FindJodi, Inc.

Best wishes to Mason City's new police chief, Mike McKelvey. McKelvey has been interim chief since Chief Jeff Brinkley retired in November. Below is an interview we did previously with Chief McKelvey in which he remembers being a brand new police officer back in 1995 when Jodi Huisentruit was abducted, even stationed at the crime scene, and his hopes for Jodi's case finally being solved on his watch.

On National Missing Persons Day, we’re thinking of Jodi Huisentruit’s loved ones and all of the families waiting for answers, including those of Grace Esquivel and, most recently, Nancy Guthrie.

An estimated 600,000 people are reported missing every year in the United States (https://www.fbi.gov/file-repository/2021-ncic-missing-person-and-unidentified-person-statistics.pdf). Fortunately, most return home safely.

Please keep these families in your thoughts and come forward if you have any information about what happened to Jodi, who was abducted almost 31 years ago in Mason City, Iowa, on her way to anchor the morning news at KIMT-TV. (Contact Information Is below on her flyer.)

Grace disappeared from Mason City in 1983, leaving behind a young daughter, parents and siblings.

Nancy Guthrie, the mother of NBC Today show anchor Savannah Guthrie, was reported missing Sunday from her home in the Tucson, Arizona, area. Law enforcement officials have said they believe she was abducted.

FindJodi Podcast expands to YouTube, bringing Jodi's case to new audience • Find Jodi Huisentruit FindJodi has released more than 30 podcast episodes on YouTube, expanding access to in-depth reporting on the unsolved abduction of KIMT-TV news anchor Jodi Huisentruit.As part of FindJodi’s ongoing effort to broaden awareness and inform new audiences about Jodi's case, podcast host Scott Fuller a...

Beautiful reflections post by Dennis Dalman, a Minnesota journalist who knew Jodi when she worked in Alexandria.

This is always such a difficult time for Jodi's family and loved ones so especially meaningful for them to have such such a wonderful tribute to her.

Jodi Huisentruit’s abduction still haunts me - The Newsleaders When I think of Jodi Huisentruit, I get a sinking feeling, knowing she is not “missing” but almost certainly “deceased.”

More photos and memories of Jodi from the Huisentruit family albums.

It's been one year since Jodi Huisentruit's family created a page to share personal memories of the missing news anchor and correct misinformation about Jodi and the 30-year-old unsolved case.

Today they reflect on the past year and share more photos from their family albums.

" Mason City, Iowa, Police Return to Winsted, Minnesota for Another Search, Nothing Found"

Acting Mason City Police Chief Mike McKelvey has confirmed to FindJodi, Inc. that police investigators were back in Winsted, Minnesota, today following up a on a tip in connection with the Jodi Huisentruit investigation.

That first search in October 2024 was a follow-up to a very old lead and produced no signs of human remains.

According to Acting Chief McKelvey, nothing was found today, as well.

"Today, Mason City Police and Minnesota authorities went to a location in Minnesota where a house had recently been torn down. Law enforcement used a specially- trained dog to examine the area in reference to a possible lead regarding Jodi’s case. In the areas where the dog showed interest, machinery was used to dig and excavate the site to look for evidence related to our case. Nothing at all was found. This tip did not pan out, but we felt it was important to examine the site since the house was recently removed. Again, nothing was found." - Mike McKelvey, Acting Mason City Police Chief.

Reminder: Please follow our community guidelines listed below if posting anything in comments. We are not naming anyone and, per our policy, will hide any references to any individuals. Thank you.

One of the challenges of investigating a high-profile case like Jodi Huisentruit’s is the amount of misinformation and speculation that has been reported in various formats in the 30-plus years since Jodi was abducted.

Trying to nail down the “facts” and keep the public record as accurate as we can is a key part of our mission here at FindJodi, Inc.

That’s why we will continue to update our “30 Seconds, 30 Years, 30 Facts” post whenever we are able to verify information through police or our own sources.

If we learn any misinformation has been clarified by law enforcement, we will report that and include it in our “Facts” post. That was the case recently regarding the location of an unidentified palm print found at the crime scene.

The reporting of misinformation does nothing to help find Jodi and could even harm the investigation.

The “30 Seconds, 30 Years, 30 Facts” post and the one clarifying the palm print location are in comments.

Community Guidelines for FindJodi, Inc.’s page:

Thank you for your commitment to finding answers in Jodi Huisentruit’s unsolved case and for helping to keep Jodi visible. Our mission at FindJodi, Inc, is to support the ongoing investigation of Jodi’s disappearance and make sure she is never forgotten.

Due to the sensitive nature of our investigative work on tips and leads, we won't be discussing most of them here on Facebook, on our website or in our podcasts.

We welcome your engagement on our social media platforms, if your comments fit our community guidelines.

Here are our policies for engaging with our FindJodi, Inc. page.

Please:
• Keep discussions respectful and fact-based.
• Share tips directly with law enforcement (Mason City Police: 641-421-3636 or Iowa DCI Special Agent Ryan Herman: [email protected]) or send a private message to FindJodi.
• Honor Jodi’s memory with civil dialogue.
• Always be respectful of Jodi’s family and loved ones.

Do Not:
• Name individuals as suspects or persons of interest.
• Post rumors, accusations, or personal attacks.
• Harass or threaten anyone.

Comments violating these guidelines will be hidden and posters may be blocked.

Publicly naming individuals can harm innocent people and interfere with the investigation.

Let’s keep this a respectful space focused on answers and justice for Jodi.

Thank you.

Thirty years after he was a rookie police officer assigned to help protect the crime scene at Jodi Huisentruit’s apartment complex, Mason City Captain Mike McKelvey will soon be in charge of the unsolved investigation.

On Friday, McKelvey takes over as the acting Mason City police chief, replacing Jeff Brinkley, who is retiring after almost a decade in that position.

McKelvey will become the permanent chief in February and the fifth one to run the MCPD since Jodi was abducted on her way to anchor the morning news at KIMT-TV on June 27, 1995.

In an interview with FindJodi, Inc., McKelvey, who was on the job just 11 days when Jodi disappeared,shared why he is hopeful his department will finally find answers to what happened to Jodi before he retires. His interview is below in comments.