Dakota Spotlight: True Crime & Cold Case Investigations

Bonus episode: Interview with singer/songwriter Bruce Blackman, the musician behind the 1976 hit Moonlight Feels Right, heard right here in Season 4.  Bruce shares thoughts about his life, his music and recalls almost freezing his fingers off in Fargo during a tour back in 77. https://bruceblackman.com https://dakotaspotlight.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 her creative process. https://music.juliakent.com/ Additional music by the Hollis Group https://hollis-group.bandcamp.com/releases https://inforum.com/dakota-spotlight...

The 1978 killing of William “Billy” Wolf Jr. remains one of North Dakota’s most troubling unsolved murders. Episode 5, Interview with Detective Baumann, features a conversation with Dan Baumann, the police detective currently assigned to Billy’s cold case. Baumann discusses the challenges of investigating a decades-old unsolved mystery, the search for overlooked evidence, and why the case remains...

The 1978 murder of William “Billy” Wolf Jr. remains one of North Dakota’s darkest cold cases. Episode 4, Motels, Mafias and Stolen Guns, explores two listener tips identifying potential suspects — one already known to law enforcement, and another possibly new to the case. Investigating these men leads from Utah to Fargo’s Hi-10 Motel and into a world of illegal drugs, stolen weapons, and rumors of...

Nov 26, 2020. Just a quick shout-out on this American holiday to thank all of you who are listening. There is no Season 4 "Chasing Billy" update this week. I am currently working on a couple of leads and hope to have an episode for you in the next week or two.  Be safe out there, and again, thank you for listening.  Check out the full catalog of Dakota Spotlight true crime podcasts at https://dako...

The brutal 1978 murder of William “Billy” Wolf Jr. remains an unsolved murder and one of North Dakota’s most troubling cold cases. Episode 3, The Pursuit for Justice Continues, features Bud Warren of West Fargo, who went to school with Billy and later became a police officer involved in investigating his case. The episode also revisits an arrest from 1978 that raised more questions than answers. C...

The 1978 murder of William “Billy” Wolf Jr. remains one of North Dakota’s most disturbing cold cases. Episode 2, Time Traveling Back to 1978, explores Billy’s last days alive through the memories of his friend Nanci, offering a personal portrait of who Billy was. The episode also discusses how dormant, long-term memories can resurface and why they may be vital in an unsolved murder investigation....

In August 1978, a man canoeing the Red River near Fargo, North Dakota, discovered two garbage bags containing the severed remains of 18-year-old William “Billy” Wolf Jr. His murder has remained unsolved for more than four decades. Episode 1, A Pursuit for Justice, begins the investigation into one of North Dakota’s most disturbing cold cases. Chasing Billy examines Billy’s life, the brutal crime t...

A kindergarten teacher masterminds a brutal murder and shows no remorse. In this special, stand-alone episode we learn about a macabre crime from the true north.   In 2015, Angila Wilder was brutally murdered in her home while her 2 year old child slept just down the hall.  True crime author C.J. Wynn meets with Dakota Spotlight to discuss this crime. links: Dakota Spotlight online https://www.inf...

The murders of Barbara and Gordon Erickstad in 1998 shocked Bismarck, North Dakota, and left lasting scars on all connected. Episode 6, Escape to the Movies, introduces Misty Jones — remembered as the girl with the little red car — who, in a 2020 interview, tells her story in full for the first time. Misty shares her early path to a party lifestyle, her personal struggles since the Erickstad homic...

The murders of Barbara and Gordon Erickstad in 1998 remain one of Bismarck, North Dakota’s darkest true crime stories. Episode 5, A Sick Salute, follows the arrest of Robert Lawrence and Brian Erickstad after a bloody shoe linked them to the killings. While the fugitives awaited trial, the East Sweet crew ramped up their support in disturbing, “Manson-like” fashion — with sick salutes, love letter...

The murders of Barbara and Gordon Erickstad in 1998 exposed a tangled web of loyalty, secrecy, and violence in Bismarck, North Dakota. Episode 4, One of These Days, follows detectives Bob Haas and Steve Lundin as they press forward — one piecing evidence together with the medical examiner, the other facing a frustrating interview with Misty’s boyfriend, Rick Storhaug. The timeline of September 16t...

In September 1998, Barbara and Gordon Erickstad’s murders shattered the quiet community of Bismarck, North Dakota. Episode 3, Patience Pays Off, follows how police questioning of a key witness gradually revealed the truth about what happened. That same weekend, much of the Bismarck Police force traveled south of Mandan in search of two homicide victims, as a terrified woman rushed into the station...

