Dakota Spotlight: True Crime & Cold Case Investigations

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. Check out the full catalog and e...

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 th...

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,...

In July 2002, 19-year-old Russell Turcotte disappeared while hitchhiking home to Montana. Last seen at a truck stop in Grand Forks, his body was discovered months later near Devils Lake. Russell had been murdered, and two decades later his case remains one of North Dakota’s most haunting cold cases. This episode retraces his final steps and the tireless efforts of his family to seek justice, effor...

Part 5 (Chapters 23–27): As the story draws to a close, Doug Rolfstad faces the full weight of his choices, with each moment tightening the grip of consequences. What began with a mysterious manila envelope of cash now races toward a chaotic and unexpected conclusion, testing bonds of family, trust, and survival in North Dakota. Dead Cold Drop by James Wolner is told across five gripping episodes...

Part 4 (Chapters 17–22): With tensions simmering, Doug Rolfstad follows through on key parts of the plan as new information surfaces and close calls tighten the grip of fear. As pressure builds and alliances prove uncertain, Doug must navigate the weight of choices that cannot be undone, pulling him further into danger. Dead Cold Drop by James Wolner is told across five gripping episodes in the si...

Season 6 of Nobody Should Believe Me–out weekly starting June 19, available in full for subscribers at launch–covers the extraordinary and tragic saga of the McDaniel family, a real-life Southern Gothic tale of Munchausen by Proxy that spans decades and has left untold damage in its wake.  For the past twelve years, Lisa McDaniel worked for The Guthy Jackson Foundation, a high-profile non-profit,...

Keith Schmidt was last seen on the morning of May 20, 2024, in Dickinson, North Dakota. His unexplained disappearance shocked the community and left his family searching for answers. This episode retraces the days leading up to when Keith was last seen, with insight from those who knew him best and reporting from a journalist covering the case. The story of Keith Schmidt is both a personal tragedy...

Part 3 (Chapters 12–16): Tension rises as Doug Rolfstad is pulled further from his life as a Bismarck plumber into a world of fear, paranoia, and uncertainty. With unsettling discoveries piling up and new layers of danger emerging, Doug must confront how much—and whom—he can really trust. Dead Cold Drop by James Wolner is told across five gripping episodes in the signature Friday Night Fiction sty...

Getting started as a bank robber isn’t easy for Joe Loya. It takes courage … and rage. But Joe does the math. Thousands of dollars gained for a few minutes work. That’s what he figures he deserves. Meanwhile at home, losses mount. Get the Money and Run is a production of Western Sound and aCast Studios in association with Orbit Media Inc. Get the Money and Run is available now on Apple Podcasts or...

Part 2 (Chapters 6–11): Returning to Bismarck, Doug Rolfstad puts a plan in motion to protect his daughter Mandy and make sense of the manila envelope full of cash. With each cautious step, the pressure mounts, the danger sharpens, and an unsettling sense of unease suggests there is far more at play than they first imagined. Dead Cold Drop by James Wolner is told across five gripping episodes in t...

In 1962, 14-year-old Larry Jo Phebus vanished from Tioga, North Dakota. Months later, two farmers found his body in a snow-covered field, sparking one of the state’s earliest and most haunting cold cases. Six decades later, the murder of Larry Jo Phebus remains unsolved, leaving the small town still asking what happened to him that night and why justice has never been found. Check out the full cat...

Part 1 (Chapters 1–5): In the opening chapters of Dead Cold Drop, Bismarck plumber Doug Rolfstad meets his daughter Mandy at a Valley City truck stop after her urgent request. There, she reveals a manila envelope filled with cash, drawing father and daughter into a situation they do not fully understand. As unsettling news follows, their choices propel them into a suspenseful story of family bonds...

This isn’t your typical true crime story. Brittani Ard steps back into the shadowy labyrinth of memories, scars, and fragile ties that bind us to our past. Where wounds still ache and the bonds of connection blur between salvation and entrapment. After revealing her own story in the first 8 chapters, she’s pulling at the threads of the past—threads so delicate they threaten to unravel everything....

