Dakota Spotlight

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.com Facebook: https://facebook.com/groups/dakotaspotlight

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.com Facebook: https://facebook.com/groups/dakotaspotlight

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.com Facebook: https://facebook.com/groups/dakotaspotlight

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.com Facebook: https://facebook.com/groups/dakotaspotlight

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.com Facebook: https://facebook.com/groups/dakotaspotlight

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.com Facebook: https://facebook.com/groups/dakotaspotlight

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.com Facebook: https://facebook.com/groups/dakotaspotlight

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.com Facebook: https://facebook.com/groups/dakotaspotlight

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.com Facebook: https://facebook.com/groups/dakotaspotlight

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

I'm still between Dakota Spotlight seasons, so today I am rebroadcasting for you one of my earliest pieces of audio work - an episode of a show I created to basically learn how to podcast in the first place - before Dakota Spotlight even existed. In fact, what follows was only the 5th podcast episode I ever put together – back when I was still figuring out how to work a microphone. This is not a true-crime story, and if you are an avid fan of Dakota Spotlight, you may have heard this once before between seasons one and two. But I'm gonna share it again now with a couple of updates. Why? Well, let me tell you. This story just feels relevant in a way and a much needed reminder in 2023. It's something I believe we can all relate to and be inspired by – and despite all the podcast content I've created since then, this story remains one of my favorites. It's a story about something we all have within us, something we have all felt at times, something you may have been considering as recently as this morning, as you lay in bed studying the ceiling above you. It's about remaining true to ourselves and our pursuit of our personal dreams in life – not the things others want us to achieve or accomplish, not what others believe we are capable of (or what they tell us we are incapable of) but rather those dreams and aspirations you feel burning deep down in your marrow or in your heart; the things we want to achieve or accomplish or maybe just what we want to stand for as a human being. In this case it's an inspiring story about how one determined 17-year-old farm kid made up his mind to defy the odds in 1976 and 1977. He set a goal that many assumed was unattainable. But, his irresistible humble spirit won over the initial naysayers and then rallied an army of followers – first his friends, then his tiny community on the prairie and finally the whole state of North Dakota. His name was Don Allard and in 1976 and 1977, he was a senior at the smallest high school in the state of North Dakota, Epping High with just 23 students. 23 farm-kids that nobody had ever heard of, in a town with no paved streets. And what was his goal? Don Allard was a basketball player, and somehow, this young man first envisioned and then set into motion the act leading his team, the Epping Eagles, to the finals of the coveted Class B State Basketball Tournament in 1977. In the end – in the final game of that tournament – Don Allard and his Epping Eagles lost to the largest high school in the state. But, with a similar spirit of Rocky Balboa, the hero of that year's best-picture at the Oscars, the Epping Eagles, with their mild-mannered and hard-working pursuit won the hearts of people everywhere. The legend of this Cinderella team and of their run at the state title remains perhaps the most memorable game in all of North Dakota's highschool sports history. It was a different time. It was a time before shot clocks and three point lines. It was before schools started consolidating teams across two or more schools to build bigger and better squads. It's safe to say, something exactly like this won't happen again in North Dakota. Don Allard had passed away in 2015 at age of 56 – before I recorded the following story. Interviews with Bob Allard Al and Linda Allard Clyde Vinger Mike Vinger Dale Keever Jay Bingeman Tommy Breivik Coach Larry Overbo. More info on the 1977 Epping Eagles at Informum.com email - James at jwolner@forumcomm.com Facebook: facebook.com/groups/dakotaspotlight

It's summer 2023. Finally! Dakota Spotlight is in between seasons and in research mode. Meanwhile here is a story by Trisha Taurinskas at The Vault. Check out The Vault podcast email - James at jwolner@forumcomm.com Facebook: facebook.com/groups/dakotaspotlight

Episode 7 - 15 Years Later. In this, the last scheduled episode of season 8: An interview with Travis Stay's defense attorney Peter Wold. Also we meet Heather (Holter) Keena. She was on the party bus that night and later married Jon 'The Clown.' Also, Sgt Suby at the Grand Forks PD who talks about the current status of the case. Do you have information or tips about the murder of Joel Lovelien? Use the tip411 app (you may remain anonymous) or call the non-emergency number at Grand Forks Police Department: (701) 787-8000 If there are new developments in this story, Dakota Spotlight will be back with updates. To read and see more about the Season, visit inforum.com/unresolved or grandforksherald.com/unresolved Check out The Vault podcast email - James at jwolner@forumcomm.com Facebook: facebook.com/groups/dakotaspotlight Some music by HandTurner and Wowza in Kalamazoo

