The Cerro Gordo County Attorney says he plans to fight a legal motion to open a sealed search warrant in the Jodi Huisentruit case.
Two Iowa attorneys argued in the motion filed January 24 that the warrant concerning GPS data connected to two vehicles connected to John Vansice should be opened since Vansice “passed away in December 2024 and, as such, any ongoing investigation into his involvement in this matter has now ceased.”
Attorneys Nellie O’Mara and Jesse Marzen also argued, “The State has no right to conduct an investigation after a person is deceased.”
In response to the motion, County Attorney Carlyle Dalen, who says he’s “never seen a death certificate” for Vansice, told FindJodi, “As far as we’re concerned, the investigation is continuing whether he’s passed or not.” Dalen said the motion “makes no sense and could seriously hinder the investigation.” He added, “I don’t feel in my soul a judge will open it up.”
FindJodi also reached out to the law firm that filed the motion for comment. We are waiting for a response.
The search warrant was originally filed in 2017 and has been resealed every year since. The GPS data being sought was for two vehicles manufactured after Jodi was abducted in 1995. In a 2018 interview with “48 Hours” correspondent Jim Axelrod, Mason City Police Chief Jeff Brinkley said, “We didn’t get any information that was useful.”
Anyone with any information on Jodi’s case should contact the Mason City Police Department at (641) 421-3636 or email Iowa DCI Special Agent Ryan Herman at rherman@dps.state.ia.us. You can always reach out to FindJodi here, or anonymously here.
