Om Dakota Spotlight: True Crime & Cold Case Investigations
Dakota Spotlight is a true crime series investigating unsolved murders, cold cases, and missing persons in North Dakota and the Midwest. Hosted by investigative journalist James Wolner, each season takes a deep dive into one case, from rural crime and small town murders to decades-old disappearances. Through meticulous research, exclusive interviews, and on-the-ground reporting, Dakota Spotlight brings forgotten crimes back into the public eye and gives voice to victims and their families. Alongside full investigative seasons, the show also features shorter standalone episodes that explore individual mysteries in a single sitting. If you are drawn to investigative journalism, small town true crime, and real crime stories based on actual events, Dakota Spotlight offers gripping and respectful storytelling you will not forget.
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James shares a Christmas message with Dakota Spotlight listeners. A moment to pause, say thank you, and reflect before the year comes to a close, with appreciation for everyone who listens, supports the show, and makes this work possible.
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Meanwhile in Mankato (6): Reckoning in Rapidan — The Truth That Endured (00:58:34)
In the season’s final chapter, Dakota Spotlight returns to Rapidan, Minnesota—to the classmates, friends, and families still living in the shadow of Ray Dahms’s murder. Host James Wolner traces the final years of Brian Lee Hendrickson, from later crimes and manipulation to his eventual downfall.
This episode also brings together two people whose lives he forever changed—Mark Hendrickson, the killer’s brother, and Michelle, one of his victims—for a conversation decades in the making. From courtrooms and archives to quiet Minnesota cemeteries, this conclusion reflects on truth, forgiveness, and the slow turning of justice.
A Dakota Spotlight true crime podcast rooted in investigative journalism, it’s a story about accountability, empathy, and how truth, though buried, endures.
Meanwhile in Mankato was written, researched, edited, and produced by James Wolner. Additional research assistance by Mari Zoerb Hansen.
Check out the full catalog and everything Dakota Spotlight: https://dakotaspotlight.com/
Get all episodes early, ad-free, and more. Subscribe to Spotlight PLUS: https://dakotaspotlight.com/spotlight-plus/
Sign up for the Dakota Spotlight newsletter: https://dakotaspotlight.com/newsletter/
Email: dakotaspotlight@gmail.com
Facebook: https://facebook.com/groups/dakotaspotlight
X/Twitter: @dakotaspotlight
Instagram: @dakotaspotlight
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Bluesky: @dakotaspotlight.bsky.social
YouTube: @dakotaspotlightpodcast4800
Proudly produced by Six Horse Media: info@sixhorsemedia.com
Advertise your podcast or brand in Dakota Spotlight episodes: info@sixhorsemedia.com
All content in this podcast, including audio, interviews, and soundscapes, is the property of Six Horse Media. Any unauthorized use, reproduction, or rebroadcast of this material without the express written consent of Six Horse Media is strictly prohibited. For permissions or inquiries, please contact info@sixhorsemedia.com.
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Meanwhile in Mankato (5): The Acquittal That Exposed Minnesota’s Blind Spot (00:45:46)
By the early 1980s, Brian Lee Hendrickson was still working at the Minnesota Home School in Sauk Centre, supervising teenage girls. When one of them—Michelle—spoke up, she was dismissed as unstable and her accusation brushed aside. Hendrickson walked free again.
In this episode, Michelle tells her story, while Hendrickson’s brothers and Michelle’s husband reflect on how this could have happened. Dakota Spotlight revisits a Minnesota courtroom case where no one seemed to realize that the man on trial had already been convicted of murder years earlier.
Through careful investigative journalism, this true crime podcast examines how blind faith in rehabilitation allowed history to repeat itself—and how one survivor’s courage brings long-overdue clarity to a broken justice system.
Meanwhile in Mankato was written, researched, edited, and produced by James Wolner. Additional research assistance by Mari Zoerb Hansen.
