Judge allows some but not all of search warrant file unsealed in Huisentruit case

MASON CITY — A district court judge has ruled that certain information contained in the case of  missing KIMT anchorwoman Jodi Huisentruit may be unsealed, but protects other information that could be important to the ongoing investigation.

Attorneys representing private investigator Steve Ridge filed a motion in February arguing that the warrant regarding GPS data for two vehicles connected to John Vansice should be opened since Vansice died in December and any ongoing investigation into his involvement in the matter has now ceased.

County Attorney Carlyle Dalen resisted the motion, saying it made no sense and opening up the warrant would give the public facts and circumstances in the case that are not out to the general public, possibly hurting the investigation.

District Senior Judge James Drew in his ruling issued this morning says some federal and state courts have specifically recognized a court’s authority to seal, but in those cases, only affidavits were sealed, not the entire file.

He ordered the unsealing of the application, endorsement, search warrant, and return notice since they do not contain information that would compromise the investigation, but an affidavit filed by the Mason City Police Department in support of the application for the search warrant will remain sealed since it contains information regarding times, items found at the scene, the specific location of those items and other observations of the scene made by officers, which would only be known to the perpetrator and law enforcement. 

Click here to see a copy of the ruling