Existence revealed of video believed to be of Huisentruit
SOLON, Iowa – Cold case investigator and media consulting executive Steve Ridge has revealed that Mason City, anchor Jodi Huisentruit boarded a ski boat with two men she did not previously know the weekend before she vanished in June of 1995. It has already been reported that Huisentruit went water skiing at Coralville Lake north of Iowa City with the primary person of interest in her disappearance, John Vansice, a man some 20 years older than Jodi. With them were Vansice’s son and two of Jodi’s friends.
Ridge says his investigation has discovered that Jodi had met two young men with a Master Craft ski boat. Ridge says he spoke with witnesses who were at the lake that Saturday in 1995. Ridge says he’s been told that while Vansice was clearly not enthused that Jodi left to spend time with the younger men, he did not overreact or cause a scene, as some claim Vansice was prone to do.
Ridge says that once aboard the other boat, Huisentruit and a female friend were observed drinking and eventually singing and dancing on top of the enclosed engine compartment. Ridge says the young women were captured on a video made by the boat’s owner.
KWWL was not able to obtain nor view a copy of that video as Ridge says it is currently in the hands of investigators.
Ridge says this particular boater, whose name he is not divulging, made it a habit of inviting young women to waterski, and then videotaping them on board the boat. That video is believed to be the last one ever made outside of Huisentruit’s workplace before she was reported missing.
Ridge says he’s exploring whether one or both of the young men might have visited or attempted to visit Jodi in Mason City the next day, or possibly the Monday night before she was abducted. Ridge believes it is plausible a confrontation occurred inside Jodi’s apartment the night before she was abducted, or in the parking lot, minutes before she was abducted. Ridge says such a confrontation could shed light on both a motive and a proximity to the long mysterious abduction.
Ridge says he is convinced the strongest clues in Huisentruit’s disappearance can be found in the critical days and weeks leading up to her disappearance. “A lot of unfortunate things came together in a relatively short period of time just before Jodi went missing”, Ridge asserted.
Huisentruit was a morning news anchor for KIMT when she failed to report for work on Tuesday, June 27, 1995. Personal belongings and evidence suggesting a struggle were found near her parked car.
Ridge emphasized that while he is working independent of authorities, he does not withhold any potentially valuable information from them. “Our common goal is to bring closure to Jodi’s family and friends”, Ridge said. “ultimately, we would like to bring Jodi home to a permanent resting place.”