Check out the full catalog and everything Dakota Spotlight: https://dakotaspotlight.com/
Get all episodes early, ad-free, and more. Subscribe to Spotlight PLUS: https://dakotaspotlight.com/spotlight-plus/
Sign up for the Dakota Spotlight newsletter: https://dakotaspotlight.com/newsletter/
Email: dakotaspotlight@gmail.com
Facebook: https://facebook.com/groups/dakotaspotlight
X/Twitter: @dakotaspotlight
Instagram: @dakotaspotlight
TikTok: @dakotaspotlight
Bluesky: @dakotaspotlight.bsky.social
YouTube: @dakotaspotlightpodcast4800
Proudly produced by Six Horse Media: info@sixhorsemedia.com
Advertise your podcast or brand in Dakota Spotlight episodes: info@sixhorsemedia.com
All content in this podcast, including audio, interviews, and soundscapes, is the property of Six Horse Media. Any unauthorized use, reproduction, or rebroadcast of this material without the express written consent of Six Horse Media is strictly prohibited. For permissions or inquiries, please contact info@sixhorsemedia.com.
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Meanwhile in Mankato (4): The Parole Experiment That Failed at Sauk Centre (00:40:57)
This episode looks inside Minnesota’s prison and parole system during the years when Brian Lee Hendrickson was behind bars—and how shifting attitudes toward rehabilitation vs punishment helped lead to his early release. We hear from Brian’s brothers, Mark and Gary, about the shock of seeing him walk free after just five years for murder, and how he soon ended up working for the State of Minnesota at the Minnesota Home School in Sauk Centre.
Through interviews, records, and careful investigative journalism, Dakota Spotlight examines the Minnesota parole experiment that failed to protect the vulnerable and reveals how the optimism of reform collided with the realities of crime and manipulation.
A Dakota Spotlight true crime podcast that uncovers how one man’s early release exposed deep flaws within Minnesota’s corrections system—and how the consequences still echo decades later.
Meanwhile in Mankato was written, researched, edited, and produced by James Wolner. Additional research assistance by Mari Zoerb Hansen.
Check out the full catalog and everything Dakota Spotlight: https://dakotaspotlight.com/
Get all episodes early, ad-free, and more. Subscribe to Spotlight PLUS: https://dakotaspotlight.com/spotlight-plus/
Sign up for the Dakota Spotlight newsletter: https://dakotaspotlight.com/newsletter/
Email: dakotaspotlight@gmail.com
Facebook: https://facebook.com/groups/dakotaspotlight
X/Twitter: @dakotaspotlight
Instagram: @dakotaspotlight
TikTok: @dakotaspotlight
Bluesky: @dakotaspotlight.bsky.social
YouTube: @dakotaspotlightpodcast4800
Proudly produced by Six Horse Media: info@sixhorsemedia.com
Advertise your podcast or brand in Dakota Spotlight episodes: info@sixhorsemedia.com
All content in this podcast, including audio, interviews, and soundscapes, is the property of Six Horse Media. Any unauthorized use, reproduction, or rebroadcast of this material without the express written consent of Six Horse Media is strictly prohibited. For permissions or inquiries, please contact info@sixhorsemedia.com.
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Thanksgiving Treat (2): You Killed Chris - A Friend’s Fight for Justice (01:51:53)
The second half concludes the You Killed Chris story — newly abridged and remastered. Through interviews, archives, and reflection, I revisit Linda’s decades-long effort to confront the man she believes murdered her college friend — and how her determination kept the story alive through five decades of silence and disbelief.
Check out the music of MVLL CRIMES: https://mvllcrimes.bandcamp.com/
Two Good Books about Christine Rothschild:
Murder on the 56th Day: Linda Schulko. Get the Kindle version of Linda’s great book. Linda donates all proceeds to charity. Get Linda’s book on Amazon https://amzn.to/4cX0DEe
Cold: The Unsolved Murders of Seven Young Women: Kevin Damask. Get Kevin’s book on Amazon https://amzn.to/43YFy8l
Additional research by Mari Zoerb Hansen
Check out the full catalog and everything Dakota Spotlight: https://dakotaspotlight.com/
Get all episodes early, ad-free, and more. Subscribe to Spotlight PLUS: https://dakotaspotlight.com/spotlight-plus/
Sign up for the Dakota Spotlight newsletter: https://dakotaspotlight.com/newsletter/
Email: dakotaspotlight@gmail.com
Facebook: https://facebook.com/groups/dakotaspotlight
X/Twitter: @dakotaspotlight
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Bluesky: @dakotaspotlight.bsky.social
YouTube: @dakotaspotlightpodcast4800
Proudly produced by Six Horse Media: info@sixhorsemedia.com
Advertise your podcast or brand in Dakota Spotlight episodes: info@sixhorsemedia.com
All content in this podcast, including audio, interviews, and soundscapes, is the property of Six Horse Media. Any unauthorized use, reproduction, or rebroadcast of this material without the express written consent of Six Horse Media is strictly prohibited. For permissions or inquiries, please contact info@sixhorsemedia.com.
