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Dakota Spotlight: True Crime & Cold Case Investigations

James Wolner | Investigative Journalist & Creator of Dakota Spotlight
  • 4.8 (862)
  • TRUE CRIME
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

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.

  1. Unresolved, The Murder of Joel Lovelien (7): 15 Years Later

    10H AGO

    Unresolved, The Murder of Joel Lovelien (7): 15 Years Later

    Years pass, and the case remains. In this final episode, we hear from people still connected to that night, to the investigation, and to what followed. They reflect on what has changed, what has not, and the question that still lingers at the center of it all, who killed Joel Lovelien. Music by HandTurner and Wowza in Kalamazoo. If you have information about Joel Lovelien’s murder, you can submit a tip through the tip411 app, or contact the Grand Forks Police Department at 701-787-8000. This episode is part of a rebroadcast of Season 8, Unresolved: The Murder of Joel Lovelien, originally released in 2023. Explore the full catalog: https://DakotaSpotlight.com Listen early and ad-free with Spotlight PLUS: https://dakotaspotlight.com/spotlight-plus Support the show on Patreon: https://patreon.com/cw/DakotaSpotlight Sign up for the Dakota Spotlight newsletter: https://dakotaspotlight.com/newsletter Have information about a case or want to get in touch? Email: dakotaspotlight@gmail.com Join the Dakota Spotlight community on Facebook: https://facebook.com/groups/dakotaspotlight Watch Dakota Spotlight on YouTube: https://youtube.com/@dakotaspotlightpodcast4800 To advertise on Dakota Spotlight, contact info@sixhorsemedia.com Dakota Spotlight is produced by Six Horse Media: info@sixhorsemedia.com All content in this podcast, including audio, interviews, and sound design, is the property of Six Horse Media. Unauthorized use or reproduction is prohibited. For permissions, contact info@sixhorsemedia.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    43 min
  2. You Might Also Like: Crimes of the Times

    10H AGO ·  BONUS

    You Might Also Like: Crimes of the Times

    Introducing The Dahlia Zodiac Connection: Part One from Crimes of the Times. Follow the show: Crimes of the Times The identity of the Zodiac Killer has remained a mystery for decades, but new developments may finally point to an answer. At the center is the infamous Z13 cipher, a 13-character code sent to the San Francisco Chronicle that has long defied experts. Self-taught codebreaker Alex Baber used artificial intelligence and exhaustive analysis to narrow millions of possibilities down to a single name. As his theory gained traction, former detectives and intelligence experts began testing its credibility. The result is a provocative possibility: the name hidden in the cipher may also belong to the man behind another infamous California murder — the Black Dahlia. DISCLAIMER: Please note, this is an independent podcast episode not affiliated with, endorsed by, or produced in conjunction with the host podcast feed or any of its media entities. The views and opinions expressed in this episode are solely those of the creators and guests. For any concerns, please reach out to team@podroll.fm.

  3. Unresolved, The Murder of Joel Lovelien (6): Travis on Trial

    11H AGO

    Unresolved, The Murder of Joel Lovelien (6): Travis on Trial

    Inside the courtroom, the story is told again, through testimony, through argument, through the structure of a trial. And when it is all over, the jury returns a verdict, not guilty. A moment that resolves one question, and leaves others behind. Music by HandTurner and Wowza in Kalamazoo. If you have information about Joel Lovelien’s murder, you can submit a tip through the tip411 app, or contact the Grand Forks Police Department at 701-787-8000. This episode is part of a rebroadcast of Season 8, Unresolved: The Murder of Joel Lovelien, originally released in 2023. Explore the full catalog: https://DakotaSpotlight.com Listen early and ad-free with Spotlight PLUS: https://dakotaspotlight.com/spotlight-plus Support the show on Patreon: https://patreon.com/cw/DakotaSpotlight Sign up for the Dakota Spotlight newsletter: https://dakotaspotlight.com/newsletter Have information about a case or want to get in touch? Email: dakotaspotlight@gmail.com Join the Dakota Spotlight community on Facebook: https://facebook.com/groups/dakotaspotlight Watch Dakota Spotlight on YouTube: https://youtube.com/@dakotaspotlightpodcast4800 To advertise on Dakota Spotlight, contact info@sixhorsemedia.com Dakota Spotlight is produced by Six Horse Media: info@sixhorsemedia.com All content in this podcast, including audio, interviews, and sound design, is the property of Six Horse Media. Unauthorized use or reproduction is prohibited. For permissions, contact info@sixhorsemedia.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    40 min
  4. Unresolved, The Murder of Joel Lovelien (5): The Evidence Against Travis Stay

