows him.
Leiddana feels Van C has been unfairly singled out by police and the community. It's just so horrible what they've done
to him. He lost his best friend. And it's sad. It's really sad. And Ladonna says she
knows where Vanise was the morning Jod was abducted. He was out taking a walk with her. It was their routine. As you
walk through this neighborhood, did he seem anxious? Didn't seem anxious. He seemed himself. And nothing seemed
unusual when she called earlier to confirm their plans. I call John 6:00 in the morning. I say, "Hey, John, are we
going to work out today?" You felt when you called him that morning that he was up there sleeping. Yeah, absolutely. We
didn't have cell phones, so I know he was home. And that is why Leonna believes she is his alibi. I called her
and I talked to her. She was there. Remember, Jod's producer spoke to her at around 4:10 a.m.
Leonna believes that Vanice, even though he lived only 5 minutes away, would not
have had enough time to abduct Jod, possibly dispose of her body, and be home by 6:00 a.m. I know the time frame
of when I called him, when I met with him, when we walked, it's almost impossible for him to have done this.
Police finally confirmed in the fall of 1995 that Vanise had passed a polygraph test, something he'd been telling
friends all along. But he remained on their radar. And soon another man would join him.
Tony Jackson is a predator. You got to look at this guy. [Music] May 4th, 1996. We're going to head down
to the river. Nearly a year after Jod disappeared, Gary, this is Anie. Anie Cruz was holding on to a sliver of hope.
Follow the river. That her friend could still be found. They said 18 to 19. We hope to find any type of evidence. Ooh,
yuck. any type of clues, you know, earrings, um, purse, anything that we can find. She led a search party through
woods. Start curving back here. The river's over here. 2 miles from Jod's apartment.
Huh? Despite Anie's efforts, nothing was found. 2 and 1/2 years after Jod vanished,
someone else, someone 140 miles away, started her own search for answers. to test potential evidence in the Jodie
Hughes and Trude case. Caroline Low was an investigative reporter at WCCCO TV in
Minneapolis. She started reporting on Jodie while covering a terrifying crime spree
in the Minneapolis St. Paul area. I covered a serial rapist who was accused of raping four women in 18 days. The
rapist was this man, Tony Jackson. He was arrested in 1997 after a routine traffic stop police
found in his car the tools of his trade. He's got rope, he's got handcuffs, he's
got his gun, he's got duct tape. Basically, it's a rape kit. Jario, formerly a detective with the Woodbury,
Minnesota Police Department, worked the Jackson case. All the victims that we know of, there is an element of
stocking. Jay explored Tony Jackson's past. He learned Jackson was living in Iowa when
Jod disappeared. And not just anywhere. The background investigation puts him in
Mason City, two blocks from the TV station that Jod worked at. This is where Jackson lived.
This is where Jod worked. Two blocks. It's chilling. It was like a bolt. When you see that, you go, "Wow,
this guy may be involved in Jod's case. We need to get this information down to the Mason City authorities."
Caroline visited the Mason City Police 3 months after Jay had sent them the Jackson information. She noticed the
file didn't seem to hold much interest. Woodbury police sent Mason City a fat file about the Twin Cities rapes. A file
that has been gathering dust. Minnesota sent me a copy and there. So, that was really nice of them. Caroline was trying
to get answers to questions about Jackson's past. She learned he was once a promising college basketball player at
Iowa's Waldorf College. [Music] He was a star basketball player. Problem is, he would do well and then he would
snap and he would get into violent episodes with people and he was kicked out of the college. Then a year and a
half before Jod disappeared, he enrolled at North Iowa Community College in Mason
City where he showed an interest in broadcasting. He does a couple talk shows. And so is it your thought that to
start watching the people in town who are on TV doing the news? Sure. He's going to watch them, see how they go
about doing their job. The time is 6:11 62 degrees. Some Jay's theory is Jackson
might have watched Jodie on TV, known her schedule, and even stalked her. Caroline also learned something that
troubled her. When he snapped, he snapped. She spoke with an ex-girlfriend of Jackson's who said they broke up 5
days before Jodie vanished. And it was it was violent. Very violent. I mean, it was a totally different person. It was
like the devil stepped inside of him and just took over. I sat in the living room
with this gal and she looks a lot like Jodie. It was chilling. The woman did get back together briefly
with Jackson until she says his anger took another scary turn. And she described how he had tried to
choke her and they took him into custody. Although Jackson was arrested for that attack, the charges were
ultimately dropped when the woman moved away and declined to proceed. Four months later, he would go on to
commit the Minnesota rapes. The verdict is guilty on all counts for a local man accused of being a serial rapist.
Jackson was sentenced to the equivalent of life in prison. Still, Caroline kept digging into any
connection to Jod's case. I want to get this guy as bad as the you the police do, you do. She learned about a former
jailmate of Jackson's. He says, "I abducted a a anchor woman and killed her." The man said Jackson boasted about
what he'd done in a rap song. Not wanting to forget the lyrics, the jailmate wrote them down. Yeah. He said
uh she's a stiffen around Tiffen and pilots of silage and a bo low below. Thinking that might mean Jod was buried
in a farm near a silo in the town of Tiffen a few hours from Mason City. Caroline
headed there. She brought law enforcement. So this would be the entry and kadaavver dogs. I'll work this side
and meet you in the back to search for human remains. Two of the three dogs alerted, which was
a sign that something had been there. And uh the boards that they found there were sent to the state crime lab. But
like so often in Jod's case, the lead led nowhere. Any forensics tying Tony Jackson to Jod? None that we know of.
None. On May 5th, 1999, the Mason City Police issued the following statement. After conducting a thorough
investigation, which included interviews, crime laboratory analysis, records review, and polygraph
