Remembering Gary Peterson

We are heartbroken to learn the passing of our friend, colleague and FindJodi, Inc. co-founder Gary Peterson. He was 81.

I met Gary all the way back in 2002 in Austin, Minnesota. He was my first boss in TV News at KAAL-TV. We hit it off immediately. We both discovered we shared a passion for missing person cases and within six months were were diving in to the disappearance of Jodi Huisentruit.

Gary Peterson was the co-founder of FindJodi, Inc. and passionate about the case.

Those first few years were so memorable. Gary helped show me how to become a great reporter and anchor. He taught me to dig for stories, follow up leads, pick up the phone and actually call people (an art that seems to be fading in the present day).

Gary had quick wit. He always welcomed you with a joke or said something with a straight face that made you pause to try and figure out if he was joking or not. Suffice it to say, he kept all of us on our toes.

Beth Bednar, Caroline Lowe and Gary Peterson next to a FindJodi.com billboard in Mason City, Iowa

In 2003, we started to get even more serious about Jodi’s case. Gary helped me develop the system for the website: the content, the lead-gathering plan, the follow-up protocol. We launched this website that year and for 20 years, it has remained an important part of Jodi’s case.

Gary and me in Orlando, Florida for one of many meetups to discuss the case.

In 2004 we went on a very memorable journey through Southern Minnesota and North Iowa interviewing people and chasing down leads. Our efforts are all chronicled in 13 part series: ‘The Huisentruit File‘ – a project we are still very proud of today.

Gary being interviewed by the Discovery channel for a Huisentruit Special.

I moved around the country a lot and Gary and I always kept in touch. My phone is still full of voicemails from him from years ago. Gary’s wife Gladys was always so welcoming when any of our team members would visit their home in Spring Valley, Minnesota. Short ribs were often on the menu. If you are lucky enough to snag an invitation, I recommend you don’t turn it down.

Gary and his better half, Gladys.

Gary had a very strong background in TV News. He chased stories around Minnesota for years and later managed the desk and eventually News Director at KAAL-TV in Austin, Minnesota. He and Gladys also managed a portrait studio for 30 years. They worked together as Medicolegal Death Scene investigators for the Medical Examiner’s office. He was on the board of commissioners in his county for 16 years. He volunteered with the Red Cross and, of course, he followed many missing person cases. Jodi’s case was always the one he’d wished he could have seen solved. Suffice it to say, Gary never slowed down.

Gary loved cameras and owned a portrait studio with Gladys for 30 years.

Gary officially retired from FindJodi, Inc. in 2020, but he really never did. We would continue to chat about the case almost weekly. He was always excited to call and tell me of a new angle or lead he was working on. He and Gladys always remained a very important part of the organization by following leads and developments.

Gary and some FindJodi team members at the Walk for Jodi in Mason City, Iowa.

As his health started to deteriorate a few years ago, communicating with Gary proved to be a challenge. But you couldn’t dampen this man’s spirit. He had a lot to say and he wanted you to hear it. His persistence and excitement for working on Jodi’s case kept up until the very end. I still recall his elevated spirit just a few weeks ago on our last call.

Gary and me at one of our many meetups at he and Gladys’ home in Spring Valley, Minnesota.

Without Gary there would be no FindJodi, Inc. There would be no team, no website, and much less hope for helping Jodi and her family get justice for this crime.

Gary and former MCPD Lt. Ron VandeWeerd looking into a lead beneath Jodi’s apartment building.

Thank you Gary for everything. For being a role model, a mentor and a friend. I’ve learned so much from you and value our time together hot on the trail and on the porch with a glass of wine. You have left a deep imprint on our team, friends, family and co-workers. We will never forget what you taught us and how you laughed with us along the way.

Rest easy, Chief.

Read Gary Peterson’s Obituary here.

Fillmore County Journal article.

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