A Senior Judge in Cerro Gordo County has ruled to partially unseal a 2017 search warrant connected to the unsolved disappearance of local television news anchor Jodi Huisentruit, while keeping the supporting affidavit under seal to protect the integrity of the ongoing investigation.
The ruling, filed today, stems from a motion filed by attorneys Nellie O’Mara and Jesse Marzen seeking to unseal records related to GPS tracking devices placed on two vehicles tied to John Vansice – a friend of Huisentruit’s and described as a “person of interest” in the court decision. The vehicles, a 1999 Honda Civic and a 2013 GMC 1500, were reportedly registered to the Arizona address where Vansice was living in early 2017. The vehicles did not exist at the time Huisentruit disappeared in 1995.
RELATED: View a copy of the court ruling
Vansice moved to Arizona years after her disappearance. In February 2017, investigators with the Mason City Police Department obtained court approval to place GPS tracking devices on the two vehicles as Vansice prepared to travel from Arizona to Iowa. The warrant was approved and executed. At the State’s request, the entire file was sealed shortly thereafter and has remained confidential – until now.
Judge James M. Drew denied the motion to unseal the warrant’s supporting affidavit submitted by Mason City Police Investigator Terrance Prochaska. The rest of the warrant documents – including the application, endorsement, and search warrant itself – will be made public.
The court found that the Prochaska affidavit contains sensitive investigative details – including specific times, scene observations, and items discovered – that are known only to law enforcement and the perpetrator. Releasing this information, the court concluded, could compromise the integrity of the investigation and diminish the corroborative value of any future confession.
“The court recognizes this is an extremely high-profile case. The high level of public curiosity is understandable. However, what the public would like to know is often very different from what the public needs to know or should know. Mere curiosity is never a sufficient reason for potentially interfering in an ongoing criminal investigation, especially of a major crime,” the ruling states.
The decision underscores that the investigation into Huisentruit’s disappearance remains open, despite the death of John Vansice in December 2024. The judge noted there is no statute of limitations on murder in Iowa, and law enforcement continues to consider the case active.
Huisentruit vanished on June 27, 1995, after failing to report to work at KIMT-TV in Mason City. Some of her personal belongings were found scattered outside her apartment.
The court’s unsealing order will take effect 31 days after filing, unless a notice of appeal is filed. If appealed, the release will be paused pending further court review.
Anyone with 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.mn.us. You can always reach out tous at FindJodi.
