Nearly two decades since Huisentruit disappeared, investigators are no closer to solving one of the state's greatest mysteries.
"It’s a cold case because it's 18 years old," Lt. Frank Stearns of the Mason City Police Department told FoxNews.com. "But it's not one of those cases that gets stuffed on the shelf. It gets worked constantly."
Huisentruit, a vivacious, upbeat young anchor who reported the morning news for CBS affiliate KIMT-TV, had overslept on the morning of June 27, 1995. Her producer, Amy Kuns, called Huisentruit at 4:10 a.m. to check on her whereabouts. A drowsy Huisentruit told Kuns she had overslept and said she'd rush to the station in time for her morning broadcast.
She never made it.
A police officer, who arrived at Huisentruit's Mason City apartment complex at 7:30 a.m., came upon a crime scene. Huisentruit's red high heels, hair dryer and purse were strewn across the parking lot outside the building. The key to Huisentruit's vehicle was found bent inside the lock on the driver's side door, and drag marks were visible on the rain-soaked pavement, according to Stearns.
Contrary to various news reports, Stearns said no blood was detected at the scene -- only an unidentified finger print and partial palm print that may or may not have been related to Huisentruit's abduction.
Neighbors later reported hearing screams, but dismissed them as "campers being noisy," Stearns said, noting that Huisentruit's Key Apartments building was located near a campground. A witness also reported seeing a suspicious white van parked in the area at that time, but detectives have never recovered such a vehicle, he said.
Stearns said he believes the crime was the work of a single individual who likely knew Huisentruit, a Minnesota native who worked briefly as a flight attendant before joining the news business.
"There was no indication of any stalker whatsoever," he said.
