Iowa

Answers may still lie in Arizona in case of Iowa news anchor who went missing in 1995

Published

2 years ago

June 28, 2024

Answers may still lie in Arizona in case of Iowa news anchor who went missing in 1995

PHOENIX (AZFamily) — Iowa news anchor Jodi Huisentruit vanished 29 years ago on Thursday, and answers about what may have happened could lie here in Arizona.

Police and family continue to try to solve her disappearance, and there are still plenty of questions about what, if any, involvement the person of interest now living in Phoenix had.

The challenge in this case is there’s little to no forensic evidence and no eyewitnesses.

The beloved 27-year-old Jodi Huisentruit was a staple on Iowa television. Huisentruit was well-known in the Mason City community and even more admired by her family, especially by her niece Kristen Nathe.

“I had a very special relationship with her. She was also my godmother. I spent a lot of time with her, and that loss was very significant to me and still to this day,” said Nathe.

Nathe was 11 years old on June 27, 1995, and remembers the day well.

Huisentruit never made it to work that day. First, she was believed to have overslept her alarm, but then her news team realized something was wrong.

Police believe she was abducted while getting to her car that morning.

Longtime investigative journalist Caroline Lowe said there were only 30 seconds between Huisentruit leaving her apartment and getting to her car, so they believe she was targeted.

“There’s no way somebody driving by would have had time to get in, it was so fast. Somebody, we believe, was waiting for her, whether it was a stalker or somebody she knew. We don’t know,” said Lowe.

A man named John Vansice showed up at the crime scene. The nearly 50-year-old was good friends with Huisentruit and often went boating with her and her friends.

He claimed he was the last to see Huisentruit when she came over to watch a birthday video at his house the night before.

“They’ve interviewed me twice, but they haven’t made any indication that I’m a suspect,” Vansice said to a reporter at the time.

He became a person of interest and has remained so, but Lowe said Huisentruit didn’t leave any warning signs about Vansice.

“From Jodi’s journal she did a number of social things with him. She had a great time at a birthday party he hosted. There’s no indication in the journal they’re anything but good friends,” said Lowe.

Lowe is part of the “Find Jodi” team and website committed to Huisentruit’s case.

Their team uncovered court documents showing that Mason City Police executed a search warrant for GPS data on two cars linked to Vansice in March 2017.

The information is sealed.

On this 29th anniversary, True Crime Arizona went to Vansice’s Phoenix home to try and talk to him, but despite a TV blaring the news inside, no one answered.

Huisentruit’s niece said at this point, she has a personal message for Vansice.

“What I personally would ask is that if he has more information regarding Jodi or the situation, that he comes forward and shares that information, especially if he considered himself to be such a close friend of Jodi. Um, help us. Help us to solve this case,” said Nathe.

Vansice has maintained his innocence and has never been charged in the case.

The “Find Jodi” team honored her life Thursday morning and has kept billboards up in Iowa.

If you have any information on Jodi’s disappearance, you can reach out to the Find Jodi web page.

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Iowa

Iowa basketball forward planning to return if granted extra season

Published

12 hours ago

March 30, 2026

Press Room

Iowa basketball forward planning to return if granted extra season

Iowa basketball just capped one of its most magical seasons in years with its first trip to the Elite Eight since 1987.

While the Hawkeyes’ Cinderella run through March Madness closed with a 71-59 loss against No. 3 seed Illinois, Iowa reached the doorstep of the Final Four and that should pay dividends for years to come. Head coach Ben McCollum and Iowa will work to retool for another NCAA Tournament run as soon as next season.

Cooper Koch and Tate Sage each authored enthusiasm for the future with their performance as underclassmen over the course of the season and during March Madness in particular. Iowa will return forwards Alvaro Folgueiras and Cam Manyawu and guard Kael Combs from the core that led the Hawkeyes to 24 wins and an Elite Eight berth.

Iowa head coach Ben McCollum had mentioned earlier in the year that it wasn’t ruling out the possibility of forward Tavion Banks returning for the 2026-27 season either. Banks would need a waiver for additional eligibility, stemming from his career beginning in the JUCO ranks at Northwest Florida State for two seasons.

“If I get another year, I will be here next year on their side to help them out,” Banks said.

