A beloved face from Iowa’s evening news vanished into the dark nearly 30 years ago, and now a chilling new lead is pulling her story back into the spotlight. Jodi Huisentruit, a rising star at KIMT in Mason City, was just 27 years old when she disappeared on her way to anchor the morning broadcast in June of 1995. She never made it to the station. Her car was still in the parking lot of her apartment building. Her belongings were scattered on the ground, as if dropped in a sudden struggle. And then—nothing.
For decades, investigators had no answers. Her family grieved without closure. Her coworkers held on to fading hope. The case officially went cold, but in 2001 she was declared legally dead. It seemed the mystery would remain buried forever.
Thirty years ago today my friend Jodi Huisentruit was abducted on her way to work, as a morning news anchor in Mason City, Iowa. The case has never been solved and Jodi hasn’t been found. Pictures are us at college, SCSU in Minnesota. Anonymous tips: 641-999-1109. Please share. pic.twitter.com/Z1c4rJAvyc
— Joe Vigil (@JoeVigil) June 28, 2025
Now, something has shifted. A new Hulu docuseries called Her Last Broadcast: The Abduction of Jodi Huisentruit is bringing forward never-before-seen footage, fresh interviews, and a lead that has stunned even seasoned cold case detectives. The series, produced by ABC News, includes a revelation that is already sparking heated discussions: a woman close to Jodi believes her own ex-husband was involved.
The woman, whose identity remains protected in the show, told producers she contacted Mason City police years ago but felt ignored. In 2022, after watching ABC’s 20/20 segment “Gone at Dawn,” she tried again. “I’m positive he went to Mason City, and he met with Jodi. I’m 100-percent positive,” she said in a recorded interview. She claimed he had an unusual obsession with the young anchor.
The timeline adds a layer of tension almost too precise to ignore. The couple finalized their divorce on June 23, 1995. Four days later, Jodi vanished. According to the docuseries, police investigators treated this tip as “very high priority” and traveled to Winsted, Wisconsin, where the man once lived. Teams combed a remote area for human remains, digging, scanning, searching—yet emerging empty-handed.
A TV news anchor vanishes. And then, almost 30 years later, a break in the case and new leads. What really happened to Jodi? The all-new true crime docuseries – “Her Last Broadcast: The Abduction of Jodi Huisentruit” – is now streaming on Hulu and Hulu on Disney+. pic.twitter.com/KRTmqJsJJg
— ABC News Studios (@abcnewsstudios) July 15, 2025
Authorities have not named this man publicly, but the Hulu series suggests he was considered a person of interest from the beginning. Now, decades later, his shadow looms larger than ever over the case. The producers say three other individuals remain on law enforcement’s radar, raising even more questions about what happened that early morning.
Maria Awes, the show’s executive producer, said it best: “We wanted to get all this information out there, keep Jodi and her story, her legacy, top of mind. Hopefully somebody who has any missing piece of information will contact police.”
This July marks the 30th anniversary of Jodi’s disappearance. In Mason City, her face still appears on missing-person posters and community memorials. But for the first time in years, there’s movement—whispers of a suspect, searches in far-off places, new clues piecing together a puzzle left unsolved.
After all this time, could the key to Jodi Huisentruit’s disappearance finally be within reach—or is this only the beginning of a deeper, darker revelation that no one has yet imagined?