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Thanksgiving Treat (1): You Killed Chris - A Friend’s Fight for Justice (01:52:32)
A newly abridged and remastered two-part version of You Killed Chris: A Friend’s Fight for Justice. In 1968, 18-year-old Christine Rothschild was found murdered outside Sterling Hall on the University of Wisconsin–Madison campus. This first part takes us back to the turmoil of the 1960s and into Christine’s world — and to her friend Linda, who refused to let her story be forgotten.
Two Good Books about Christine Rothschild:
Murder on the 56th Day: Linda Schulko. Get the Kindle version of Linda’s great book. Linda donates all proceeds to charity. Get Linda’s book on Amazon https://amzn.to/4cX0DEe
Cold: The Unsolved Murders of Seven Young Women: Kevin Damask. Get Kevin’s book on Amazon https://amzn.to/43YFy8l
Additional research by Mari Zoerb Hansen
Check out the full catalog and everything Dakota Spotlight: https://dakotaspotlight.com/
Get all episodes early, ad-free, and more. Subscribe to Spotlight PLUS: https://dakotaspotlight.com/spotlight-plus/
Sign up for the Dakota Spotlight newsletter: https://dakotaspotlight.com/newsletter/
Email: dakotaspotlight@gmail.com
Facebook: https://facebook.com/groups/dakotaspotlight
X/Twitter: @dakotaspotlight
Instagram: @dakotaspotlight
TikTok: @dakotaspotlight
Bluesky: @dakotaspotlight.bsky.social
YouTube: @dakotaspotlightpodcast4800
Proudly produced by Six Horse Media: info@sixhorsemedia.com
Advertise your podcast or brand in Dakota Spotlight episodes: info@sixhorsemedia.com
All content in this podcast, including audio, interviews, and soundscapes, is the property of Six Horse Media. Any unauthorized use, reproduction, or rebroadcast of this material without the express written consent of Six Horse Media is strictly prohibited. For permissions or inquiries, please contact info@sixhorsemedia.com.
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Meanwhile in Mankato (3): The Trial That Collided with Miranda (00:49:03)
Episode 3 follows Brian Lee Hendrickson’s case through late 1965 and 1966, as court procedures, psychiatric evaluations, and a Minnesota trial unfold under the state’s Youth Conservation Commission. At the same time, a new Supreme Court ruling on Miranda rights reshapes the very laws surrounding confession and sentencing.
We meet Hendrickson’s brothers, Mark and Gary, whose memories of that era reveal a family story caught between denial and discovery, and we open a parallel thread on Michelle’s early life — the beginnings of a second tragedy yet to come.
Through careful investigative journalism, Dakota Spotlight continues this true crime podcast journey through Minnesota’s justice system, where one decision inside a courtroom still echoes six decades later.
Meanwhile in Mankato was written, researched, edited, and produced by James Wolner. Additional research assistance by Mari Zoerb Hansen.
Check out the full catalog and everything Dakota Spotlight: https://dakotaspotlight.com/
Get all episodes early, ad-free, and more. Subscribe to Spotlight PLUS: https://dakotaspotlight.com/spotlight-plus/
Sign up for the Dakota Spotlight newsletter: https://dakotaspotlight.com/newsletter/
Email: dakotaspotlight@gmail.com
Facebook: https://facebook.com/groups/dakotaspotlight
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TikTok: @dakotaspotlight
Bluesky: @dakotaspotlight.bsky.social
YouTube: @dakotaspotlightpodcast4800
Proudly produced by Six Horse Media: info@sixhorsemedia.com
Advertise your podcast or brand in Dakota Spotlight episodes: info@sixhorsemedia.com
All content in this podcast, including audio, interviews, and soundscapes, is the property of Six Horse Media. Any unauthorized use, reproduction, or rebroadcast of this material without the express written consent of Six Horse Media is strictly prohibited. For permissions or inquiries, please contact info@sixhorsemedia.com.
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Meanwhile in Mankato (2): Inside the Murder Investigation (00:43:25)
In the aftermath of Ray Dahms’s killing, Blue Earth County investigators launch a Minnesota murder investigation that soon points to a local teenager, Brian Lee Hendrickson. When they finally bring him in for questioning, Hendrickson shocks officers with a murder confession that seems to close the case almost as quickly as it began with the justice system.
