A team of four retired FBI agents/profilers who worked together in the federal agency’s Behavioral Analysis Unit (BAU) is taking a fresh, “unofficial” look at Jodi Huisentruit’s unsolved case in a series of three podcast episodes. The first episode was released today.
The Consult Podcast is hosted by Julia Cowley, the lead FBI profiler on the Golden State Killer case. She was recently featured in a FBI TRUE docuseries on CBS.
Julia’s team also worked on the Long Island Serial Killer investigation, in its early stages, and on several other high-profile cases.
Although neither Julia nor her retired colleagues worked on Jodi’s case while they were still at the FBI, or have had access to police files, they did extensively research the 28-year-old crime and interview many people close to the missing news anchor, to help determine her victimology.
The three episodes will be released two weeks apart. Part one is a summary of the facts of the case. Part two focuses on Jodi’s victimology and part three wraps up with the team’s analysis.
Jodi was abducted on June 27, 1995, outside her apartment building in Mason City, Iowa. It was still dark when someone grabbed her next to car as Jodi was heading to work to anchor the morning news at KIMT-TV. She has not been seen since and no one has ever been charged in connection with the crime.
In a statement to FindJodi, Julia explained how her team decided to analyze Jodi’s case and the personal impact working on Jodi’s case has had on her.
“Deciding to cover Jodi’s case on The Consult podcast was largely based on practical considerations. Personally, I would like to analyze each and every case that is brought to us. I want to help people, answer questions, and/or provide insight. However, that is not practical. Criminal profiling is already an inexact science, and without access to certain case information such as crime scene photos, autopsy results, and thorough victimology, it is no better than an educated guess based on speculation. A “profile” cannot be done based solely on media reports.
In Jodi’s case, however, we felt there was enough information provided to us to conduct an assessment. We had access to the crime scene photos as well as the investigation conducted by the FindJodi.com team over the years. We also had an abundance of victimology provided by those who knew and loved Jodi. Additionally, we wanted to be part of keeping Jodi’s case relevant. We feel keeping Jodi’s case in the media is critical to solving it. It has been almost 30 years since her abduction, so there’s nothing that should be held back at this point. If what is known about the investigation is not shared with the public, someone who has critical information may not even realize they have it.
I believe this case is going to be solved someday, and I commend Jodi’s family, friends, and colleagues for never giving up hope. If there’s anything we can do to assist in the future, please don’t hesitate to ask.”
Julia previously shared her initial insight on Jodi’s unsolved abduction during a FindJodi podcast in 2022.
“Practicality aside, it is impossible not to become emotionally invested working on Jodi’s case. She was loved by so many wonderful people, and it’s easy to see why. Jodi is only two years older than me, and I know she would have been a role model to me if we had gone to the same high school,” Cowley says.
“We shared many similarities. We’re both from a small town, loved sports, loved to laugh, and had big dreams. Jodi was described in glowing terms – bubbly, happy, driven, smart, caring, thoughtful, funny, and generous. What stood out to me the most in the descriptions of her, however, was her genuineness. As one person told me, Jodi ‘was not phony in any way, shape, or form’. The Jodi people saw on TV and interacted with in public was the true Jodi. Her authenticity was unmatched. Like so many others, I feel as if I’ve come to know Jodi in a way.”
Anyone with information about Jodi’s case can reach out to the Mason City Police Department at (641) 421-3636.
Information can also be provided to Iowa DCI Special Agent Ryan Herman:rherman@dps.state.ia.us
You can also contact us at FindJodi.com