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Dakota Spotlight Podcast

Dakota Spotlight, by James Wolner, is a nationally recognized deep-dive True Crime podcast. It is the first podcast to be preserved by the North Dakota State Archives. Visit the Dakota Spotlight page to go deeper on the stories in this podcast.

  • Season 9: The Mandan Murders
  • Season 8: Unresolved: The Murder of Joel Lovelien
  • Season 7: Call Me Shelly, The Mysterious Disappearance of Michelle Julson.
  • Season 6: Vanishing Act, the Untold Story of Kristin Diede and Bob Anderson.
  • Season 5: A Better Search for Barbara Cotton.
  • Season 4: Chasing Billy.
  • Season 3: The House on Sweet and Seventh.
  • Season 2: Zeeland, the untold story of Wade and Ellen Zick.
  • Season 1: The case of Victor Newberry.
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Latest Episodes
The Mandan Murders (EP9)
Wed Nov 29 05:00:00 EST 2023
In this episode, Chad Isaak's mother and two of his sisters break their silence after four and a half years. Who was Chad? As a child? As a grown man? What warning signs did they see? Also in this episode, what do Chad Isaak's actions at RJR say about who his intended target was? And, a sheriff deputy shares two encounters with Isaak leading up to the murders.

In Season 9 of the Dakota Spotlight true crime investigative podcast, host James Wolner will re-examine this recent case. His exploration is a personal one: He was working in Mandan at the time of the murders and joined the first police press conference, his first step into true-crime podcasting journalism. Follow along as Wolner re-examines the morning of the murders, the hunt for the killer, his arrest and trial. He’ll seek to better understand the case and the killer’s motive, and remember the lives of those slain. 

To read and see more about the Season, visit https://www.inforum.com/mandanmurders

Support Dakota Spotlight by becoming a subscriber at https://inforum.com/subscribe

Check out more true crime at The Vault - https://www.inforum.com/podcasts/the-vault

email - jwolner@forumcomm.comFacebook: https://facebook.com/groups/dakotaspotlight 

The Mandan Murders (EP8) - Thanksgiving update
Wed Nov 22 08:28:00 EST 2023
A preview of what's still to come in The Mandan Murders and a Thanksgiving greeting from host James Wolner.

For a limited time, you can get 50 percent off an annual news subscription at https://inforum.news/50

To read and see more about Season 9, The Mandan Murders visit https://www.inforum.com/mandanmurders

Check out more true crime at The Vault - https://www.inforum.com/topics/dakota-spotlight

email - jwolner@forumcomm.comFacebook: https://facebook.com/groups/dakotaspotlight 

The Mandan Murders (EP7)
Wed Nov 15 04:55:00 EST 2023
In this episode, a closer look at two of the four killed at RJR, Adam Fuehrer and Robert Fakler. Interviews with Adam's wife, sister, brother-in-law and stepmom.  Also, Robert Fakler's wife and daughter share their memories of him. 

In Season 9 of the Dakota Spotlight true crime investigative podcast, host James Wolner will re-examine this recent case. His exploration is a personal one: He was working in Mandan at the time of the murders and joined the first police press conference, his first step into true-crime podcasting journalism. Follow along as Wolner re-examines the morning of the murders, the hunt for the killer, his arrest and trial. He’ll seek to better understand the case and the killer’s motive, and remember the lives of those slain. 

To read and see more about the Season, visit https://www.inforum.com/mandanmurders

Support Dakota Spotlight by becoming a subscriber at https://inforum.com/subscribe

Check out more true crime at The Vault - https://www.inforum.com/podcasts/the-vault

email - jwolner@forumcomm.comFacebook: https://facebook.com/groups/dakotaspotlight 

The Mandan Murders (EP6)
Wed Nov 08 06:04:00 EST 2023
In this episode, who were Bill and Lois Cobb? Friends and loved-ones of the Cobbs share their memories of Bill and Lois; we learn about their childhoods, their personalities, interests and more.

Bill and Lois' daughters also share the challenges they have had in dealing with the murders and offer advice for others who may have to go through something similar. 

To see video of Bill Cobb's Elvis Presley show visit https://www.inforum.com/mandanmurders

In Season 9 of the Dakota Spotlight true crime investigative podcast, host James Wolner will re-examine this recent case. His exploration is a personal one: He was working in Mandan at the time of the murders and joined the first police press conference, his first step into true-crime podcasting journalism. Follow along as Wolner re-examines the morning of the murders, the hunt for the killer, his arrest and trial. He’ll seek to better understand the case and the killer’s motive, and remember the lives of those slain. 

To read and see more about the Season, visit https://www.inforum.com/mandanmurders

Support Dakota Spotlight by becoming a subscriber at https://inforum.com/subscribe

Check out more true crime at The Vault - https://www.inforum.com/podcasts/the-vault

email - jwolner@forumcomm.comFacebook: https://facebook.com/groups/dakotaspotlight 

The Mandan Murders (EP5)
Wed Nov 01 06:00:00 EDT 2023
This week we take a bit of a departure from the usual style of Dakota Spotlight as we listen in on  the audio from the entire first interview and interrogation that Special Agent Joe Arens conducted with Chad Isaak. Also some comments by witnesses on some odd behavior Chad Isaak demonstrated at the time.

