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Search for missing news anchor expands after authorities get new tip

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Search for missing news anchor expands after authorities get new tip

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A 27-year-old news anchor mysteriously disappeared nearly 30 years ago, gripping the small town in Iowa where she worked, and a recent tip prompted detectives to search a property in Minnesota for her remains. 

Mason City Police Department detectives in Iowa searched a site in Winsted, Minnesota, in October for Jodi Huisentruit, who vanished the morning of June 27, 1995. 

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Mason City Police Chief Jeff Brinkley confirmed the purpose of the search in a statement to Fox News Digital.

“MCPD recently worked with Minnesota law enforcement officials to follow up on a lead in Winsted,” he said. “MCPD continues to receive, evaluate and follow up on information it receives related to Jodi Huisentruit’s disappearance on a regular basis. Information gleaned from this effort will be used in the ongoing investigation. At this time, there is no additional information for public release. We do want to encourage anyone with information about Jodi’s disappearance to contact MCPD or the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation.”

MISSING SUZANNE SIMPSON’S DAUGHTER SAYS FATHER ‘TOOK MY MOTHER’S LIFE’ AFTER REAL ESTATE AGENT’S DISAPPEARANCE

TV anchor Jodi Huisentruit went missing on her way to work the morning of June 27, 1995. (Findjodi.com)

Huisentruit, a native of Long Prairie, Minnesota, was on her way to work as a morning anchor at KIMT-TV in Mason City when she disappeared. 

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“She drove the red convertible, she had her hair flowing and she loved to be in public. She loved to be at, you know, the local establishment,” Sgt. Terrance Prochaska of the Mason City Police Department told Fox News Digital. “People knew Jodi because she was just approachable.” 

On the morning of her disappearance, Huisentruit told a colleague she had overslept and was running late to the office, according to the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension. However, she never made it to work that day.

“She was in a hurry … probably wasn’t even looking when she was getting into her car,” Prochaska, who has been investigating Huisentruit’s case for 14 years, said. “I’ve been a police officer for 23 years now. I’ve been around the circle, I guess, of cases. This one is just heartbreaking.”

COP WHO SURVIVED SERIAL KILLER AS A TEEN IS NOW ON TRACK TO BECOME A DETECTIVE

The exterior of the apartment complex where TV anchor Jodi Huisentruit lived June 27, 1995. (Steve Kagan/The Life Images Collection via Getty Images/Getty Images)

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“It’s sometimes hard to go home at night with, you know, without answers for the family of Jodi Huisentruit, especially her friends that are still actively looking for her that were with her day in, day out before she went missing.”

Huisentruit’s disappearance was ruled an abduction, and her belongings, including a hair dryer, a red pair of shoes and a bottle of hairspray, were found next to her car at her apartment complex, and police found signs of a struggle. A witness also reported seeing a suspicious white van and hearing a scream, Fox 9 reported. 

“The red shoes are significant. It kind of makes the hair stand up on the back of your neck a little bit when you see those shoes … because it’s probably similar to something you’ve worn to work,” Prochaska said. “As far as the evidence left behind … there’s a significant amount of evidence that suggests that she was unconscious and dragged.”

MISSING GEORGIA MOM MINELYS RODRIGUEZ, A TIKTOKKER, FOUND DEAD NEAR WALMART WHERE SHE WAS LAST SEEN ALIVE

Jodi Huisentruit was a star TV anchor before she disappeared in 1995.          (Findjodi.com)

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The promising news anchor was declared legally dead in 2001. 

“The biggest obstacle is we don’t have a body,” Prochaska acknowledged. “If you read about a lot of these cold cases that are being solved here recently, it’s because they have a body.”

Remember that this happened in 1995 before DNA (evidence) really even existed. Thankfully, the investigators back then, they did things above and beyond. … They set up road blocks the next morning, and they interviewed every car passing by her apartment lot that next morning. They collected evidence out of dumpsters. Thankfully, that has helped us in the case.”

On the 28th anniversary of her disappearance in 2023, Huisentruit’s family posted a statement on Findjodi.com, encouraging anyone with information to come forward and expressing gratitude to the public and law enforcement. 

“We, Jodi’s family, would like to say a big thank you to all of you who have shown up here today and who continue to show interest in Jodi’s case. We know that along with us, you feel the pain and agony over Jodi’s case still being unresolved,” the statement said.

