MASON CITY, Iowa — Tuesday morning marks 28 years since Long Prairie, Minnesota native and KIMT-TV news anchor Jodi Huisentruit disappeared while heading to work. After nearly three decades, family and friends still have few answers as to what led to her disappearance.
Despite ongoing efforts by police and others searching for answers, no suspects have been publicly named.
Tuesday morning, people gathered alongside members of the nonprofit FindJodi.com team outside her former news station in Mason City, Iowa to honor and remember Jodi.
"We hope the event will bring some light to who Jodi was in life, and what she meant to those who knew her best," said organizers of the event in a released statement. "And we also hope the sad anniversary will motivate someone to come forward with information about what happened to Jodi so her loved ones don't mark another year with no answers."
One of those at the gathering was retired WCCO crime reporter Caroline Lowe, who for decades has lent her expertise, energy and dogged commitment to the quest to find Jodi as a member of the FindJodi.com team.
"I am being interviewed (about the case)by some reporters who were not even born when Jodi was abducted, underscoring how long Jodi’s been missing," Lowe reflected in an email to KARE 11. "We hope the next event to honor Jodi will be because she is home and it will be in Long Prairie, MN."
"It's time to bring Jodi home," she concluded, also noting that this anniversary means Huisentruit has been missing for longer than she was alive.
It was the morning of June 27, 1995 when Jodi was running late to anchor the morning news at KIMT-TV, just a mile away from her apartment. Her producer Amy Kuns called to check on her, and Jodi said she'd be right in.
Huisentruit never showed up, and police found signs of a struggle in her apartment parking lot including drag marks on the pavement, a bent car key, and items from her bag strewn all over.
She was just 27 years old.
"She was a joy and it's hard every year on this day to remember all the years that she's missed and to not know what her future could've been," said Jenny Hager, Jodi's college roommate during her junior year at St. Cloud State University.
Following Tuesday morning's event, Jodi's family released a statement on the quest to bring her home. "We never thought a tragedy like this would happen to our family. Please do not make us wait another year for answers. We implore you – if you know something, SAY something. The pain of not knowing where Jodi is or what happened to her is a pain we would never wish on anyone."
"If you have something that maybe doesn't seem right, it's always bothered you and the timing coincides, you never know how that piece might fight in a puzzle with something law enforcement already has or maybe we've already heard," Lowe said.
Those who may know something are urged to contact the Mason City Police Department at (641) 421-3636 or Iowa DCI special agent Ryan Herman at rherman@dps.state.ia.us.
To read the entire statement by Jodi Huisentruit's family, click here.
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