Authorities disclosed this week that Christopher Levak, previously identified as a person of interest in the case of Iowa news anchor Jody Huisentruit’s disappearance, was responsible for the 2006 murder of Deirdre Harm in Wisconsin and may have been connected to other homicides as well.
The Wood County Sheriff’s Office confirmed Levak’s involvement in Harm’s death, effectively resolving a nearly two-decade-old cold case. On October 20, they shared a letter from District Attorney Jonathan Barnett on Facebook, indicating he would have pursued charges against Levak had he been alive. Barnett remarked, “I consider this case closed. We believe we can pursue charges if Mr. Levak were still with us.”
Harm, a 21-year-old single mother, disappeared on June 10, 2006, after a night out in Wisconsin Rapids. Her remains were found five months later in a wooded area about eight miles from where she was last seen. The Wood County Sheriff’s Office and Wisconsin Rapids Police Department expressed their condolences, stating, “While this may bring some closure to many, it will not bring Deirdre back. Our thoughts and prayers remain with her family.”
Levak, a former EMT from Wisconsin, took his own life in prison in July 2009, just a day after being charged with second-degree murder in the death of Renee Williams, a mother of three in Missouri. Williams was last seen at a bar on March 13, 2007, where Levak was present as well.
In 2024, authorities in Iowa and Wisconsin reopened investigations into Levak, who was suspected of multiple violent crimes before his death. Reports indicated that police had looked into whether he might have been involved in as many as five murders over 14 years, including the disappearance of Huisentruit.
Douglas County Sheriff Chris DeGasse, who also investigated Williams’ case, noted that Levak’s link to Harm’s murder intensified his concerns regarding Levak’s violent history. “When I started working on the Christopher Levak case, he was a suspect in the murder of Renee Williams. I was unaware this was just the beginning,” he shared.
Forensic evidence had linked Levak to Williams’ case, with his DNA found at the crime scene and hers in his vehicle. DeGasse pointed out that, despite the lack of a body, they still moved forward with the charges based on the DNA findings. He also noted chilling parallels when looking into Levak’s history, as he had attempted to abduct women in similar circumstances.
This connection prompted DeGasse to reach out to Wisconsin authorities to share his findings, expressing skepticism about coincidences in such cases. He reflected on the lasting impact of the unresolved cases, stating that the details still haunt him.
Levak was previously a person of interest in Huisentruit’s 1995 disappearance. She was last heard from around 4 a.m. on June 27, 1995, just before she was supposed to go to work. Police discovered evidence of a struggle outside her apartment, including items she left behind. Although she was declared legally dead in 2001, her remains have never been found.
There were no direct links to Levak at the time of Huisentruit’s disappearance, but in 2024, investigators reopened the case, sharing new insights on Levak’s potential involvement.
Despite a long-standing impasse, officials have continued to pursue leads. In June, then-Mason City Police Chief Jeff Brinkley reassured that their investigation remained active, telling the media, “We haven’t put this down, we haven’t stopped operating, we haven’t stopped pursuing leads and information.” There is, however, a glimmer of hope from Huisentruit’s family, who expressed that true peace will only come when she is found and justice served.
A $50,000 reward is currently being offered for information related to the investigation into Huisentruit’s disappearance, and anyone with knowledge of the case is encouraged to contact the Mason City Police Department or the Iowa Bureau of Criminal Investigation.