Episode 2 of Meanwhile in Mankato revisits those first tense hours of the Mankato Gas Station Murder and the community’s mourning for Ray Dahms, whose death left Rapidan searching for answers. Through careful investigative journalism, Dakota Spotlight explores how a small-town murder rippled across Minnesota, shaping perceptions of truth and accountability.
A Dakota Spotlight true crime podcast where every answer reveals another question—and where justice proves far more elusive than anyone imagined.
Meanwhile in Mankato was written, researched, edited, and produced by James Wolner. Additional research assistance by Mari Zoerb Hansen.
Check out the full catalog and everything Dakota Spotlight: https://dakotaspotlight.com/
Get all episodes early, ad-free, and more. Subscribe to Spotlight PLUS: https://dakotaspotlight.com/spotlight-plus/
Sign up for the Dakota Spotlight newsletter: https://dakotaspotlight.com/newsletter/
Email: dakotaspotlight@gmail.com
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Bluesky: @dakotaspotlight.bsky.social
YouTube: @dakotaspotlightpodcast4800
Proudly produced by Six Horse Media: info@sixhorsemedia.com
Advertise your podcast or brand in Dakota Spotlight episodes: info@sixhorsemedia.com
All content in this podcast, including audio, interviews, and soundscapes, is the property of Six Horse Media. Any unauthorized use, reproduction, or rebroadcast of this material without the express written consent of Six Horse Media is strictly prohibited. For permissions or inquiries, please contact info@sixhorsemedia.com.
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Meanwhile in Mankato (1): Lies, Silence & Murder in Minnesota (00:48:48)
In 1965, seventeen-year-old Brian Hendrickson committed a small-town murder when he walked into a gas station outside Mankato, Minnesota, and shot clerk Ray Dahms twice at close range. Sentenced to forty years, he served just over five.The case would later be remembered as the Mankato Gas Station Murder.
In this opening episode of Dakota Spotlight’s twelfth season, host James Wolner takes us back to 1965 and the small town of Rapidan, Minnesota. We meet the classmates and friends of Ray Dahms, shot down at the age of 18 in this Minnesota murder case — people who have never forgotten him. The episode traces Ray’s final hours on September 25, 1965, and introduces us to seventeen-year-old Brian Lee Hendrickson, whose own path that night would lead to tragedy at Rothfork Truckstop in Blue Earth County, Minnesota. Dakota Spotlight is a true crime podcast dedicated to investigative journalism, revisiting cold cases and small-town murders across the Midwest.
Learn more about the Mankato Gas Station Murder at DakotaSpotlight.com.
Meanwhile in Mankato was written, researched, edited, and produced by James Wolner. Additional research assistance by Mari Zoerb Hansen.
Check out the full catalog and everything Dakota Spotlight: https://dakotaspotlight.com/
Get all episodes early, ad-free, and more. Subscribe to Spotlight PLUS: https://dakotaspotlight.com/spotlight-plus/
Sign up for the Dakota Spotlight newsletter: https://dakotaspotlight.com/newsletter/
Email: dakotaspotlight@gmail.com
Facebook: https://facebook.com/groups/dakotaspotlight
X/Twitter: @dakotaspotlight
Instagram: @dakotaspotlight
TikTok: @dakotaspotlight
Bluesky: @dakotaspotlight.bsky.social
YouTube: @dakotaspotlightpodcast4800
Proudly produced by Six Horse Media: info@sixhorsemedia.com
Advertise your podcast or brand in Dakota Spotlight episodes: info@sixhorsemedia.com
All content in this podcast, including audio, interviews, and soundscapes, is the property of Six Horse Media. Any unauthorized use, reproduction, or rebroadcast of this material without the express written consent of Six Horse Media is strictly prohibited. For permissions or inquiries, please contact info@sixhorsemedia.com.
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A Halloween Throwback – Unresolved: The Murder of Joel Lovelien (00:43:31)
On October 27, 2007, Joel Lovelien stepped outside the Broken Drum Bar in Grand Forks, North Dakota, during a night filled with costumes, celebration, and heavy drinking. Moments later, he was found in the parking lot, gravely injured. Despite a rapid emergency response, Joel did not survive.
For this Halloween throwback, Dakota Spotlight revisits the first episode of Unresolved: The Murder of Joel Lovelien — a true story that began with a party bus, a crowd in costume, and a tragedy that left behind more questions than answers.