The hope is that Banks could get a Diego Pavia ruling, which earned Pavia another season of football eligibility at Vanderbilt. Pavia sued the NCAA in November of 2024, arguing that his JUCO seasons shouldn’t count toward his overall years of NCAA eligibility. A federal judge in Tennessee granted Pavia an injunction in December of 2024, opening the door for other former JUCO athletes to potentially receive waivers for more NCAA eligibility.

But, Banks is aware of the uncertainty surrounding whether or not he will indeed receive another season of eligibility.

“I don’t know the future. God will plan it all out for me. I wish them the best of luck and I’ll be cheering for them and I’m sure I’ll be a part of Hawkeye nation,” Banks said.

It would be a major boon for McCollum and for the Hawkeyes if Banks is inded able to return for the 2026-27 men’s college basketball season. Banks has played with McCollum each of the past two seasons at Drake and at Iowa, and the 6-foot-7 forward was Iowa’s second-leading scorer this past season, averaging 10.2 points and 4.6 rebounds per game on 52% field goal shooting.

Banks keyed Iowa’s second-round upset of top-seeded Florida, scoring a team-high 20 points in the win over the Gators.

Contact/Follow us @HawkeyesWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Iowa news, notes and opinions. Follow Josh on X: @JoshOnHawks

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Iowa

NW Iowa family witnesses field catch fire firsthand Saturday

Published

24 hours ago

March 29, 2026

Press Room

NW Iowa family witnesses field catch fire firsthand Saturday

BRONSON, Iowa (KTIV) – As recovery continues in Northwest Iowa from Saturday’s field fires, one family witnessed the fire firsthand.

On Saturday. March 28, more than 50 organizations from three states responded to a large field fire in Woodbury County.

Several of these organizations worked throughout the night to assist in emergency operations.

Ruth Smith, a Bronson resident, says she and her family saw the fire burn in their backyard, and before she knew it the field in her backyard was fully engulfed in flames.

“Came out and was looking out the back window and we could see the flames, out there in the field there,” said Smith. “It just, you know, spread so fast.”

Residents from Lawton, Bronson, and Moville had to evacuate their homes for their safety, including members of Smith’s family.

“My daughter and son,” said Smith. “They grabbed some of their stuff and threw it in bags, went down to my in-laws’ house.”

From her house, Smith says she could see her neighbor’s shed catch fire and how she felt throughout the night.

“The emotions are scary when the wind is that crazy and you know the ground is that dry and it spreads really fast,” said Smith.

A common fear for residents like Smith is the fear of running out of water.

“We’re out here and they’re no fire hydrants, so it’s pretty scary,” said Smith.

Derek Stanfield, the Salix fire chief says a portable water site has been set up at Lawton-Bronson High School.

“We are dumping water in these holding tanks and as trucks need water, they come here, we fill them out of the tanks,” he said. “That allows these trucks to get back on the road, get water, get back, so we don’t run out.”

Center now open in Bronson for those impacted by Saturday’s field fire

Woodbury County Emergency Management says a respite center is now open at Lofted Views Event Center, located at 2086 210th St. in Bronson.

Those impacted by the fires are encouraged to seek assistance by visiting the center to meet with American Red Cross case workers.

Management says for concerns about recovery efforts, residents can call (712)-222-4400.

Want to get the latest news and weather from Siouxland’s News Source? Follow these links to download our KTIV News app and our First Alert Weather app.

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Iowa

Body recovered from retention pond after reported drowning in Iowa Colony

Published

1 day ago

March 29, 2026

Press Room

Body recovered from retention pond after reported drowning in Iowa Colony

Iowa Colony police say a caller saw a man go underwater in the Meridiana subdivision and did not resurface.

IOWA COLONY, Texas – Iowa Colony police recovered the body of a man Saturday night after witnesses reported seeing him go underwater in a retention pond in the Meridiana subdivision, authorities said.

Officers were dispatched around 7:04 p.m. to a pond behind the 10400 block of Kahlo Court after a caller reported a man was swimming, submerged and did not resurface, according to the Iowa Colony Police Department.

Police said responding officers immediately began searching the area. The Brazoria County Sheriff’s Office, Iowa Colony Fire Department and Manvel Fire Department assisted at the scene, and the Fort Bend County Dive and Water Rescue Team was called in to help.

Divers with the Fort Bend County team located the man around 10:10 p.m. and pronounced him deceased, police said.

The man’s identity and the cause of death have not been released. Police said no foul play is suspected and the investigation remains ongoing.