KTIV NewsChannel 4 Sioux City IA: News, Weather and SportsBest friend has theories about Ruddy murder

Best friend has theories about Ruddy murder

IDA GROVE, Iowa (KTIV) - Tuesday night, we brought you the story of Connie Ruddy.

She's the 21-year old Ida Grove, Iowa woman who vanished without a trace leaving her two small children behind.

Her best friend made the discovery.

Now, we take you back to 1997, when her friend realizes for the first time that Ruddy isn't just gone, she's disappeared.

You could have clues to help solve this 12-year old cold case.

As if finding her best friend's two small children home alone wasn't frightening enough.. the events that would follow and the questioning of who took Connie Ruddy are forever tattooed on the mind of a woman we'll call "Jane".

"I know there's people that know.  I know that there are people walking around that know," said Jane.

Thinking back to the last night she saw Connie, Jane believes Connie was taken shortly after she left.  Jane says she saw a "mysterious" car parked across the street.

"Do you think that car you saw Saturday night had anything to do with it?" asked News Channel Four's Melissa Lanzourakis.

"Yes.  I believe that," said Jane.

"Do you think they were waiting for you guys to leave?" asked Lanzourakis.

"I believe who was ever in the car were the people who took her," said Jane.

But why would people come in the middle of the night to take Connie Ruddy?

"Her boyfriend slash fiancé had a very tainted past.  I think it was something to do with him.  It had nothing to do with her not at all.  I think to begin with it was meant to scare him.  I don't know if he owed money or what it was, but in the beginning it was meant to scare him." said Jane.

Jane also believes someone was in the house taking care of the kids and when she arrived on Monday morning, more than 24 hours after she believes Connie was taken, the perpetrators fled.

"There were footprints leaving her back door into the alley.  They tried to say they were her footprints but they were pointed toe footprints.  And she owned a pair of Eastlands and a pair of tennis shoes and she didn't own any pointed toe shoes.  So in my mind, somebody walked out that back door, some involved.  In that car, I know I saw a blond female that night, and I think she was the one who sat with those kids," said Jane.

Jane still believes to this day that Connie's boyfriend, who was getting out of jail just a few days after Connie went missing, was supposed to be the one who made the discovery.  Instead it was Jane.  But no matter who was meant to find her kids alone, these facts remain: Two children are without a mother and an alleged killer or killers are still at large.

We want to remind you the theories that Jane has are just that, theories. 

Her thoughts as to who took Connie have not been proven by evidence at this point.

To this point, no one has been arrested in the case.

But if you have any information that leads to an arrest and conviction in the case, you could get a substantial reward.

The number to call is 1-800-568-4401.

Online Reporter: Melissa Lanzourakis