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“Jodi had such a bright future ahead of her, and she should be here every day enjoying it. She deserves better, and we continue to pray that someone will come forward with the missing piece that will finally solve this case and give Jodi the justice she deserves.”

MURDERED KANSAS MOMS’ CAUSE OF DEATH REVEALED MONTHS AFTER THEY TURNED UP DEAD IN COW PASTURE

A storefront window with a flyer about Jodie Huisentruit’s disappearance. (Steve Kagan/The Life Images Collection via Getty Images/Getty Images)

Prochaska explained that the latest tip to police was just one of many over the years and said investigators have searched extensively to find her remains. He did not disclose any information about who might be responsible for her disappearance. 

“It’s very difficult to convince the public that we are trying so hard to find her,” he said. “The only thing we need is help from the public, that we hope that someday somebody is going to see something or hear something that’s going to make that one phone call to me or someone else in the community of law enforcement. … And that’s simply what we did in Minnesota recently, is just a person called us and gave us some information that was a little bit at a more concerning level than others.” 

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Prochaska did not provide any details about the “concerning” information police received, leading them to the search in Minnesota. 

“That’s how we’re going to find Jodi,” he said. “By not giving up and not just taking people’s calls for granted.” 

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Detroit, MI

Vigil, protest held for Renee Nicole Good at Detroit’s Clark park

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Vigil, protest held for Renee Nicole Good at Detroit’s Clark park


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The name Renee Nicole Good bounced off the buildings of southwest Detroit as hundreds marched on the evening of Friday, Jan. 9, following Good’s fatal shooting by an immigration agent in Minneapolis earlier in the week. 

A candlelight vigil was held at 6 p.m. at the city’s Clark Park in memory of Good, before attendees took off marching down Vernor Highway. 

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As of 7:30 p.m., the mass crowd had reached Cavalry Street, about half a mile away from the park, and turned, yelling “What do we want? Justice ” and calling for ICE’s ousting from communities.

Good, 37, was in her car when she was shot in the head on Wednesday, Jan.7, by a federal immigration officer in south Minneapolis. She leaves behind three children, ages 6, 12 and 15.

The shooting was recorded by witnesses and heightened political and community tensions over federal immigration enforcement as part of President Donald Trump’s nationwide immigration operations. The Trump administration has since said the shooting was done in self-defense, USA TODAY reports.

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Protests have occurred in cities across the U.S. since Good’s death, including gatherings in Michigan, and additional demonstrations are scheduled throughout the weekend.

This is a developing story.



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Milwaukee, WI

Chief marketing and communication officer named to Milwaukee Business Journal’s 40 Under 40  | Marquette Today

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Chief marketing and communication officer named to Milwaukee Business Journal’s 40 Under 40  | Marquette Today


Lynn Griffith, chief marketing and communication officer, was named to the Milwaukee Business Journal’s 40 Under 40 list. 

Griffith leads Marquette’s Office of Marketing and Communication, a team of 30 talented professionals who work to elevate and differentiate the Marquette brand via strategy and planning; brand management; media relations; internal communication; presidential communication; social media; issues and crisis management; advertising, digital and creative services; video; and editorial content, including the university’s flagship alumni publication, Marquette Magazine.  

Under Griffith’s leadership, Marquette’s marketing and communication team has been recognized for excellence, winning multiple National Collegiate Advertising awards, Circle of Excellence Awards from the Council for Advancement and Support of Education, and PRSA Southeastern Wisconsin Chapter Paragon Awards. In 2024, the university’s digital storytelling strategy was named a Ragan’s PR Daily award finalist. Marquette is ranked a top 55 most trusted higher education brand in the U.S. by Morning Consult and its social media is No. 5 in the country for higher education social media engagement by RivalIQ.  

During her nine years at Marquette, Griffith has been tapped for multiple university initiatives, including co-chairing the university’s Crisis Management Team, co-leading the university’s Convention Steering Committee ahead of Milwaukee hosting the Republican National Convention in 2024, and serving on Mission Priority Examen and presidential inauguration planning committees. 

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An engaged member of the Milwaukee community, Griffith serves on the board of directors of Menomonee Valley Partners and on the marketing committee of VISIT Milwaukee. She is a member of TEMPO Milwaukee and the Arthur W. Page Society, as well as the Marquette Mentors leadership council, on which she also serves as a mentor. She recently completed the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities’ 18-month Ignatian Colleagues Program for lay leaders.  

Griffith is a two-time graduate of Marquette, earning a Bachelor of Arts in public relations and writing intensive English and a Master of Business Administration. 

