Up and Vanished Weekly

Episode Title: BTS: Payne's Investigation into Jodi Huisentruit
Date: August 20, 2025
Host: Maggie Freleng
Guest: Payne Lindsey
Podcast Production: Tenderfoot TV

Overview

This episode offers a candid, behind-the-scenes conversation between host Maggie Freleng and Up and Vanished creator Payne Lindsey about their investigation into the 1995 disappearance of Jodi Huisentruit, a Minnesota news anchor gone missing under mysterious circumstances. The discussion re-examines Payne’s personal journey with the case—covered in the Up and Vanished TV series—challenges in the original investigation, interactions with key person of interest John Van Cise, and broader reflections on why cases like these remain unsolved.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Why Look Into Jodi Huisentruit’s Disappearance?

• Setting the Scene (03:53)
  • Payne: “I think it's pretty bizarre when a popular local news anchor just completely vanishes off the face of the earth and decades go by and no one knows what happened.”
  • The size of Jodi’s network and her community prominence make her case especially confounding.
  • Payne suspects police may have missed something early but also wonders if a lack of evidence is to blame.

2. Parallels With Other Cases

• Comparisons with the Tara Grinstead Case (04:49–05:13)
  • Maggie draws similarities between Jodi’s and Tara’s disappearances: women vanish, evidence of a possible struggle, ambiguous crime scenes.
  • Payne: “There was little things that you could say, hey, maybe that's off enough to suggest something happened here. And I think Jodi's case is pretty similar...maybe it was just set up to look that way, or maybe it's something completely different.” (05:13)

3. Evaluation of the Police Investigation

• Did Police Do Enough? (06:08–11:16)
  • Payne acknowledges it’s difficult to criticize without the benefit of hindsight unless there was clear police negligence.
  • Notable Quote: “If it's been 20 plus years, 30 years, clearly whatever methods you're using, whatever leads you've had, whatever you've been doing isn't working. So therefore...try something different.” (06:18)
  • Discussion of how law enforcement often keeps files closed in long-unsolved cases, which Payne finds counterproductive.
  • Maggie’s Perspective: Recognizes the police rationale for withholding critical information (e.g., details only the perpetrator would know) but questions its long-term efficacy.

4. The Tension Between Justice and Closure

• What Families Want vs. Police Goals (11:10–12:06)
  • Payne: “From most of the people that I've talked to, they just want to know what the hell happened. They've almost lost the hope on ever finding or convicting the bad guy.”
  • Maggie raises whether answers and closure matter more than a conviction for loved ones of the missing.

5. The John Van Cise Angle

• The Last Person to See Jodi (14:17–19:27)
  • John Van Cise often comes up as a central figure due to his proximity to Jodi, his account of events, and subsequent behavior.
  • Payne found it odd that Van Cise invited Jodi late at night to watch a birthday VHS, considering her early work schedule.
    • Payne: “I don't think you just want to go over to a friend's house at 8pm to only watch a birthday tape.” (15:12)
  • Maggie underscores suspicious timing given Jodi's demanding morning schedule.
  • Van Cise’s proactive involvement, including contacting the station about Jodi, is interpreted ambivalently: possible genuine concern, or an effort to control the narrative.
    • Payne: “If you're the last person to see someone alive, you are now on a list. Sometimes that's bad luck.” (16:11)
    • “He did make statements that made it seem like he knew he was the last person to see her alive when in fact no one else could have known that yet.” (16:37)

6. Payne’s Confrontation with Van Cise in Arizona

• Direct Encounter and Its Fallout (19:27–26:50)
  • Payne describes tracking Van Cise to Arizona, approaching his home, and the tense, brief interactions that followed.
  • Van Cise’s partner was defensive, filming Payne, and repeatedly asked him to leave.
  • Odd behavior from Van Cise’s acquaintances: one proactively tipped him off Payne was coming, suggesting a network protecting him or simply circling the wagons.
    • Payne: “He literally just blew up. He was fucking mad. It wasn't like I was there as a threat...just asking genuine questions.” (25:10)
  • Payne attempted to evoke an emotional response with: “She never came back, John. She never came back.” (26:38)