Through interviews, trial evidence, and police reports, journalist James Wolner reexamines one of North Dakota’s most haunting unsolved cases — and the night that changed a community forever.
Check out the full catalog and everything Dakota Spotlight: https://dakotaspotlight.com/
Get all episodes early, ad-free, and more. Subscribe to Spotlight PLUS: https://dakotaspotlight.com/spotlight-plus/
Sign up for the Dakota Spotlight newsletter: https://dakotaspotlight.com/newsletter/
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YouTube: @dakotaspotlightpodcast4800
Proudly produced by Six Horse Media: info@sixhorsemedia.com
Advertise your podcast or brand in Dakota Spotlight episodes: info@sixhorsemedia.com
All content in this podcast, including audio, interviews, and soundscapes, is the property of Six Horse Media. Any unauthorized use, reproduction, or rebroadcast of this material without the express written consent of Six Horse Media is strictly prohibited. For permissions or inquiries, please contact info@sixhorsemedia.com.
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Meanwhile in Mankato: A Preview of Dakota Spotlight Season 12 (00:08:17)
Announcing Season 12
Meanwhile in Mankato: Lies, Silence & Murder in Minnesota arrives this November.
Episode 1 premieres for all listeners on Thursday, November 6.
Spotlight PLUS subscribers can hear — and binge — the entire season ad-free that same day.
Learn more at https://dakotaspotlight.com/meanwhile-in-mankato-true-crime-podcast/
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The House on Sweet and Seventh (6): Escape to the Movies – A North Dakota True Crime Story (00:41:36)
Episode 6, Escape to the Movies, brings forward Misty Jones — remembered as the girl with the little red car — in a 2020 interview. Misty recalls her early path into a party lifestyle, her personal struggles since 1998, and her account of the night Barbara and Gordon Erickstad were killed. She also discusses figures like Rick Storhaug and Ryan Werner. This North Dakota true crime story adds a human voice to one of the state’s most disturbing small town murder cases.
Welcome to Nobody Should Believe Me listeners, and for Dakota Spotlight listeners who haven’t yet heard Andrea Dunlop’s show, you can check it out here: https://open.spotify.com/show/0tU5rLsNkx7LeI2GhLlQ4X/
Check out the full catalog and everything Dakota Spotlight: https://dakotaspotlight.com/
Get all episodes early, ad-free, and more. Subscribe to Spotlight PLUS: https://dakotaspotlight.com/spotlight-plus/
Sign up for the Dakota Spotlight newsletter: https://dakotaspotlight.com/newsletter/
Email: dakotaspotlight@gmail.com
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X/Twitter: @dakotaspotlight
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Bluesky: @dakotaspotlight.bsky.social
YouTube: @dakotaspotlightpodcast4800
Proudly produced by Six Horse Media: info@sixhorsemedia.com
Advertise your podcast or brand in Dakota Spotlight episodes: info@sixhorsemedia.com
All content in this podcast, including audio, interviews, and soundscapes, is the property of Six Horse Media. Any unauthorized use, reproduction, or rebroadcast of this material without the express written consent of Six Horse Media is strictly prohibited. For permissions or inquiries, please contact info@sixhorsemedia.com.
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The House on Sweet and Seventh (5): A Sick Salute – A North Dakota True Crime Story (00:50:11)
The arrest of Brian Erickstad and Robert Lawrence confirmed their role in Barbara and Gordon Erickstad’s murders, but the aftermath shocked the community. Episode 5, A Sick Salute, reveals how the East Sweet crew rallied disturbingly behind the killers — with salutes, letters, and public disrespect for the victims’ families. Former detectives Bob Haas and Lloyd Halvorson reflect on what the case meant and whether unanswered questions remain. This episode captures the unsettling loyalty at the center of a North Dakota true crime tragedy.
