Remembering Jodi...
I was in the Mason City area (driving back home from Minneapolis) a few weeks ago, took a slight detour, and drove by her apartment, and even parked exactly (where I believe, judging by photos I've seen) where she was abducted. The eerie factor was the highest I've ever experienced. I was only 9 years old when she went missing, but it's just unreal, after reading the book... You get so connected to it.
I explored Mason City a bit. Mason City is exactly as people describe. Quiet, quaint... but almost had a dated feel to it... Like it's sitting in the 70's/80's still (I don't really know how to describe it). That being said, it's your typical Midwestern "city" (Population 28,000 is considered a "city" in the upper Midwest).
The apartment complex (Key Apartments) is small... If I remember right, I believe there are only 3 buildings and 2 small parking lots. There are parks immediately to the west, south, and east; a river is to the south.
My visit to Mason City, and my impressions from it, definitely reaffirm my belief that Jodi knew her abductor well. Having grown up in the Upper Midwest and the feel I got from Mason City, I find it extremely unlikely this was random. Again, the book provides a lot of insight.