Dakota Spotlight: True Crime & Cold C...
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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Meanwhile in Mankato (5): The Acquittal That Ex...
A survivor’s story emerges from the walls of a girls’ reformatory—and exposes a state’s blind spot.
40 min
27
Meanwhile in Mankato (4): The Parole Experiment...
Minnesota’s promise of rehabilitation meets its greatest test—and one teenager pays the price.
35 min
28
Thanksgiving Treat (2): You Killed Chris - A Fr...
One woman’s lifelong pursuit of the man she believes killed her friend, and the questions that still remain.
107 min
29
Thanksgiving Treat (1): You Killed Chris - A Fr...
The 1968 murder of Christine Rothschild and the friend who never stopped searching for the truth.
109 min
30
Meanwhile in Mankato (3): The Trial That Collid...
A courtroom decision, a Supreme Court ruling, and a family forever split by truth and denial.
43 min
31
Meanwhile in Mankato (2): Inside the Murder Inv...
As the murder shocks Blue Earth County, friends and loved ones face the loss of Rapidan’s Ray Dahms.
37 min
32
Meanwhile in Mankato (1): Lies, Silence & Murde...
A small-town killing in 1965, a teenage gunman, and a state system unprepared for what came next.
45 min
33
A Halloween Throwback – Unresolved: The Murder ...
On a Halloween night in 2007, Joel Lovelien stepped outside a Grand Forks bar — and into one of North Dakota’s most haunting unsolved murders.
37 min
34
Meanwhile in Mankato: A Preview of Dakota Spotl...
Announcing Dakota Spotlight Season 12
7 min
35
The House on Sweet and Seventh (6): Escape to t...
Episode 6 features Misty Jones, remembered as the girl with the little red car, as she recounts her struggles and her firsthand memories of the Erickstad murders.
37 min
36
The House on Sweet and Seventh (5): A Sick Salu...
After Brian Erickstad and Robert Lawrence were arrested, their East Sweet crew shocked Bismarck with disturbing loyalty and disrespect toward Barbara and Gordon’s families.
44 min
37
The House on Sweet and Seventh (4): One of Thes...
Episode 4 reconstructs the last 12 hours before Barbara and Gordon Erickstad’s murders, exposing the antics of the East Sweet crew and the darker side of Robert Lawrence.
27 min
38
The House on Sweet and Seventh (3): Patience Pa...
A reluctant witness and a terrified woman revealed key details in the Erickstad murders, pushing the Bismarck investigation into Barbara and Gordon’s deaths forward.
32 min
39
The House on Sweet and Seventh (2): Never Ever ...
Police questioned Brian Erickstad’s friends, hoping teen loyalties would reveal the truth about the murders of Barbara and Gordon Erickstad in Bismarck, North Dakota.
44 min
40
The House on Sweet and Seventh (1): A Little Re...
In 1998, a 17-year-old girl told Bismarck police she feared her boyfriend Brian Erickstad had hurt his parents, Barbara and Gordon, sparking a chilling true crime story.
38 min
41
Barbara Cotton Cold Case Update: New Witness In...
A new witness recalls seeing Stacey Werder with Barbara Cotton in Williston, adding critical evidence to one of North Dakota’s oldest unsolved cases.
40 min
42
Introducing - Truer Crime
In July 2018, 20-year-old Mollie Tibbetts vanished while out for a run in her hometown of Brooklyn, Iowa, sparking a massive search and nationwide attention that left haunting questions in its wake.
30 min
43
The Real Catch Me If You Can: Javier Leiva on D...
Dakota Spotlight features Javier Leiva of PRETEND as he debunks Frank Abagnale’s legendary con-man story in The Real Catch Me If You Can, followed by Episode 1 of the series.
47 min
44
The Disappearance of Sharon Bald Eagle: A South...
Dakota Spotlight investigates the 1984 disappearance of Sharon Bald Eagle, a South Dakota cold case that exposed predator Royal Russell Long and remains a haunting chapter in Midwest crime.
26 min
45
Who Killed Joseph Anderson? The Unsolved Jamest...
In 1991, millionaire cattleman Joseph “Joe” Anderson was found murdered in Jamestown, North Dakota, a cold case that remains unsolved more than 30 years later.
32 min
46
Breaking: Brian Erickstad Sentencing Update 2025
The North Dakota Supreme Court sent Brian Erickstad’s case back for resentencing, which may affect his parole.
6 min
47
Vanished in Alexander - The Mystery of Talmadge...
In 1995, retired truck driver Talmadge “Pat” Patton disappeared from his home in Alexander, North Dakota, leaving behind an unsolved small town mystery.
16 min
48
Evil is a Dumbass Drifter
In 1995, 25-year-old Mary K. Ross was murdered in her Sioux Falls apartment, a haunting story of drifting evil and quiet compassion.
19 min
49
Cold Case: The Murder of Russell Turcotte in No...
In 2002, 19-year-old Russell Turcotte vanished while hitchhiking through North Dakota, a cold case murder that still demands answers.
15 min
50
Dead Cold Drop (5) - by James Wolner
As consequences close in, Doug Rolfstad confronts the fallout of a mystery that began with a manila envelope and hurtles toward an unexpected ending.
28 min