Judge Releases Part of Warranr In Huisentruit Case

A Cerro Gordo County judge has released part of a search warrant from 2017 pertaining to the cold case of missing Mason City news anchor Jodi Huisentruit. Huisentruit went missing in June of 1995 while on the way to her morning news anchor job. The search warrant was for GPS data from two vehicles belonging to John Vansice. Vansice was a person of interested in Huisentruit’s case as he was reportedly the last person to see her alive. Vansice passed away in December 2024, prompting arguments in court on whether or not the warrant should be unsealed. Cerro Gordo County Attorney Carlyle Dalen argued the affidavit contained sensitive information that could impact the case. Private investigator Steve Ridge advocated that since Vansice passed away, the warrant should be unsealed in its entirety. Mason City police have publicly said no useful information came of the search. The judge ruled that part of the search warrant can be unsealed. However, the affidavit that contains sensitive information will stay sealed. The 2017 search warrant was unsealed Monday. The search warrant details law enforcement was looking to remove electronic tracking devices from a 1999 Honda Civic and a 2013 GMC 1500. The warrant says investigators learned Vansice would regularly travel from Arizona to Iowa. The report shows a log of locations Vansice drove to in March of 2017. Vansice drove through several states including Iowa, Missouri, Oklahoma and Texas.