Good thoughts vinny.

Why weren't LE able to progess the case when it seems they had the first name of the perpetrator?
It's not as if that name is known only to the perpetrator either because the witnesses know it too.
You can't tell me those witnesses have never ever repeated the name they heard to someone else.
We all know how hard it is to keep a secret.:)

Has an independent cold case squad looked over this case? If they haven't why haven't they?
Fresh eyes and new ideas are needed.

When I have watched shows like the Cold Case Files I have noted that is isn't always the brilliance of the fresh detectives alone that solved the case.
Often it was simply the cold case guys saw something the original detectives were blind to for some reason. The solution was there all the time and often it was so simple one wondered how it was missed.

Can Jodi's next of kin ask for the case to be reviewed by different detectives to the original ones?

This case really makes you wonder about that vinny.

I'm sure your right, it just seems the gaps, the obvious questions, the name, The surrounding state issue. Just because Jodi was from MN doesn't mean the car or truck came from MN or IA, WI is almost as close so is IL. why 10 years later the police only checked MN and IA.

After over 14 years it's time for cold case detectives to work up the file or start to release something they have been holding back to jog some memories. They obviouly aren't close to an arrest, it may take something dramtic to bring people forward. With their approach, the only thing that's changing is the calendar.

I must say I find the fact LE weren

there was a homicide near austin\albert lea quite a few years ago, the body in that case was found in a well on a abandoned property, I just read the book fade to black this morning and all the psychics focus on water, didn't musgrove have pictures loaded on flickr of a couple abandoned properties?

I have had a few other theories too, but may be way off. what if Jodi was at cornseeds place and saw something? being a reporter journalist she was probably naturally snoopy. Please anyone reading this DO Not take any offense to this. I am also this type of person, cops and investigators are naturally this way also. anyway she see's something in his apartment that either conects him to drugs or Billy's murder. so she swipes it, corn seed notices it's missing and alerts the other individual involved and he is instructed to take care of the situation. ok.... so he goes to her apartment and raps on the door and says "jodi I know your in there answer your door" she doesn't answer and he leaves, Jodi later returns to her apt, cornseed dude has had some time to think :he really cares about her: he goes to her apt and this time she's home. he enters they talk he can't find what he's looking for or doesn't get the chance to look because it's in her purse. so he sits in his car and waits and waits, she doesn't exit at 3am and more time goes by but he still has not seen her leave. he knows she is there. so he waits more 4:30 am she stumbles out of her building and she see's him she knows then that he knows she has what he wants. she's frightened she loses the shoes to pick up  speed and drops some items, she gets to her car and tries to unlock it and he grabs her hand so hard it bends the key. he knocks her back and she hits the back of her head, knocks her out. he drags her to his car and takes her to the house he had just purchased. he has a hard time doing the persons dirty work who he's working for SO he leaves her alive, he goes to his apt cleans up calls his walking date and cancels and then goes to a store and runs into a aquatince and tells the person prematurly that jodi is missing... prematurly because he thought the LE had probably already been called. he then goes back to the scene after a few hours, but at this time jodi is still alive. this is just a theory and if you want to know more you can email me. thanks I don't know what pulled me to this forum or even this case. I am not psychic and I make NO clams to be. I just know the last week I have felt very strong and felt pulled to this case and my mind is turning even in my sleep and for some reason I can't stop it:( I truely hope that someone somewhere can solve this crime and give Jodi's family peace and a final good bye to Jodi.

In the book dead air, cornseed dude knew of a body shop or mechanic shop with illegal activities, yes?...perhaps jodi got to be too nosey, (the investigator type), around that area and became a threat to their operation. Just an avenue.  meth was very popular back then and it seemed like everyone was experimenting with it or knew someone who was. (honken, for example).

on or around the time frame of jodi's disappearance, a friend of mine said she and another guy were driving at night on one of the northern highways near MC,  the police had a white van pulled over with guns drawn. She said she remembers they were motioned by the police to go around the scene and recalls being freaked out about it.

Is there a way of looking back at any dispatch records of this police activity to see if perhaps it could be a lead? like who was driving the van, the outcome of the traffic stop, anything suspicious, why the guns.