Kriti Mehrotra
With Hulu’s ‘Her Last Broadcast: The Abduction of Jodi Huisentruit’ revisiting the mysterious 1995 disappearance of the titular anchor, we get a documentary series unlike any other. This three-part original incorporates not just archival footage but also exclusive interviews with everyone close to the matter to really shine a comprehensive light upon this still active case. Amongst those to thus feature here was the last confirmed individual to ever speak with the 27-year-old, her early morning KIMT-TV News assistant producer, Amelia “Amy” Kuns.
Amy Kuns Was Jodi Huisentruit’s Colleague and Friend
It was reportedly in fall 1993 when fresh college graduate Amelia “Amy” Kuns first encountered reporter Jodi Huisentruit after joining KIMT-TV in Mason City, Iowa, as an unpaid intern. She had actually just earned her Broadcasting degree from the University of Northwestern – St. Paul in Roseville, Minnesota, so she was excited to jump in and begin garnering experience. Little did she know she would soon be promoted to assistant producer for the early morning show ‘Daybreak’ (aired from 6 to 7 am) solely based on merit, with Jodi as her anchor.
According to Amy’s own account, her responsibilities included coming in at 2 am to start creating a basic structure for the day’s show and then ensuring its smooth run in every way imaginable. Jodi usually came in around an hour after her, but that was not the case on June 27, 1995, so she decided to give the reporter as well as her friend a call at 4:10 am to see what was wrong. It turns out the 27-year-old had overslept, yet the producer wasn’t worried, even though it was evident she had just woken her up, because whenever this happened, the anchor was in the studios 20 minutes later. Amy once said that due to the working hours, Jodi could often be late, but she always came in roughly 20 minutes after a call with her hair wet, makeup in her bag, as well as a hairdryer in hand.
However, things were different on this fateful morning since Jodi never came in, and she didn’t even pick up her phone when the young producer called her again shortly after 5 am. In the end, Amy herself scrambled to do the broadcast, only to realize her colleague-turned-friend was uncharacteristically still a no-show by the time she was done. That’s when she panicked and had someone call for a welfare check — this was at 7:13 am, but it was already too late. Yet, it’s imperative to note that no matter when the police were contacted, it likely wouldn’t have made a difference because evidence indicates Jodi was abducted right from her parking lot while leaving for work. This entire ordeal left Amy traumatized, but she has still always helped in the efforts to find the missing reporter.
Amy Kuns Has Slowly Yet Surely Moved Forward in Life
In the initial days, weeks, and months of Jodi’s disappearance, Amy agreed to sit down for several media interviews, gave statements to the police, and participated in active search efforts. However, as time passed, she realized this was taking a toll on her own mental health, driving her to separate herself from the case, while still making it clear to authorities she would be there if they had further questions. This is because she knew about Jodi having filed a complaint for a stalker in late 1994, as well as the fact that she was recently getting close to a local man 22 years older than her, John Vansice. She had a bad feeling about the latter’s interest in her friend despite Jodi asserting they were just friends, and it turns out he is indeed a person of interest in her case.
Amy has never shied away from expressing her suspicions or the fact that Jodi’s vanishing also shook her, considering she has remained in the same industry, so she is now working to detail the same in a memoir. As per her own accounts, she was able to evolve from an unpaid intern to an assistant producer to a primary evening anchor at KIMT-TV in the span of merely 12 years, which is something she is really proud of. However, since her favorite aspect of her job was the writing, she has since spread her wings to become a freelance writer who also often offers her expertise in Broadcast Journalism, Media Relations, and Public Relations/Communications as a consultant.
Primarily, though, in her 50s, Amy is a freelance writer based out of Clear Lake, Iowa, whose core focus is on two drastically different projects as of writing. She is working on a children’s book so as to spread joy in the lives of young ones, as well as a memoir about how the trauma of Jodi’s disappearances has shaped her. On a more personal level, we should mention that Amy is a family woman – she is close to her parents, has a young teenager named Cooper, and it seems like she has gradually been building a happy, healthy relationship with a man named Derek Smith. Honestly, her resilience is commendable considering she has been battling trauma since 1995, Graves’ Disease since 1996, and Thyroid Eye Disease since 2022. So, we only wish her the very best for her future.
Read More: JoAnn Nathe: Where is Jodi Huisentruit’s Sister Now?
