What really happened to Jodi Huisentruit that morning in 1995? Here’s why investigators suspect foul play

Nearly 30 years after the Iowa TV news anchor Jodi Huisentruit vanished without a trace, her chilling disappearance continues to baffle investigators and haunt the community of Mason City. Although the case had gone cold, the recent docuseries Her Last Broadcast: The Abduction of Jodi Huisentruit by Hulu has reignited interest. The docuseries highlighted a disturbing set of clues that point towards foul play while also uncovering a new person of interest.

On June 27, 1995, 27-year-old Jodi Huisentruit was expected to anchor the morning news at KIMT-TV. But when she failed to arrive at 4 am, the broadcast went ahead as planned. It wasn’t until a few hours later, due to growing suspicion, that police were dispatched to check on her.

The police found her red Mazda Miata still in the parking lot, and scattered nearby were personal items, including a hair dryer, a bent car key, and red heels, clearly indicating signs of a struggle, leading to them declaring it as a case of abduction.

Early clues and missed opportunities

From the very beginning, there were indications that something more sinister than a simple disappearance had occurred. One year prior, Jodi Huisentruit had reported to police that she believed someone in a white truck was following her.

On the morning of her disappearance, multiple witnesses claimed that they had seen a white van near her apartment and a suspicious man with a hat and facial hair loitering in the area. A palm print was also found on a nearby pole.

The first person of interest was John Vansice, a friend of Huisentruit’s, who had spent the previous night with her and was the last known person to see her alive.

He claimed she had watched a birthday video with him the night before. However, inconsistencies in his story quickly raised red flags.

A friend who was with him that morning felt that Vansice already knew that Jodi was gone even before knowing any details about the situation.

Vansice also named his boat after Huisentruit, a detail many found unsettling. 

Although no charges were filed, his behavior drew ongoing suspicion until his death in 2024. In 2017, police obtained a grand jury subpoena to track Vansice’s vehicles.

Though nothing definitive emerged, efforts to unseal related documents continue.

A new lead and lingering doubts

A TV news anchor vanishes. And then, almost 30 years later, a break in the case and new leads. What really happened to Jodi? The all-new true crime docuseries - “Her Last Broadcast: The Abduction of Jodi Huisentruit” - is now streaming on Hulu and Hulu on Disney+. pic.twitter.com/KRTmqJsJJg

— ABC News Studios (@abcnewsstudios) July 15, 2025

A 2022 special episode of the crime series 20/20 triggered a fresh tip that led investigators to another person of interest: Brad Millerbernd, the ex-husband of Huisentruit’s close friend, Patty Niemeyer.

Niemeyer contacted police after recalling a disturbing call from Millerbernd on the 10th anniversary of Huisentruit’s disappearance.

She said he had previously taken Jodi on a date and even called her just weeks before she vanished. 

Millerbernd also drove a white Ford Econoline van—a possible match for the one seen near the crime scene.

In the Hulu docuseries, Niemeyer is shown a police sketch based on witness accounts and is visibly shaken, saying it closely resembles her ex-husband.

She and Millerbernd finalized their divorce on June 23, 1995, just four days before Jodi Huisentruit went missing.

Police interviewed Millerbernd for 90 minutes. While he appeared nervous and asked no questions about the case, he cooperated fully—submitting DNA and taking a polygraph test.

A property near Winsted, Minnesota, once owned by him, was searched but yielded no evidence.

Another name in the case is Tony Jackson, a convicted serial r*pist who lived in Mason City at the time.

Although lyrics allegedly written by him suggested a connection, he denied involvement in the docuseries, and no evidence tied him to the disappearance.

Despite the lack of arrests, the case of Jodi Huisentruit remains open. The latest wave of interest, sparked by Her Last Broadcast: The Abduction of Jodi Huisentruit, has investigators and the public hoping that the decades-old cold case can be resolved, bringing peace to the people close to Jodi and the community of Mason City.

The docuseries premiered on July 15, 2025, and is available exclusively on Hulu for interested viewers to stream.

Stay tuned with us for further updates.