40 Under 40 honorees were selected based on the impact they have had in their jobs, in the community and on Southeast Wisconsin overall. The Milwaukee Business Journal reviewed hundreds of nominations to curate its 34th 40 Under 40 cohort. 

In addition to Griffith, seven alumni were named to the list: 

  • David Griggs, co-founder of One 5 Olive LLC 
  • Jordan Komp, senior principal and Milwaukee office director at Thornton Tomasetti Inc. 
  • Avery Mayne, attorney at von Briesen & Roper, s.c. 
  • Brian McClaren, principal of H. Knox Development Company 
  • Emily Tau, director of public affairs for Milwaukee County 
  • Jessica Shepherd, director of financial planning and analysis at Baird 
  • Mike Wanezek, partner at Colliers | Wisconsin 

The 40 Under 40 honorees will be celebrated in a forthcoming special edition of the Milwaukee Business Journal and at an awards presentation on Wednesday, March 11, at the Baird Center. 



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Minneapolis, MN

Prosecutors in DOJ’s Civil Rights Division will not investigate Minneapolis ICE shooting, sources say

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Prosecutors in DOJ’s Civil Rights Division will not investigate Minneapolis ICE shooting, sources say


Prosecutors in the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division were told they will not play a role in the ongoing investigation into a fatal shooting of a woman in Minneapolis by a federal immigration officer, according to two sources familiar with the matter.

Leadership in the Civil Rights Division, overseen by Harmeet Dhillon, informed staff in the division’s criminal section that there would not be an investigation, two sources said. Normally, after a high-profile incident involving a fatal shooting by an officer, attorneys from the criminal section fly out to the scene. Multiple career prosecutors offered to do so in this case, but they were told not to do so, one of the sources added. 

While investigations into the excessive use of force can be pursued solely by a U.S. Attorney’s office without direct involvement from the Civil Rights Division, it is customary for the division’s federal prosecutors to take the lead on high-profile investigations like the one in Minnesota.

The decision also raises questions about how far the FBI’s investigation into the shooting will go. 

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A Justice Department spokesperson declined to comment. 

On Thursday, the Justice Department announced that the FBI was leading the investigation into the fatal shooting of 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer.

Video footage shows the officer, identified in court records from a prior incident as Jonathan Ross, fired three rounds at the car as Good started to drive away.

The video also appeared to depict the officers did not take immediate steps to ensure that Good received emergency medical care after the shooting took place. A separate video from the scene showed officers stopping a man who claimed to be a doctor from moving toward Good. 

The killing has sparked protests nationwide, including in New York, Miami, Los Angeles and Detroit.

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Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem has argued that Ross was acting in self-defense, and claimed that Good was trying to use her car as a weapon in an act of “domestic terrorism.”

That description sparked immediate backlash from state and city officials, with the mayor of Minneapolis labeling the self-defense claims as “bulls***.”

On Friday, Trump administration officials shared another cellphone video of the incident that sources say was recorded by the ICE officer. The White House argues this video shows Ross was hit by Good’s car.

The Justice Department has stopped short of claiming Ross was acting in self-defense. 

But in a statement to CBS News this week, Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said that the use of deadly force by law enforcement officials can sometimes be justified.

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“Federal agents risk their lives each day to safeguard our communities. They must make decisions, under dynamic and chaotic circumstances, in less time than it took to read this sentence,” Blanche said.

“The law does not require police to gamble with their lives in the face of a serious threat of harm. Rather, they may use deadly force when they face an immediate threat of significant physical harm,” he added.

The criminal section of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division specializes in investigating and prosecuting constitutional violations by law enforcement officers. 

Some of the most common investigations involve excessive use of force, but can also include other things such as sexual misconduct, false arrests or deliberate indifference to serious medical needs.

One of the most famous civil rights prosecutions by the section in recent years took place in Minneapolis, after former Minneapolis Police Officer Derek Chauvin murdered George Floyd in May 2020.

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Chauvin pleaded guilty to willfully depriving, while acting under color of law, Floyd’s constitutional rights, as well as the rights of a 14-year-old boy.

Since President Trump took office last year, the Civil Rights Division has scaled back its work on excessive force prosecutions, according to legal experts. 

Last year, it sought to downplay the conviction of a former Louisville police officer who was convicted of violating Breonna Taylor’s civil rights and asked a federal judge to sentence him to serve just one day in prison.

The judge ultimately sentenced him to serve 33 months.

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