In Season 9 of the Dakota Spotlight true crime investigative podcast, host James Wolner will re-examine this recent case. His exploration is a personal one: He was working in Mandan at the time of the murders and joined the first police press conference, his first step into true-crime podcasting journalism. Follow along as Wolner re-examines the morning of the murders, the hunt for the killer, his arrest and trial. He’ll seek to better understand the case and the killer’s motive, and remember the lives of those slain. 

To read and see more about the Season, visit https://www.inforum.com/mandanmurders

Support Dakota Spotlight by becoming a subscriber at https://inforum.com/subscribe

Check out more true crime at The Vault - https://www.inforum.com/podcasts/the-vault

email - jwolner@forumcomm.comFacebook: https://facebook.com/groups/dakotaspotlight 

The Mandan Murders (EP4)
Wed Oct 25 06:00:00 EDT 2023
Two days after the murders BCI and Mandan PD had zero suspects. But they had a lead. The vehicle. The mysterious man in orange drove a white Ford F-150 pickup and the cops caught a good image of it from a security camera in Center, North Dakota. They circulated the photo to all law enforcement and waited for someone to recognize it. That someone turned out to be detective Justin Krohmer. He looked at the photo and thought, 'That looks a lot like my chiropractor's vehicle.'

In Season 9 of the Dakota Spotlight true crime investigative podcast, host James Wolner will re-examine this recent case. His exploration is a personal one: He was working in Mandan at the time of the murders and joined the first police press conference, his first step into true-crime podcasting journalism. Follow along as Wolner re-examines the morning of the murders, the hunt for the killer, his arrest and trial. He’ll seek to better understand the case and the killer’s motive, and remember the lives of those slain. 

To read and see more about the Season, visit https://www.inforum.com/mandanmurders

Support Dakota Spotlight by becoming a subscriber at https://inforum.com/subscribe

Check out more true crime at The Vault - https://www.inforum.com/podcasts/the-vault

email - jwolner@forumcomm.comFacebook: https://facebook.com/groups/dakotaspotlight 

The Mandan Murders (EP3)
Wed Oct 18 06:00:00 EDT 2023
Season 9, episode 3:  In some ways it was elementary and simple. The way to catch the mysterious masked man in orange who killed four employees at RJR was to track him, to follow his trail. Not with a bloodhound but with video. Survellience video. In this episode law enforcement investigators recap how they painstakingly gathered video from local businesses to track the man in orange. That is until the trail went suddenly cold. Also in this episode, a little bit about Adam Fuehrer, one of the victims at RJR.

To read and see more about the Season, visit https://www.inforum.com/mandanmurders

Support Dakota Spotlight by becoming a subscriber at https://inforum.com/subscribe

Check out more true crime at The Vault - https://www.inforum.com/podcasts/the-vault

email - jwolner@forumcomm.comFacebook: https://facebook.com/groups/dakotaspotlight 

The Mandan Murders (EP2)
Wed Oct 11 06:00:00 EDT 2023
Episode 2 of Season 9: In the second episode of The Mandan Murders, host James Wolner returns to the morning of the murders with a minute-by-minute look at Bockheim's discovery, a 911 call and the ensuing discovery of four murder victims.

As he traces a terrible day, Wolner also interviews many of those involved in responding to the quadruple murder at RJR, including paramedics and law enforcement. He also speaks with family of those killed, as they tell what happened on that fateful day.

In this series, follow along as Wolner re-examines the morning of the murders, the hunt for the killer, his arrest and trial. He’ll seek to better understand the case and the killer’s motive, and remember the lives of those slain. 

To read and see more about the Season, visit https://www.inforum.com/mandanmurders

Support Dakota Spotlight by becoming a subscriber at https://inforum.com/subscribe

Check out more true crime at The Vault - https://www.inforum.com/podcasts/the-vault

email - jwolner@forumcomm.comFacebook: https://facebook.com/groups/dakotaspotlight 

The Mandan Murders (EP1)
Wed Oct 04 06:00:00 EDT 2023
Episode 1 of Season 9: It was a crime that would shock the prairie. And that April morning the news quickly traveled across town: Four people had been found dead at a local business, RJR Maintenance and Management.

The four killed were Robert Fakler, a co-owner of the business, and three employees: Adam Fuehrer, and married couple William Cobb and Lois Cobb.

In this first episode, host James Wolner recalls the morning of the murders in Mandan when he worked at a nearby business. He shares his memories of joining the first police press conference, his first step into true-crime podcasting journalism.

In this series, follow along as Wolner re-examines the morning of the murders, the hunt for the killer, his arrest and trial. He’ll seek to better understand the case and the killer’s motive, and remember the lives of those slain. 

To read and see more about the season, visit https://www.inforum.com/mandanmurders

Support Dakota Spotlight by becoming a subscriber at https://inforum.com/subscribe

Check out more true crime at The Vault - https://www.inforum.com/podcasts/the-vault

email - jwolner@forumcomm.comFacebook: https://facebook.com/groups/dakotaspotlight 

Announcing Season 9 - Starting October 4
Wed Sep 20 19:38:00 EDT 2023
A short announcement and teaser about season 9 starting October 4, 2023.

Homepage - https://inforum.com/dakotaspotlight

Check out The Vault - https://inforum.com/news/the-vault

Email - jwolner@forumcomm.com Facebook - facebook.com/groups/dakotaspotlight