PHOENIX (AZFamily) — Iowa news anchor Jodi Huisentruit disappeared 29 years ago Thursday, and answers to what happened may lie here in Arizona.

Police and family are still trying to solve her disappearance, and there are still many questions about whether and, if so, what role the person in question, who now lives in Phoenix, was involved in the incident.

The challenge in this case is that there is little to no forensic evidence and no eyewitnesses.

Popular 27-year-old Jodi Huisentruit was a fixture on Iowa television. Huisentruit was well known in the Mason City community and even more admired by her family, especially her niece Kristen Nathe.

“I had a very special relationship with her. She was also my godmother. I spent a lot of time with her and this loss was very significant for me and still hurts me today,” said Nathe.

Nathe was 11 years old on June 27, 1995 and remembers that day well.

Huisentruit never showed up for work that day. At first it was thought that she had overslept her alarm, but then her news team noticed something was wrong.

Police believe she was kidnapped that morning while walking to her car.

Veteran investigative journalist Caroline Lowe said only 30 seconds passed between Huisentruit leaving her apartment and reaching her car, suggesting she was the target of the attack.

“There's no way anyone driving by would have had time to get in, it happened so fast. We believe someone was waiting for her, whether it was a stalker or someone she knew. We don't know,” Lowe said.

A man named John Vansice arrived at the scene. The nearly 50-year-old was good friends with Huisentruit and often went boating with her and her friends.

He claimed he was the last person to see Huisentruit when she came to his house the night before to watch a birthday video.

“They questioned me twice, but there was no indication that I was a suspect,” Vansice told a reporter at the time.

He became a person of interest and has remained so, but Lowe said Huisentruit left no red flags regarding Vansice.

“Jodi's diary indicates that she went on many social outings with him. She had a great time at a birthday party he hosted. There is no indication in the diary that they are anything other than good friends,” Lowe said.

Lowe is part of the Find Jodi team and website dedicated to the Huisentruit case.

Her team uncovered court documents showing that Mason City police executed a search warrant for GPS data from two cars linked to Vansice in March 2017.

The information is sealed.

On this 29th anniversary, True Crime Arizona went to Vansice's home in Phoenix to try to talk to him, but even though the news blared from the television inside, no one answered.

Huisentruit's niece said at this point that she had a personal message for Vansice.

“I would personally ask that if he has any more information about Jodi or the situation, that he come forward and pass that information on, especially if he considers himself such a close friend of Jodi. Um, help us. Help us solve this case,” Nathe said.

Vansice maintained his innocence and was never charged in the case.

The Find Jodi team honored her life Thursday morning by putting up billboards in Iowa.

If you have any information about Jodi’s disappearance, you can visit the Find Jodi website.

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