examination, Tony Jackson is not considered at this time a viable suspect in the investigation. Boy, I tell you,
um, I've wondered about him, too. He's on the list. Jod's sister, Joanne, can't close the book on Jackson. He's a rapist
and living in the area, but the police say no that he that there was no way. And I I don't know, though.
48 Hours wanted to ask Jackson about Jod's case, but he declined to speak with us. He would not answer specific
questions, but in a rambling email wrote, "I stand firm in my integrity regarding the Jodie Husentrude case. I'm
going right now." And so the hunt for clues crawls on with another look at John Vans.
Hi John. My name is Jim Axelat. I'm with the CBS News broadcast 48 hours. [Music]
John Van Cis's friend, Ladonna Woodford, says roughly two years after Jod's disappearance, she received a visit from
an FBI agent. And he said, "I have a subpoena for you to appear at the grand jury to testify for John Van SC. They're
trying to uh indict him." And I was like, "Really?" Like, are you kidding me? Ladonna is going public with this
information for the first time. I went into the grand jury and I just told my story what I knew. How many times?
Leadonna says she was questioned about John Vanise for 5 hours. What do they have on John? Why did I have to go to
this grand jury? Why were they trying to indict him? Because at the end of the day, you don't think it's going to be
him? I'd be shocked. Did you ever have any contact with the FBI again after that? Mm-m.
There would be no indictment of John Vanice. Police continued to work the case and
the mystery of who abducted Jodie remained. So, yeah, it it was hard. You know, they
weren't solving it. We weren't finding her. On May 14th, 2001, now 6 years after Jod
disappeared, she was declared legally dead, Jod's family was forced to make the tough decision in order to settle
her estate. [Music] That's like the end of the chapter. That's like the end of the book. But you
still had hope even though you know realistically your mind is saying you know she's
probably not coming home. And despite the hundreds of leads detectives generated early in the
investigation over time tips slowed to a trickle and fewer detectives were assigned to the case.
That's when in 2003, journalists Gary Peterson and Josh Benson created the website findjod.com.
They were later joined by a team of former reporters and retired detective JL Bario. Who's going to consistently
look for Jod if we don't do it? She's one of ours. Their goal to keep Jod's story alive
and to crack the case. Did you feel they were overmatched? the Mason City Police
investigators. I think this is a very big case. I think this is something that they were not accustomed to dealing with
from the beginning. Anie says she was concerned with how detectives process the crime scene. You know, I was very
surprised it was not sectioned off. The whole area wasn't police taped off. Not the first day or so. But there's all
kinds of evidence that could have gotten compromised. That's that's what I thought. And what about Jod's car? a key
piece of evidence. That car was the only crime scene they have. This is a case with so little evidence. Until they find
her body, they don't have another crime scene. That car is your crime scene. But
investigators didn't hold on to that car for very long. It was released to Jod's
family just a couple of months after she disappeared. So, if the car is your crime scene, why would they give it back
to the family? I think that's a question for the police. Was that car given back
too quickly? Maybe. Jeff Brinkley is Mason City's fourth police chief since Jody disappeared because the evidence
that could have been in that car, especially given the technological advances since then, could be important
today, right? But you don't have that evidence. We don't have it, but we just have to live with what we've got and and
try to do as good as we can with that. Chief Brinkley says they do have some DNA samples and then there is that palm
print, but police won't tell us exactly what other evidence they have. Is Tony Jackson still a person of interest? Uh,
I'm not going to comment on that. Is John Vanise still a person of interest? I can't comment on that. But find
jodie.com broke the news that in 2017 John Vans, who currently lives in Arizona, was still on police radar. The
Mason City Police obtained a search warrant for GPS information on two of Vanis's vehicles.
What' you make of that? Very intrigued because it's the first thing we'd seen in years of any kind of official
document. The warrant is sealed, but Caroline thinks police were looking for information that could have led to Jod's
body. We surmised that they must have been trying to see if he was leading going to
visit some site that he might have buried Jody. I lived by a big that piece didn't pan out like we'd hoped. No one
was coming back from out of state to check out a potential body site. We didn't get any information that was
useful. Whatever information the police may have on anyone, they're not sharing.
Why won't you talk about any specifics in this case? I don't want to let the cat out of the bag. Um, I think that we
still that in the bag. Do you have Not completely? No. No, I don't think we do yet, but I think that we're very close.
So, does that mean we talking about weeks, months? I don't think it's fast. It's not fast. I don't think it's fast.
You ready? Yeah. Thank you. 48 hours traveled to Phoenix to ask John Van SC what he knows about Jod's disappearance.
My dad. Hi, John. My name is Jim Axelat. I'm with the CBS News broadcast 48 hours. How are you? Hi. We're conducting
an investigation into the disappearance of Jody Husen. I want to ask you a couple of questions. Got a lot of
people. On June 5th, 2018, on what would have been Jod's 50th birthday, the findjod.com team officially unveiled
four billboards around Mason City. It's time to bring Jodie home. Until then, these are the last images of Jodie
that friends and family hold on to. Way to keep me in check. When I think about her, I think about all the fun we had.
Welcome back to News Channel 3. Dave, Rick, it is She had a lot of sunshine to many people's world. 64° already
abundant sunshine here in Mason City. We're not giving up. Find Jod's not going to go away. I am staying on this
until we find Jod. Somebody knows something. Is it you? Plenty of happy farmers out there. I'm sure with the
rain eye the tomato plants and lawns and all that stuff. Welcome to midday. I'm Jody who's in truth.
[Music] [Music]