More than 30 years ago, Eric’s brother Jacob was murdered—a case that remains unresolved to this day. In this conversation, we discuss his pursuit of justice and explore the ethical challenges of creating content in the ever-growing, often problematic true crime genre. Originally released on July 28, 2021. Listen to the True Consequences podcast: https://www.trueconsequences.com/ Check out the ful...

Slaycation is a darkly funny true crime podcast hosted by Kim Davis, a former social worker and true crime fanatic, her comedy-writer husband Adam “Tex” Davis, and Emmy-nominated producer Jerry Kolber. Blending horror, humor, and empathy, Slaycation explores vacations gone tragically wrong, offering travel tips that just might save your life. In this episode, “You Cruise, You Lose,” a dream getawa...

In 1978, the body of a young woman was discovered in a rural Iowa ditch—no name, no missing persons report, and clear signs of a violent death. For 27 years, she was known only as a Jane Doe. Her name was Wilma June Nissen. She was 23 years old and believed to have been killed in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, around the time of her daughter Krissi’s first birthday. In this episode, Krissi Haas shares...

In 2002, Madison McGhee’s father, John McGhee, was shot and killed in his own home in Belmont County, Ohio. Driven by her desire to find justice she began conducting her own investigation into his murder that remains unsolved to this day. The police investigation did not yield any significant leads, leaving Madison and her family with more questions than answers - until now. Join her not only on a...

In this debut installment of Friday Night Fiction, a harmless social media group turns sinister in Fargo, North Dakota. When a local banker’s carefully planned Friday night is derailed by a group of self-appointed parking vigilantes, what begins as a minor inconvenience escalates into something far more dangerous. Written and narrated by James Wolner, Park Like a Fargonian is a modern noir story a...

We introduce you to our new series of original crime-inspired short stories, all set in North Dakota and the Upper Midwest. If you're a fan of true crime but curious to explore fictional tales with the same tension, twists, and emotional depth—this series is for you. We’ll walk you through what to expect from future episodes, how often they’ll drop, and why true crime fans will feel right at home...

In May 1971, Pam Jackson and Sherri Miller were two seventeen-year-olds driving to an end-of-the-school-year party in a rundown Studebaker Lark when they seemingly disappeared off the face of the earth. In this episode James interviews author Lou Raguse, author of the riveting book Vanished in Vermillion: The Real Story of South Dakota’s Most Infamous Cold Case. Check out Lou's website: https://va...

On the evening of July 3, 1972, 16-year-old Joli Truelson stood hitchhiking in Uptown Minneapolis, MN. Just 15 hours later she was found deceased in Minnehaha Creek, four miles away. She died from blunt force trauma to the back of her head. In this episode, Dakota Spotlight interviews Trisha Taurinskas, journalst and host of a new podcast series about Joli's murder: Joli Truelson: Connecting the D...

In 2017, Deon Wiggett confronted a repressed trauma: he had been sexually abused by a schoolteacher as a teenager. His response was to create "My Only Story," a podcast exploring justice, activism, and revenge. Dakota Spotlight interviewed Wiggett in August 2021 about the podcast and his experience. My Only Story podcast: https://www.myonlystory.org/ Check out the full catalog and everything Dakot...

Continuing a Dakota Spotlight Valentine’s tradition, this special episode features an interview with Bruce Blackman, the mastermind behind the 1976 hit Moonlight Feels Right by Starbuck. James chats with Bruce about the song’s romantic charm, its iconic marimba solo, and the stories behind its creation. Whether it’s part of your Valentine’s playlist or a nostalgic favorite, don’t miss this heartfe...

In this postscript to Homicide at House of Bottles, we revisit key moments from the 1999 Bismarck murder of Robbie Rahrich through archival news reports recorded immediately after the homicide and following the arrest of a suspect. Former detective Bob Haas shares additional insights, reflections, and his perspective on the missing shell casing, offering listeners a deeper understanding of one of...