Welcome to Nobody Should Believe Me listeners, and for Dakota Spotlight listeners who haven’t yet heard Andrea Dunlop’s show, you can check it out here: https://open.spotify.com/show/0tU5rLsNkx7LeI2GhLlQ4X/
Check out the full catalog and everything Dakota Spotlight: https://dakotaspotlight.com/
Get all episodes early, ad-free, and more. Subscribe to Spotlight PLUS: https://dakotaspotlight.com/spotlight-plus/
Sign up for the Dakota Spotlight newsletter: https://dakotaspotlight.com/newsletter/
Email: dakotaspotlight@gmail.com
Facebook: https://facebook.com/groups/dakotaspotlight
X/Twitter: @dakotaspotlight
Instagram: @dakotaspotlight
TikTok: @dakotaspotlight
Bluesky: @dakotaspotlight.bsky.social
YouTube: @dakotaspotlightpodcast4800
Proudly produced by Six Horse Media: info@sixhorsemedia.com
Advertise your podcast or brand in Dakota Spotlight episodes: info@sixhorsemedia.com
All content in this podcast, including audio, interviews, and soundscapes, is the property of Six Horse Media. Any unauthorized use, reproduction, or rebroadcast of this material without the express written consent of Six Horse Media is strictly prohibited. For permissions or inquiries, please contact info@sixhorsemedia.com.
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The House on Sweet and Seventh (4): One of These Days – A North Dakota True Crime Story (00:33:28)
The night before Barbara and Gordon Erickstad’s murders revealed troubling signs in Bismarck, North Dakota. Episode 4, One of These Days, traces September 16, 1998, through interviews and police files. Detectives Bob Haas and Steve Lundin worked parallel leads, while interviews with Misty’s boyfriend Rick Storhaug and others uncovered disturbing details. A darker side of Robert Lawrence also came to light. This North Dakota true crime investigation shows how teenage choices and violence collided in a small town murder.
Welcome to Nobody Should Believe Me listeners, and for Dakota Spotlight listeners who haven’t yet heard Andrea Dunlop’s show, you can check it out here: https://open.spotify.com/show/0tU5rLsNkx7LeI2GhLlQ4X/
Check out the full catalog and everything Dakota Spotlight: https://dakotaspotlight.com/
Get all episodes early, ad-free, and more. Subscribe to Spotlight PLUS: https://dakotaspotlight.com/spotlight-plus/
Sign up for the Dakota Spotlight newsletter: https://dakotaspotlight.com/newsletter/
Email: dakotaspotlight@gmail.com
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X/Twitter: @dakotaspotlight
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TikTok: @dakotaspotlight
Bluesky: @dakotaspotlight.bsky.social
YouTube: @dakotaspotlightpodcast4800
Proudly produced by Six Horse Media: info@sixhorsemedia.com
Advertise your podcast or brand in Dakota Spotlight episodes: info@sixhorsemedia.com
All content in this podcast, including audio, interviews, and soundscapes, is the property of Six Horse Media. Any unauthorized use, reproduction, or rebroadcast of this material without the express written consent of Six Horse Media is strictly prohibited. For permissions or inquiries, please contact info@sixhorsemedia.com.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
The House on Sweet and Seventh (3): Patience Pays Off – A North Dakota True Crime Story (00:37:20)
Episode 3, Patience Pays Off, captures how patient police work broke open the Erickstad murder case. Barbara and Gordon Erickstad’s deaths had left Bismarck shaken in 1998. Detectives pressed a hesitant witness until the truth began to surface, while a frightened woman rushed into the station with new details in the middle of the night. This documentary style true crime story reveals how testimony reshaped a North Dakota small town murder investigation.
Welcome to Nobody Should Believe Me listeners, and for Dakota Spotlight listeners who haven’t yet heard Andrea Dunlop’s show, you can check it out here: https://open.spotify.com/show/0tU5rLsNkx7LeI2GhLlQ4X/
Check out the full catalog and everything Dakota Spotlight: https://dakotaspotlight.com/
Get all episodes early, ad-free, and more. Subscribe to Spotlight PLUS: https://dakotaspotlight.com/spotlight-plus/
Sign up for the Dakota Spotlight newsletter: https://dakotaspotlight.com/newsletter/
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Bluesky: @dakotaspotlight.bsky.social
YouTube: @dakotaspotlightpodcast4800
Proudly produced by Six Horse Media: info@sixhorsemedia.com
Advertise your podcast or brand in Dakota Spotlight episodes: info@sixhorsemedia.com
All content in this podcast, including audio, interviews, and soundscapes, is the property of Six Horse Media. Any unauthorized use, reproduction, or rebroadcast of this material without the express written consent of Six Horse Media is strictly prohibited. For permissions or inquiries, please contact info@sixhorsemedia.com.
