New individual of curiosity revealed in 1995 vanishing of beloved Iowa information anchor: documentary

A brand new individual of curiosity has been revealed within the baffling chilly case of Iowa information anchor Jodi Huisentruit, who vanished from her residence on a summer time morning over 30 years in the past.

Brad Millerbernd, the ex-husband of Huisentruit’s childhood greatest pal Patty Niemeyer, was investigated by Iowa police after suggestions got here in suggesting he is perhaps linked to the 1995 suspected abduction, in line with the Every day Mail.

Millerbernd lived about three hours away from Huisentruit’s Mason Metropolis condo when she vanished, and his ex-wife instructed filmmakers in a newly launched documentary that he completely matched never-before-seen police suspect sketches.

“I see Brad Millerbernd,” Niemeyer stated within the ABC Information documentary, “Her Final Broadcast: The Abduction of Jodi Huisentruit.” “That’s him to a T.”

Millerbernd has denied any involvement within the suspected abduction, and been “very cooperative” with investigators, the documentary famous.

Huisentruit was 27 years outdated when she known as into work round 4 a.m. on June 27, 1995, to say she was operating late.

However by 6 a.m. she by no means confirmed up and the morning’s broadcast went forward with out her. When she nonetheless hadn’t been heard from hours later, police went to her condo and located indicators of a battle strewn throughout the car parking zone.

Her automobile keys have been discovered bent on the bottom close to her automobile, whereas a blow dryer, a high-heel shoe and hair spray have been mendacity deserted close by, in line with PEOPLE.

“Issues went from we’re simply in search of someone lacking to we’re in search of someone that was kidnapped,” an officer from the Mason Metropolis Police Division stated within the documentary.

However these searches proved fruitless, and apart from a palm print discovered on a lightweight pole within the car parking zone, little to no proof left by the perp was ever recovered.

By 2001 Huisentruit hadn’t been discovered, and she or he was formally declared lifeless. And three a long time after she vanished, no signal of her has turned up — and no suspects have ever been named.

However on the ten yr anniversary of Huisentruit’s disappearance, Niemeyer instructed filmmakers that her ex-husband known as her after years with out contact to say “Do you understand what day it’s?”

The decision “freaked” her out, and she or he was left with a sinking feeling her ex may very well be behind the disappearance.

“You recognize that burning intestine feeling that you just get? I couldn’t let it go,” she stated.

Millerbernd and Niemeyer divorced in June 1994 — simply 4 days earlier than Huisentruit went lacking, a element investigators stated was compelling within the documentary.

And Niemeyer recalled that Millerbernd gave the impression to be fixated on the younger reporter throughout their marriage, typically bringing her up and asking what she was doing.

“That at all times bothered me,” she stated, however defined that she instructed herself “Oh, it’s nothing.”

However in 2017 she known as police to report her suspicions, and after she adopted up a number of years later police reached out to Millerbernd for questioning.

They realized that Millerbernd had dinner with Huisentruit the autumn earlier than she vanished — and that he known as her weeks earlier than the kidnapping.

“Coincidences occur,” MCPD Detective Terrance Prochaska stated within the documentary, “However this one, there’s rather a lot stacked up in June for positive.”

Millerbernd additionally drove a white van just like one witnesses stated they noticed lurking round Huisentruit’s condo the morning she disappeared.

Nonetheless, Millerbernd was by no means named a suspect and he has denied any connection to Huisentruit’s abduction.

Police additionally famous he was “very cooperative” — regardless of showing “shaken” and “dazed” at factors through the questioning — and even agreed to supply DNA samples and take a polygraph take a look at.

The one different outstanding individual of curiosity within the disappearance was John Vansice, a pal of Huisentruit who had been hanging out together with her at her condo the evening earlier than.

He additionally denied any involvement in her dying.

“Her Final Broadcast: The Abduction of Jodi Huisentruit” premiers on Hulu on July 15.