Thirty-one years after Iowa television anchor Jodi Huisentruit vanished without a trace on her way to work, new claims are surfacing, offering a potential, albeit unverified, breakthrough while police maintain their ongoing investigation into multiple persons of interest.
Jodi Huisentruit, a 27-year-old anchor at KIMT-TV in Mason City, was abducted before dawn on June 27, 1995. She was reportedly awakened by a 4 a.m. phone call from a colleague, apologizing for being late and promising to arrive at the station within 15 minutes. She left her apartment with her makeup, a hairdryer, and a pair of red high heels, heading toward her red Mazda Miata. Somewhere between her apartment and her car, she disappeared. Items she was carrying were found scattered around her vehicle, and drag marks on the asphalt suggested a struggle. Her body has never been found, and no arrests have been made.
Recent Claims and Police Response
This month, private investigator Steve Ridge announced he had identified a suspect in Huisentruit's abduction based on a second-hand confession. Ridge claims an unnamed woman told him that her former partner confessed to the crime months after Huisentruit's disappearance. Ridge stated he shared his findings, including supporting evidence from the woman, with Iowa's Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI).
However, Mason City Police Chief Mike McKelvey has expressed skepticism about such claims, particularly those amplified on social media. McKelvey told the Daily Mail that misinformation from amateur sleuths and self-described investigators can be detrimental to the case, with many recent claims being "grossly misleading" or based on speculation. While police do follow up on leads, McKelvey noted that the majority of leads generated by private investigators and amateurs have lacked substance.
Ongoing Investigation and Persons of Interest
McKelvey confirmed that the Mason City Police Department (MCPD) is actively investigating multiple persons of interest. Among them is Brad Millerbernd, the ex-husband of one of Huisentruit's childhood friends. Millerbernd was publicly identified as a person of interest last year. Investigators examined allegations that Millerbernd had an "unusual fixation" on Huisentruit, drove a van similar to one reportedly seen near her apartment the morning she disappeared, and resembled a composite sketch of a suspicious man seen lurking near her building two nights before her abduction. Millerbernd has denied any wrongdoing and has not been formally charged.
Patty Niemeyer, Millerbernd's ex-wife and Huisentruit's friend, first contacted the MCPD in 2017 with suspicions about Millerbernd. She reported that Millerbernd had an "odd preoccupation" with Huisentruit. Niemeyer also noted that Millerbernd drove a white Ford Econoline van, a detail that aligns with witness reports of a similar vehicle parked outside Huisentruit's apartment around the time of her disappearance. The timing of Millerbernd's divorce from Niemeyer, which was finalized just four days before Huisentruit vanished, has also been noted as compelling by Niemeyer and investigators.
During a 2022 phone interview, Millerbernd reportedly admitted to having dinner with Huisentruit in the fall of 1994, having found her number in a phone directory and driving from his then-residence in Winsted, Minnesota, to meet her in Mason City. In a follow-up in-person interview in 2024, Millerbernd was described as cooperative but "very nervous" when presented with evidence. He voluntarily provided DNA and underwent a polygraph test, the results of which have not been disclosed. A search of one of his former properties yielded no new leads.
Persistent Hope for Closure
Other individuals who have been investigated include John Vansice, an older friend of Huisentruit's who was the last known person to have seen her alive, and suspected serial killer Christopher Revak.
Jodi Huisentruit was legally declared dead in 2001. For her family and the community, the decades-long lack of answers has been a source of enduring pain. Her niece, Kristen Nathe, expressed the ongoing emotional toll, stating, "You can't move on. It's always an open question that's eating at you and haunting you." Despite the passage of time, Nathe, like many others, clings to the hope that justice will one day be served and that her aunt's final resting place can be found.
The MCPD stated that they continue to pursue all leads and are committed to providing closure. They are also exploring how new technologies, including artificial intelligence, might aid in solving the cold case.