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The House on Sweet and Seventh (2): Never Ever Narc – A North Dakota True Crime Story (00:47:53)
Detective Lloyd Halvorson knew where to look for answers about the murders of Barbara and Gordon Erickstad in 1998. Episode 2, Never Ever Narc, follows Bismarck police as they questioned Brian Erickstad’s teenage friends and the East Sweet crew, searching for someone who would talk. With Brian and Robert Lawrence wanted for questioning, the pressure mounted. This North Dakota true crime story reveals how silence and loyalty complicated a devastating small town murder case.
Welcome to Nobody Should Believe Me listeners, and for Dakota Spotlight listeners who haven’t yet heard Andrea Dunlop’s show, you can check it out here: https://open.spotify.com/show/0tU5rLsNkx7LeI2GhLlQ4X/
Check out the full catalog and everything Dakota Spotlight: https://dakotaspotlight.com/
Get all episodes early, ad-free, and more. Subscribe to Spotlight PLUS: https://dakotaspotlight.com/spotlight-plus/
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Bluesky: @dakotaspotlight.bsky.social
YouTube: @dakotaspotlightpodcast4800
Proudly produced by Six Horse Media: info@sixhorsemedia.com
Advertise your podcast or brand in Dakota Spotlight episodes: info@sixhorsemedia.com
All content in this podcast, including audio, interviews, and soundscapes, is the property of Six Horse Media. Any unauthorized use, reproduction, or rebroadcast of this material without the express written consent of Six Horse Media is strictly prohibited. For permissions or inquiries, please contact info@sixhorsemedia.com.
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The House on Sweet and Seventh (1): A Little Red Car – A North Dakota True Crime Story (00:42:28)
September 1998 brought a chilling moment in Bismarck, North Dakota, when 17-year-old Aimee walked into the police station. She suspected her boyfriend, Brian Erickstad, had harmed his parents. A welfare check was meant to set things straight — but it uncovered something far worse. Episode 1, A Little Red Car, introduces Barbara and Gordon Erickstad’s case, a North Dakota true crime story that exposed violence hidden within a circle of teens.
Welcome to Nobody Should Believe Me listeners, and for Dakota Spotlight listeners who haven’t yet heard Andrea Dunlop’s show, you can check it out here: https://open.spotify.com/show/0tU5rLsNkx7LeI2GhLlQ4X/
Check out the full catalog and everything Dakota Spotlight: https://dakotaspotlight.com/
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Barbara Cotton Cold Case Update: New Witness Insights on Williston's Unsolved Disappearance (00:46:35)
In this gripping update on the Barbara Cotton cold case, we delve into new testimony surrounding one of North Dakota's most enduring unsolved disappearances. Barbara Louise Cotton vanished from Williston in 1981, and after decades of silence, a man who worked with Stacey Werder in Montana shares critical insights about seeing him with Barb in Williston. This episode, hosted by James Wolner and Lisa Jo of #FindBarbCotton, explores the troubling behaviors of Stacey Werder, his movements across Scobey and Miles City, and his tragic suicide weeks after Barb's disappearance. With renewed investigative journalism and fresh leads, we aim to uncover answers in a haunting North Dakota true crime mystery that has persisted for over forty years. Join us as we shine a light on unresolved mysteries in rural crime and the ongoing search for justice.
Connect with Lisa Jo and the #FindBarbCotton Movement:
Email: findbarbcotton@gmail.com
Website: https://findbarbcotton.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/877478459791085/
Instagram: @findbarbcotton
TikTok: @findbarbcotton
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Introducing - Truer Crime (00:35:52)
In July of 2018, 20-year-old Mollie Tibbetts went on a run in her small hometown of Brooklyn, Iowa. Something she’d done countless times before. But this time, she didn’t come home. What followed was a search unlike anything this town had ever seen. Neighbors combed the fields. Reporters camped out at the local diner. And as the weeks stretched on without answers, the questions only grew louder: How does someone vanish without a trace in a town this small? Who could have seen something and stayed silent? Once you've finished part 1, head over to the Truer Crime feed to listen to "Mollie Tibbetts Part 2".
About Truer Crime: Vanished. Vilified. Voiceless. This season on Truer Crime, every story has something in common: it’s not what it seems.
What starts as a disappearance, a tragedy, or a headline quickly reveals something deeper—about power, about prejudice, about who gets to be heard and who gets written off.
We’re digging into six gripping cases. Some you might recognize. Others you’ve never heard before. But every one of them will leave you questioning the stories we’re told and the stories we choose to believe. Six months. Six cases. One show that digs deeper. Truer Crime is available now wherever you get your favorite podcasts.