The murders of Barbara and Gordon Erickstad shocked Bismarck, North Dakota in 1998. Episode 2, Never Ever Narc, follows detective Lloyd Halvorson as he zeroes in on 18-year-old Brian Erickstad and 27-year-old Robert Lawrence. With the suspects on the run, police turned to their circle of teenage friends, hoping someone would talk. The answers could reveal who was involved — and most urgently, wher...

In September 1998, Barbara and Gordon Erickstad were brutally murdered in their Bismarck, North Dakota home. Episode 1, A Little Red Car, begins the story when 17-year-old Aimee walked into the police station with a chilling suspicion: her boyfriend, Brian, might have hurt his parents. A welfare check was meant to set things straight — but it only deepened the mystery. What had really happened ins...

Join me, James Wolner, and Forum Communications for Dakota Spotlight Season 3, as we take a closer look into one the most puzzling crimes in North Dakota history. Hear first-hand accounts, original police interviews and much more. Scheduled for release later this summer, Season 3 will be available anywhere you get your podcasts. AND be on the lookout for additional content, video footage and other...

The 1976 murders of Wade and Ellen Zick shocked the small town of Zeeland, North Dakota, and remain one of the region’s most disturbing true crime cases. Episode 9, Sebastian Speaks Out, features a telephone interview with Sebastian Feist from federal prison. After years of silence, Feist discusses his time in Zeeland, the crime, and his perspective on why the Zicks were killed. This rare conversa...

The 1976 murders of Wade and Ellen Zick in Zeeland, North Dakota inspired Season 2 of Dakota Spotlight, one of the state’s most haunting true crime stories. Episode 8, Update – Love Letters & Murder Ballads, shifts focus to music as host James Wolner interviews Peter Hicks of Sleepy Driver. Peter generously allowed his music to be featured throughout the season and here shares his thoughts on song...

The 1976 murders of Wade and Ellen Zick devastated the small town of Zeeland, North Dakota, leaving behind one of the region’s most haunting true crime cases. Episode 7, Crossing the Street, examines chapters Guns and Piggy Banks, California Dreaming, No Different Than You, and Crossing the Street. These stories reveal the pressures, choices, and shifting realities faced by those connected to the...

The 1976 Zeeland murders of Wade and Ellen Zick remain one of North Dakota’s most disturbing cold cases. Episode 6, Flip a Coin, explores the events that followed with chapters including Valentine’s Day, County Jail, Strong Coffee and Nazis, Worse than Death, and David Feist. These moments reveal surprising conversations, community dynamics, and the people whose actions reshaped the investigation....

The 1976 murders of Wade and Ellen Zick remain one of North Dakota’s most haunting true crime cases. Episode 5, Caramel Rolls, continues the story with chapters Caramel Rolls, Say Something, and It’s About Time. These moments reveal the community’s uneasy conversations, shifting loyalties, and the long silence that often surrounds small town murder. Zeeland blends investigative journalism and docu...

The brutal 1976 murders of Wade and Ellen Zick in Zeeland, North Dakota left investigators and neighbors chasing every possible lead. Episode 4, Pink Slip, moves deeper into the story with chapters including Sunland, The House on Third Street, Sour Cream and Salsa, Standing Room Only, Pink Slip, and Two Brothers and a Friend. These moments reveal the shifting suspicions, whispered rumors, and grow...

On July 11, 1976, Wade and Ellen Zick were murdered in their Zeeland, North Dakota home, leaving a community devastated. Episode 3, Z is for Zick, revisits that night with chapters including Until Dawn, Z is for Zick, First Daylight, Hitchhiker, and Windows of Darkness. These accounts paint a chilling picture of fear, suspicion, and shock as neighbors and investigators confronted the brutal crime....

The 1976 murders of Wade and Ellen Zick left Zeeland, North Dakota shaken and desperate for answers. Episode 2, No Banker Tomorrow, continues the investigation with chapters including Party Line, We Think We Found Something, No Banker Tomorrow, and Ellen Thompson. These moments reveal how neighbors, police, and community members pieced together new details about what happened that night. Zeeland i...

On July 11, 1976, Wade and Ellen Zick were murdered in their home in Zeeland, North Dakota, leaving the small town reeling. Episode 1, A Deed Without a Name, begins the investigation into this shocking crime. Chapters include Sunday Morning Sidewalks, Unmade Beds, and Search Party, recounting the first clues that emerged after the murders. Through eyewitness accounts, law enforcement records, and...