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.
176
Ethics in True Crime podcasts: Interview with E...
Interview with Eric Carter-Landin of . Eric's brother Jacob was murdered over 30 years ago and justice has not been served. I talk with Eric about the ethics of creating true crime content in this very popular yet problematic genre. True crime in
32 min
177
105 Bruises - interview with Jamie Pultz - Been...
When Kirra McLoughlin died her boyfriend said she must have overdosed on prescription drugs. That didn't explain the over one hundred bruises on her body however. And yet, nobody has been charged with Kirra's death. That didn't...
23 min
178
No conviction: The Brandy Myers story
When an innocent teenager is murdered, family members are left devastated and heartbroken. The closest these loved-ones can get to some kind of closure is when the person or persons responsible are apprehended and convicted of the crime. Sometimes...
32 min
179
Everybody counts or nobody counts: Looking for ...
This is the first installment of our summer series about mysterious crimes and disappearances from around the globe and the people who fight to get justice for victims and their families. Marion Barter, aged 51, boarded a plane in Australia in...
41 min
180
Summer Update 2021
Hey there, This is James, host and producer of Dakota Spotlight podcast. This is just a quick update on what's going on with the podcast this summer. I have some important dates to tell you about and some other news. In this part of the world...
9 min
181
A Better Search for Barbara (16): Open Records ...
Episode 16 explains how open records requests impact Barbara Cotton’s 1981 cold case and introduces a new Facebook group dedicated to this unsolved North Dakota true crime investigation.
45 min
182
A Better Search for Barbara (15): Kidnappings a...
Episode 15 explores theories tied to Barbara Cotton’s 1981 disappearance, from kidnappings and cults to international connections, expanding the search for answers in her cold case.
46 min
183
A Better Search for Barbara (14): Beach Bunny’s...
Episode 14 blends music and investigation, featuring Lili Trifilio of Beach Bunny, Isaac Turner, and research at the North Dakota State Archives into Barbara Cotton’s 1981 cold case.
40 min
184
A Better Search for Barbara (13): Juarez to Wil...
Episode 13 investigates unusual leads in Barbara Cotton’s 1981 cold case, from a rumored skull in Williston to connections involving Frank Delapena, Stacey Werder, and “Red.”
40 min
185
A Better Search for Barbara (12): Love Doesn’t ...
Episode 12 explores Barbara Cotton’s 1981 cold case with new witness accounts, Williston landmarks, and leads that could move this decades-old true crime investigation forward.
53 min
186
A Better Search for Barbara (11): Facebook Grou...
Episode 11 provides a short update as the Dakota Spotlight Facebook group faces suspension, temporarily limiting discussion about Barbara Cotton’s 1981 cold case and unsolved murder.
3 min
187
A Better Search for Barbara (10): For the Love ...
Episode 10 reflects on Barbara Cotton’s 1981 cold case as Williston honors her life in 2021, asking whether it’s time to face the truth about her disappearance and unsolved murder.
53 min
188
A Better Search for Barbara (9): The Evil That ...
Episode 9 examines Frank J. Delapena, who killed two girls in 1981, asking if he could be linked to Barbara Cotton’s disappearance and North Dakota’s long-running true crime cold case.
54 min
189
A Better Search for Barbara (8): The Brother in...
Episode 8 looks at Barbara Cotton’s brother Frank as a person of interest in her 1981 disappearance, raising new questions about this North Dakota cold case and possible small town murder.
47 min
190
A Better Search for Barbara (7): Coming Up for ...
Episode 7 recaps Barbara Cotton’s 1981 disappearance, revisiting her cold case with a new timeline, witnesses, and unanswered questions in this decades-old North Dakota true crime mystery.
42 min
191
A Better Search for Barbara (6): Interview with...
Episode 6 features Williston Police discussing Barbara Cotton’s 1981 disappearance, keeping the unsolved murder case open four decades after she vanished in this North Dakota true crime story.
70 min
192
A Better Search for Barbara (5): Please Tell Mo...
Episode 5 uncovers a Montana jailhouse call tied to Barbara Cotton’s 1981 disappearance, as her boyfriend’s sister recalls his haunting words connected to this North Dakota cold case.
54 min
193
A Better Search for Barbara (4): A Rapist, a Cr...
Episode 4 follows private investigator Carrie Abbey as she searches Barbara Cotton’s 1981 cold case, examining her records, her neighborhood, and troubling persons of interest in Williston.
52 min
194
A Better Search for Barbara (3): 40 Years of No...
Episode 3 investigates the original police response to Barbara Cotton’s 1981 disappearance, asking if her cold case was overlooked as an unsolved murder or minimized as a missing persons report.
42 min
195
A Better Search for Barbara (2): Tributaries of...
Episode 2 examines Barbara Cotton’s last known movements in Williston, tracing her 1981 cold case through missing persons reports, conflicting accounts, and the possibility of an unsolved murder.
43 min
196
A Better Search for Barbara (1): Five Blocks fr...
Episode 1 begins the Barbara Cotton cold case, a 1981 unsolved murder in North Dakota, as childhood friend Sandee Evanson challenges the runaway theory in this true crime investigation.
43 min
197
Bruce Blackman - Moonlight still feels right
Bonus episode: Interview with singer/songwriter Bruce Blackman, the musician behind the 1976 hit Moonlight Feels Right, heard right here in Season 4.
22 min
198
Julia Kent - Exploring our emotional landscapes
Bonus episode: A true crime teaser followed by a fascinating interview with musician, cellist and composer Julia Kent. Julia Kent's music is featured throughout Season one of this podcast. Julia talks about her craft, her life and...
29 min
199
Chasing Billy (5): Interview with Detective Bau...
Episode 5 features Detective Dan Baumann, who is currently assigned to Billy Wolf’s cold case, discussing the ongoing investigation into his 1978 unsolved murder in North Dakota.
26 min
200
Chasing Billy (4): Motels, Mafias and Stolen Gu...
Episode 4 follows listener tips naming possible suspects in Billy Wolf’s 1978 unsolved murder, leading from Utah to Fargo’s Hi-10 Motel and into drugs, stolen guns, and the “Fargo Mafia.”
31 min