7. Van Cise’s Background and Lingering Questions

• Obsessiveness and Behavior Patterns (29:08–32:10)
  • Rumors that Van Cise had a crush on Jodi, perhaps naming a boat after her, and even claiming to have had premonitions about her safety make him an enduring person of interest.
  • Maggie: “I think it's weird that Jodie's 27 and he looks like he's in his fucking 50s. I think the whole thing with him is just weird.” (29:42)
  • Payne concedes that while he leans toward the simplest answer, sometimes weird or unlikely things happen.
    • “I didn't feel any better about John Van Cise having dived pretty deep into this case.” (32:10)
    • He stresses the need for skepticism and self-checks as an investigator.

8. Reflection and Hope for Resolution

• After Van Cise’s Death (33:05–33:52)
  • Maggie notes Van Cise’s passing after the interview was recorded, casting doubt on whether further answers will arise about his involvement.
  • She expresses hope that law enforcement will continue the search for what happened to Jodi.

Notable Quotes & Moments with Timestamps

• On Law Enforcement Sharing Information:
  Payne Lindsay (06:18)
  “If it's been 20 plus years, 30 years, clearly whatever methods you're using, whatever leads you've had, whatever you've been doing isn't working. And so therefore, I think it's just common sense to try something different.”

• On Families’ Needs:
  Payne Lindsay (11:16)
  “From most of the people that I've talked to, they just want to know what the hell happened…They just want to be able to go to sleep at night knowing what happened to their loved one.”

• Challenging the Narrative Around Van Cise:
  Payne Lindsay (16:37)
  “He did make statements that made it seem like he knew he was the last person to see her alive when in fact no one else could have known that yet.”

• Personal Reflection on Encounter:
  Payne Lindsay (25:10)
  “He literally just blew up. He was fucking mad. It wasn't like I was there as a threat...just asking genuine questions.”

• Investigative Caution:
  Payne Lindsay (32:10)
  “I didn't feel any better about John Van Cise having dived pretty deep into this case…Diving into this again, you can see why it's so puzzling. There are so many different rabbit holes.”

• On Occam’s Razor, but Not Letting It Blind You:
  Payne Lindsay (30:08)
  “I always lean into the simplest answer usually being right…But I will say I didn't feel any better about John Van Cise having dived pretty deep into this case.”

• Maggie’s Realism About Weirdness vs. Guilt:
  Maggie Freleng (31:13)
  “People get convicted based on that, and it's like, shit, he was just a fucking weird dude, but he didn't do it.”

Segment Timestamps

• Main Episode Starts – [02:05]
• Investigating Jodi’s Case: Why This One? – [03:53]
• Comparisons: Jodi vs. Tara Grinstead – [04:49 – 05:13]
• Critique on Police and Case File Secrecy – [06:08 – 11:16]
• John Van Cise: Central Person of Interest – [14:17 – 19:27]
• Payne’s Confrontation with Van Cise – [19:27 – 26:50]
• Van Cise’s Background; Odd Behavior – [29:08 – 32:10]
• Reflection on Van Cise’s Death and Hopes for the Case – [33:05 – 33:52]

Tone, Style, and Takeaways

• The tone is frank, analytical, and empathetic—true to investigative true crime storytelling but with a personal, sometimes irreverent edge (“fucking mad,” “shit, he was just a weird dude”).
• The hosts challenge each other’s perspectives while acknowledging uncertainty, drawing on years of investigative reporting and encounters with police bureaucracy.
• Listeners are left with a full spectrum picture—not only of Jodi Huisentruit’s story, but of the inherent frustrations, heartbreaks, and peculiarities embedded in cold case investigations.

Summary

This episode peels back the layers of both the Huisentruit case and Payne Lindsey’s investigative process, highlighting why her disappearance remains unsolved, the complex role of law enforcement, and the ambiguous legacy of central figure John Van Cise. It’s both a primer for new listeners and a deep, honest reflection for seasoned true crime followers.