Episode 6 - Travis on Trial. In this week's episode we dive deep into the 2008 trial of Travis Stay. Travis Stay was found not guilty after14 days of testimony. In this episode we meet Archie Ingersoll who reported on the trial. We also hear from the lead prosecutor, Nancy Yon. TRUST WEEK: Forum Communications, the producer of this fine podcast, has been publishing and supporting local news across the Midwest for over 100 years… and they have named this week – Trust Week! It’s a week highlighting all that goes into covering local news to ensure we keep your trust. Local news is one of the best ways to stay connected to your community, so during Trust Week, you can get 50 percent off a new annual subscription to the Grand Forks Herald. Just visit grandforksherald.news/halfoff to get 50% off local news from local reporters. Episode 6 of Unresolved-The Murder of Joel Lovelien. To read and see more about the Season, visit inforum.com/unresolved or grandforksherald.com/unresolved Check out The Vault podcast email - jwolner@forumcomm.com Facebook: facebook.com/groups/dakotaspotlight Some music by HandTurner and Wowza in Kalamazoo

Episode 5. The Evidence Against Travis Stay. In this week's episode we interview the prosecutors and detectives who investigated Joel's murder and ask "What was the evidence against Travis Stay exactly?" Travis Stay was arrested for the crime but later acquitted in court a year later. Episode 5 of Unresolved-The Murder of Joel Lovelien. To read and see more about the Season, visit inforum.com/unresolved or grandforksherald.com/unresolved Check out The Vault podcast email - jwolner@forumcomm.com Facebook: facebook.com/groups/dakotaspotlight Some music by HandTurner and Wowza in Kalamazoo

Episode 4. Remembering Joel Lovelien. In this week's episode we step back from the investigation for a moment and focus on the most important person in this story: Joel Lovelien. Joel's friends and family share their fond memories of the generous and goofy man who consistently brought a smile to those who knew him. Episode 4 of Unresolved-The Murder of Joel Lovelien. To read and see more about the Season, visit inforum.com/unresolved or grandforksherald.com/unresolved Check out The Vault podcast email - jwolner@forumcomm.com Facebook: facebook.com/groups/dakotaspotlight Some music by HandTurner and Wowza in Kalamazoo

Hey Everyone, I'm working hard on the next episode of Season 8, Unresolved, the murder of Joel Lovelien. Meanwhile, here is part 3 of my colleauge Trisha Taurinska's investigation into the death of Refugio Rodriguez in Montevideo, Minnesota. https://www.inforum.com/news/the-vault/national-expert-weighs-in-on-refugio-rodriguezs-death-investigation-as-new-image-of-body-surfaces Episode 4 of Dakota Spotlight Season 8 will be out on Wed. March 22, 2023 email me at jwolner@forumcomm.com

Episode 3. Travis Stay, the Man in Yellow. In this episode we track the movements and actions of Travis Stay and his friends. What was going on with him and his friends that weekend just before Halloween? Stay was found not guilty for the murder of Lovelien in December 2008. Episode 3 of Unresolved-The Murder of Joel Lovelien. To read and see more about the Season, visit inforum.com/unresolved or grandforksherald.com/unresolved Check out The Vault podcast email - jwolner@forumcomm.com Facebook: facebook.com/groups/dakotaspotlight Intro and outro music by HandTurner and Wowza in Kalamazoo

This is not a full episode, but rather just a quick little update and request for some assistance. Also a quick chat with Wowza in Kalamazoo. Today is March 13th, 2023 and episode 3 of Season 8 will be out in two days–that's season 8, Unresolved the Murder of Joel Lovelien. Which brings me to my request. I'm looking for any of you who were friends with Joel Lovelien, maybe you worked with him at Altru hospital or maybe you went to school with him. I'd like to gather a few more memories of him for the podcast. If you can help me learn more about Joel Lovelien, who he was, what he was like, please send me an email at jwolner@forumcomm.com I'd really appreciate it. Also, don't miss Wowza in Kalamazoo are going to be playing live in Bismarck, on Saturday, May 13th. You've heard their music a lot on this podcast, including the theme songs for season 5 about missing Barbara Cotton and season 7 about missing Michele Julson. I'm going to be there to see Wowza play live at The Laughing Sun Brewery in Bismarck on Saturday May 13th. Songs in this episode: Crown Shy and Magdelena.

In this second episode: The Clown, The Cowboy and the Hunter--We walk through the first hours of the investigation and unpack the many reasons things got off to a confusing start. Episode 2 of Unresolved-The Murder of Joel Lovelien. To read and see more about the Season, visit inforum.com/unresolved or grandforksherald.com/unresolved Check out The Vault podcast email - jwolner@forumcomm.com Facebook: facebook.com/groups/dakotaspotlight Intro and outro music by HandTurner and Wowza in Kalamazoo