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The Real Catch Me If You Can: Javier Leiva on Debunking Frank Abagnale (00:53:26)
What if 90% of Frank Abagnale’s claims are totally made up? In this special Dakota Spotlight episode, host James Wolner talks with Javier Leiva, creator of PRETEND, about his season The Real Catch Me If You Can. In this series, Javier debunks Abagnale’s extraordinary con-man story using court and prison records, while also bringing forward new victim testimonies. After the interview, hear the full Episode 1 as Leiva begins dismantling Abagnale’s legend and follows the trail all the way to Las Vegas, where he confronts Abagnale himself. This is the real-life Catch Me If You Can.
Listen to the full series and explore everything from PRETEND wherever you find podcasts and at pretendradio.org.
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The Disappearance of Sharon Bald Eagle: A South Dakota Cold Case (00:31:51)
In this Case Snapshot, Dakota Spotlight investigates the 1984 disappearance of 12-year-old Sharon Bald Eagle, who vanished while traveling from South Dakota to Idaho. This unsolved mystery devastated her family and community and led to the capture of Royal Russell Long, a predator who stalked rodeos, carnivals, and highways for years. Through careful research and respectful storytelling, investigative journalist James Wolner explores the lasting impact on those who knew Sharon and why her story remains a significant South Dakota cold case in the history of Midwest crime.
If you have any information related to the disappearance of Sharon Bald Eagle, please call the Fall River County Sheriff's Office at 605-745-4444.
Produced by James Wolner. Research assistance by Mari Zoerb Hansen.
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Who Killed Joseph Anderson? The Unsolved Jamestown Murder (00:38:28)
In September 1991, Joseph “Joe” Anderson, a millionaire cattleman, was found murdered under mysterious circumstances in Jamestown, North Dakota. His body was discovered in the trunk of his own Buick at the Gladstone Inn parking lot, sparking one of the city’s most troubling cold cases. More than three decades later, the murder of Joe Anderson remains unsolved, with lingering questions about who wanted him dead and why justice has never been served in this small town mystery.
If you have information about the murder of Joseph “Joe” Anderson, please contact the Jamestown Police Department at 701-252-2414 or the North Dakota Bureau of Criminal Investigation at 701-328-5500.
Produced by James Wolner. Research assistance by Mari Zoerb Hansen.
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Breaking: Brian Erickstad Sentencing Update 2025 (00:09:37)
In this update episode, we break down the North Dakota Supreme Court’s recent decision in the Brian Erickstad case. The court ruled that Erickstad’s sentence was improperly amended in 2022 without notice, and has sent the case back to the lower court for correction. While not a reversal of his conviction, the ruling could impact when he becomes eligible for parole.
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Proudly produced by Six Horse Media: info@sixhorsemedia.com
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All content in this podcast, including audio, interviews, and soundscapes, is the property of Six Horse Media. Any unauthorized use, reproduction, or rebroadcast of this material without the express written consent of Six Horse Media is strictly prohibited. For permissions or inquiries, please contact info@sixhorsemedia.com.
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Vanished in Alexander - The Mystery of Talmadge Patton (00:21:02)
In 1995, 75-year-old retired truck driver Talmadge “Pat” Patton vanished from his home in the rural town of Alexander, North Dakota. When his daughter came to check on him, she found clues that pointed to a troubling disappearance but no clear answers. Nearly three decades later, the case of Pat Patton remains unsolved, raising lingering questions about what happened in those final days and why this North Dakota cold case continues to puzzle investigators and the community.
If you have any information about the disappearance of Talmadge “Pat” Patton, please contact the McKenzie County Sheriff’s Department at 701-444-3654 or the North Dakota Bureau of Criminal Investigation at 701-328-5500.
Produced by James Wolner. Research assistance by Mari Zoerb Hansen.
Check out the full catalog and everything Dakota Spotlight: https://dakotaspotlight.com/
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Evil is a Dumbass Drifter (00:24:21)
In 1995, Mary K. Ross, a 25-year-old single mother and college student, was brutally stabbed to death in her Sioux Falls, South Dakota apartment while her baby watched. Her murder remains one of the city’s most haunting crimes, raising painful questions about how evil drifts from place to place, preying on the vulnerable and recruiting the unguarded. This essay reflects on violence, vulnerability, and how compassion can endure even in the face of unimaginable brutality.
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