    APR 2

    Unresolved, The Murder of Joel Lovelien (5): The Evidence Against Travis Stay

    Here, we look at the case as it was built. What investigators believed, what prosecutors brought forward, the evidence piece by piece. And the questions that come with it, not just what it shows, but what it cannot fully explain. Music by HandTurner and Wowza in Kalamazoo. If you have information about Joel Lovelien’s murder, you can submit a tip through the tip411 app, or contact the Grand Forks Police Department at 701-787-8000. This episode is part of a rebroadcast of Season 8, Unresolved: The Murder of Joel Lovelien, originally released in 2023. Explore the full catalog: https://DakotaSpotlight.com Listen early and ad-free with Spotlight PLUS: https://dakotaspotlight.com/spotlight-plus Support the show on Patreon: https://patreon.com/cw/DakotaSpotlight Sign up for the Dakota Spotlight newsletter: https://dakotaspotlight.com/newsletter Have information about a case or want to get in touch? Email: dakotaspotlight@gmail.com Join the Dakota Spotlight community on Facebook: https://facebook.com/groups/dakotaspotlight Watch Dakota Spotlight on YouTube: https://youtube.com/@dakotaspotlightpodcast4800 To advertise on Dakota Spotlight, contact info@sixhorsemedia.com Dakota Spotlight is produced by Six Horse Media: info@sixhorsemedia.com All content in this podcast, including audio, interviews, and sound design, is the property of Six Horse Media. Unauthorized use or reproduction is prohibited. For permissions, contact info@sixhorsemedia.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    30 min
  5. Unresolved, The Murder of Joel Lovelien (4): A Portrait of Joel

    APR 2

    Unresolved, The Murder of Joel Lovelien (4): A Portrait of Joel

    Before all of this, there was Joel. In this episode, we step away from the investigation and spend time with the people who knew him. The stories are simple, but they stay with you, offering a picture of who he was and a quiet reminder of what was lost. Music by HandTurner and Wowza in Kalamazoo. If you have information about Joel Lovelien’s murder, you can submit a tip through the tip411 app, or contact the Grand Forks Police Department at 701-787-8000. This episode is part of a rebroadcast of Season 8, Unresolved: The Murder of Joel Lovelien, originally released in 2023. Explore the full catalog: https://DakotaSpotlight.com Listen early and ad-free with Spotlight PLUS: https://dakotaspotlight.com/spotlight-plus Support the show on Patreon: https://patreon.com/cw/DakotaSpotlight Sign up for the Dakota Spotlight newsletter: https://dakotaspotlight.com/newsletter Have information about a case or want to get in touch? Email: dakotaspotlight@gmail.com Join the Dakota Spotlight community on Facebook: https://facebook.com/groups/dakotaspotlight Watch Dakota Spotlight on YouTube: https://youtube.com/@dakotaspotlightpodcast4800 To advertise on Dakota Spotlight, contact info@sixhorsemedia.com Dakota Spotlight is produced by Six Horse Media: info@sixhorsemedia.com All content in this podcast, including audio, interviews, and sound design, is the property of Six Horse Media. Unauthorized use or reproduction is prohibited. For permissions, contact info@sixhorsemedia.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    32 min
  6. Unresolved, The Murder of Joel Lovelien (3): Travis Stay, the Man in Yellow

