Today, 30 years after Jodi Huisentruit was abducted from the parking lot of her apartment complex in Mason City, Iowa, Jodi’s friend Ani Kruse released the following statement to FindJodi.com.
I met Jodi when she was covering one of our American Heart Association fundraising golf tournaments. We were just two young women, early in our careers, both newer to the area. We had an instant connection. There she was—this spirited, blonde-haired young woman, hauling her hefty camera gear across the golf course, full of energy and determination. We clicked instantly. It was as if we had known each other forever. Her smile lit up a room, and her laugh was contagious! She was kind to everyone she met.
From that point on, Jodi would call me at 9 a.m. with, “What are we doing tonight?”—and off we’d go. Two young women in a newer town, finding our place and our people together.
Jodi and Ani celebrating Jodi’s 27th birthday in Clear Lake, Iowa, just a few weeks prior to Jodi’s abduction.
We enjoyed riding our bikes from Mason City to Clear Lake, all the way around the lake, and back. We boated. We skied—well, she skied. Jodi was an amazing skier, me not so much. And we tracked down every half-price appetizer special in town. Neither of us was making much income-wise, but half-price appetizers? That was dinner. We made it fun. We made it matter.
Jodi served as the secretary and communications chair of our local board. I’d come into the office and find little notes from her scribbled on napkins, reminders, or encouragements left just for me. She emceed events when I needed someone dependable, and she never hesitated to step in. She joined me for fundraisers, and I returned the favor when she was emceeing for her work. We showed up for each other—that’s just what we did.
And the weekend before she disappeared… I had no idea it would be our last adventure together. We were in the Iowa City area—boating, dancing, just living life like we always did. Carefree, full of laughter, soaking in every moment. Looking back now, it’s hard to believe that weekend was the last time I would spend with her. If I had known… I don’t know what I would’ve done differently. Maybe nothing. Maybe everything.
She had big dreams. She was looking ahead to the next chapter—She was driven and motivated. She had so much more to do.
I wish my daughters could have met her. She would have been a role model for them—a bright, bold, and fearless example of what it looks like to chase your goals and lift others up along the way.
She was the kind of friend everyone deserves in their life—supportive, adventurous, funny, loyal. In one of the cards she wrote we’d be lifetime friends, well, a lifetime ended up being a very short time.
So while I am grateful for the time I had with Jodi, I also stand here restless. Restless because there are still no answers. Restless because we still don’t know what happened. I will keep remembering her laugh, her spirit, her friendship. And I will keep hoping—for answers, not just for me, but for all of us who loved her.
– Ani Kruse, June 27, 2025
If you have any information about what happened to Jodi, call the Mason City Police Department at (641)421-3636 or email Iowa DCI Special Agent Ryan Herman: rherman@dps.state.ia.us. Or contact us at FindJodi.