Iowa TV anchor Jodi Huisentruit disappeared on June 27, 1995. In this episode from June 2019, "48 Hours" contributor Jim Axelrod reports on the investigation. Someone knows something ... is it you? Watch more full episodes of "48 Hours" on Pluto TV.

True crime. Real justice. "48 Hours" investigates the most intriguing crime and justice cases that touch on all areas of the human experience including greed and passion. "48 Hours," which premiered in 1988, has developed a rich history of original reporting and impact journalism that has helped exonerate wrongly convicted people, caused cold cases to be reopened and solved, and along the way changed lives.

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Brief Summary

The episode details the 1995 disappearance of news anchor Jodie Husen and the ongoing investigation into her case.

Key points

The Disappearance of Jodie Husen. Jodie Husen, a beloved news anchor, vanished without a trace, sparking a nationwide search.
The FBI Gets Involved. As the investigation deepens, the FBI joins the search for Jodie Husen.
A Possible Stalker. Jodie reported a possible stalker months before her disappearance, raising concerns.
The Investigation Narrows. Police narrow their focus to a dozen people, intensifying the search for Jodie.
A Sister's Plea. Jodie's sister makes an emotional appeal for her safe return on television.
The Mystery of Jodie's Disappearance. Investigators explore various suspects and motives surrounding Jodie's case.

Episode highlights

Episode quotes

Somebody knows something. Is it you?

A plea for information about Jodie's case.

3:32WatchJul 3, 2025

Tension

60/ 100Some tension

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