    MAR 26

    Unresolved, The Murder of Joel Lovelien (3): Travis Stay, the Man in Yellow

    Now the focus turns to Travis Stay, who was there that night, moving through the same space and crossing paths with the same people. As investigators begin to build a timeline, his name comes into sharper view. It leads from those early questions toward something more defined, and eventually, toward arrest. Music by HandTurner and Wowza in Kalamazoo. If you have information about Joel Lovelien’s murder, you can submit a tip through the tip411 app, or contact the Grand Forks Police Department at 701-787-8000. This episode is part of a rebroadcast of Season 8, Unresolved: The Murder of Joel Lovelien, originally released in 2023. Explore the full catalog: https://DakotaSpotlight.com Listen early and ad-free with Spotlight PLUS: https://dakotaspotlight.com/spotlight-plus Support the show on Patreon: https://patreon.com/cw/DakotaSpotlight Sign up for the Dakota Spotlight newsletter: https://dakotaspotlight.com/newsletter Have information about a case or want to get in touch? Email: dakotaspotlight@gmail.com Join the Dakota Spotlight community on Facebook: https://facebook.com/groups/dakotaspotlight Watch Dakota Spotlight on YouTube: https://youtube.com/@dakotaspotlightpodcast4800 To advertise on Dakota Spotlight, contact info@sixhorsemedia.com Dakota Spotlight is produced by Six Horse Media: info@sixhorsemedia.com All content in this podcast, including audio, interviews, and sound design, is the property of Six Horse Media. Unauthorized use or reproduction is prohibited. For permissions, contact info@sixhorsemedia.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    38 min
  7. Unresolved, The Murder of Joel Lovelien (2): The Clown, the Cowboy, and the Hunter

    MAR 26

    Unresolved, The Murder of Joel Lovelien (2): The Clown, the Cowboy, and the Hunter

    In the hours after Joel is found, the story begins to shift and scatter. Witnesses recall different things, a clown, a cowboy, a hunter, a lion, people arriving and leaving, a party bus pulling in and out. Detectives are left to sort through fragments of a night that feels crowded, blurred, and just out of reach. Music by HandTurner and Wowza in Kalamazoo. If you have information about Joel Lovelien’s murder, you can submit a tip through the tip411 app, or contact the Grand Forks Police Department at 701-787-8000. This episode is part of a rebroadcast of Season 8, Unresolved: The Murder of Joel Lovelien, originally released in 2023. Explore the full catalog: https://DakotaSpotlight.com Listen early and ad-free with Spotlight PLUS: https://dakotaspotlight.com/spotlight-plus Support the show on Patreon: https://patreon.com/cw/DakotaSpotlight Sign up for the Dakota Spotlight newsletter: https://dakotaspotlight.com/newsletter Have information about a case or want to get in touch? Email: dakotaspotlight@gmail.com Join the Dakota Spotlight community on Facebook: https://facebook.com/groups/dakotaspotlight Watch Dakota Spotlight on YouTube: https://youtube.com/@dakotaspotlightpodcast4800 To advertise on Dakota Spotlight, contact info@sixhorsemedia.com Dakota Spotlight is produced by Six Horse Media: info@sixhorsemedia.com All content in this podcast, including audio, interviews, and sound design, is the property of Six Horse Media. Unauthorized use or reproduction is prohibited. For permissions, contact info@sixhorsemedia.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    47 min
  8. Unresolved, The Murder of Joel Lovelien (1): Halloween at The Broken Drum (2026 Case Update)

    MAR 26

    Unresolved, The Murder of Joel Lovelien (1): Halloween at The Broken Drum (2026 Case Update)

    We begin with a 2026 interview with Sergeant Suby of the Grand Forks Police Department, sharing where the Joel Lovelien case stands today. Then we return to the original 2023 episode, and back to October 27, 2007, a crowded Halloween night at the Broken Drum Bar. Costumes, noise, people coming and going. Outside, in the parking lot, something happens. Joel is found unconscious and badly injured, and by the end of the night, he is gone. Music by HandTurner and Wowza in Kalamazoo. If you have information about Joel Lovelien’s murder, you can submit a tip through the tip411 app, or contact the Grand Forks Police Department at 701-787-8000. This episode is part of a rebroadcast of Season 8, Unresolved: The Murder of Joel Lovelien, originally released in 2023. Explore the full catalog at https://DakotaSpotlight.com Listen early and ad-free with Spotlight PLUS: https://dakotaspotlight.com/spotlight-plus Support the show on Patreon: https://patreon.com/cw/DakotaSpotlight Sign up for the Dakota Spotlight newsletter: https://dakotaspotlight.com/newsletter Have information about a case or want to get in touch? Email: dakotaspotlight@gmail.com Join the Dakota Spotlight community on Facebook: https://facebook.com/groups/dakotaspotlight Watch Dakota Spotlight on YouTube: https://youtube.com/@dakotaspotlightpodcast4800 To advertise on Dakota Spotlight, contact info@sixhorsemedia.com Dakota Spotlight is produced by Six Horse Media: info@sixhorsemedia.com All content in this podcast, including audio, interviews, and sound design, is the property of Six Horse Media. Unauthorized use or reproduction is prohibited. For permissions, contact info@sixhorsemedia.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    1h 11m
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4.8
out of 5
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About

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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