Dakota Spotlight: True Crime & Cold Case Investigations

In September 1992, Tammy Haas was 19 and figuring out her next step in life. After attending a homecoming celebration in Yankton, South Dakota, she and her on-again-off-again boyfriend crossed the Missouri River to a farm party in Nebraska. By morning, Tammy was missing. Five days later, her body was discovered in a ravine near a golf course just across the state line. A broken neck. Conflicting statements. A trial that ended without conviction. More than thirty years later, silence still lingers in Yankton, and investigators believe there are people who know what happened that night. This Case Snapshot is dedicated to the memory of Tammy Haas. Produced by James Wolner. Research assistance by Mari Zoerb Hansen. Check out the full catalog and everything Dakota Spotlight: https://dakotaspotlight.com/ Get all episodes early, ad-free, and more. Subscribe to Spotlight PLUS: https://dakotaspotlight.com/spotlight-plus/ Sign up for the Dakota Spotlight newsletter: https://dakotaspotlight.com/newsletter/ Email: dakotaspotlight@gmail.com Facebook: https://facebook.com/groups/dakotaspotlight YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@dakotaspotlightpodcast4800 X/Twitter: https://x.com/DakotaSpotlight Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dakotaspotlight TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@dakotaspotlight Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/dakotaspotlight.bsky.social Proudly produced by Six Horse Media: info@sixhorsemedia.com Advertise your podcast or brand in Dakota Spotlight episodes: info@sixhorsemedia.com All content in this podcast, including audio, interviews, and soundscapes, is the property of Six Horse Media. Any unauthorized use, reproduction, or rebroadcast of this material without the express written consent of Six Horse Media is strictly prohibited. For permissions or inquiries, please contact info@sixhorsemedia.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

James sits down with Harry, the host and victim behind The Rachel Cancer Scam, before sharing Episode One of his story. What Harry once believed was a twenty-year love story slowly revealed itself to be a long-term romance scam built on lies, emotional manipulation, and carefully constructed identities. Careers were invented. A pregnancy was faked. Crises were manufactured to keep multiple men emotionally tethered at the same time. This is a true story about a love scam that was never about money, but about control, devotion, and the power of belief. How does a relationship scam last for decades, and how does the truth finally come to light? Listen to the complete story of The Rachel Cancer Scam: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-rachel-cancer-scam/id1772955263 Check out the full catalog and everything Dakota Spotlight: https://dakotaspotlight.com/ Get all episodes early, ad-free, and more. Subscribe to Spotlight PLUS: https://dakotaspotlight.com/spotlight-plus/ Sign up for the Dakota Spotlight newsletter: https://dakotaspotlight.com/newsletter/ Email: dakotaspotlight@gmail.com Facebook: https://facebook.com/groups/dakotaspotlight YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@dakotaspotlightpodcast4800 X/Twitter: https://x.com/DakotaSpotlight Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dakotaspotlight TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@dakotaspotlight Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/dakotaspotlight.bsky.social Proudly produced by Six Horse Media: info@sixhorsemedia.com Advertise your podcast or brand in Dakota Spotlight episodes: info@sixhorsemedia.com All content in this podcast, including audio, interviews, and soundscapes, is the property of Six Horse Media. Any unauthorized use, reproduction, or rebroadcast of this material without the express written consent of Six Horse Media is strictly prohibited. For permissions or inquiries, please contact info@sixhorsemedia.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This episode examines how Raymond Matzker assumed the identity of William T. Boerum and used it to secure jobs, credentials, and professional standing across multiple states. As the deception went unchecked, the stolen identity became a shield behind which far more serious crimes were committed. Through firsthand recollections and reporting, the story traces how the fraud unfolded, why it was never properly challenged, and how institutional failures allowed devastating consequences to follow. Tour the Northern California Wine County with Bill Boerum: https://californiawineservices.com/ Produced by James Wolner. Research assistance by Mari Zoerb Hansen. Check out the full catalog and everything Dakota Spotlight: https://dakotaspotlight.com/ Get all episodes early, ad-free, and more. Subscribe to Spotlight PLUS: https://dakotaspotlight.com/spotlight-plus/ Sign up for the Dakota Spotlight newsletter: https://dakotaspotlight.com/newsletter/ Email: dakotaspotlight@gmail.com Facebook: https://facebook.com/groups/dakotaspotlight X/Twitter: @dakotaspotlight Instagram: @dakotaspotlight TikTok: @dakotaspotlight Bluesky: @dakotaspotlight.bsky.social YouTube: @dakotaspotlightpodcast4800 Proudly produced by Six Horse Media: info@sixhorsemedia.com Advertise your podcast or brand in Dakota Spotlight episodes: info@sixhorsemedia.com All content in this podcast, including audio, interviews, and soundscapes, is the property of Six Horse Media. Any unauthorized use, reproduction, or rebroadcast of this material without the express written consent of Six Horse Media is strictly prohibited. For permissions or inquiries, please contact info@sixhorsemedia.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This episode presents the complete police interview of Edward Royal Reitan, recorded following his arrest for the 1990 murder of Robin Enockson in Driscoll, North Dakota. The interrogation is presented in full, allowing listeners to hear Reitan’s own words as investigators question him about the crime, his actions, and his shifting explanations. Related episode: Ten Years from Killing - The Murder of Robin Enockson: https://dakotaspotlight.com/dakota-spotlight-standalone-stories/ Music heard in this episode by Ike Turner: https://michiganindienetwork.bandcamp.com/track/a-ghost-bike Produced by James Wolner. Research assistance by Mari Zoerb Hansen. Check out the full catalog and everything Dakota Spotlight: https://dakotaspotlight.com/ Get all episodes early, ad-free, and more. Subscribe to Spotlight PLUS: https://dakotaspotlight.com/spotlight-plus/ Sign up for the Dakota Spotlight newsletter: https://dakotaspotlight.com/newsletter/ Email: dakotaspotlight@gmail.com Facebook: https://facebook.com/groups/dakotaspotlight X/Twitter: @dakotaspotlight Instagram: @dakotaspotlight TikTok: @dakotaspotlight Bluesky: @dakotaspotlight.bsky.social YouTube: @dakotaspotlightpodcast4800 Proudly produced by Six Horse Media: info@sixhorsemedia.com Advertise your podcast or brand in Dakota Spotlight episodes: info@sixhorsemedia.com All content in this podcast, including audio, interviews, and soundscapes, is the property of Six Horse Media. Any unauthorized use, reproduction, or rebroadcast of this material without the express written consent of Six Horse Media is strictly prohibited. For permissions or inquiries, please contact info@sixhorsemedia.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I’m joined by returning guest Peter Hicks, whose music with Sleepy Driver was heard in Season Two of Dakota Spotlight—but this time to talk about his debut novel Roughing It, written under the pen name Andi Ellis. We discuss his shift from songwriting to fiction, the inspiration behind the book, and he reads an excerpt from the story. "Roughing It", available on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Roughing-Andi-Ellis-ebook/dp/B0FT4J9PW2 "Unicorn Blues", available on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Unicorn-Blues-Andi-Ellis-ebook/dp/B0G6Q43RXY Check out the full catalog and everything Dakota Spotlight: https://dakotaspotlight.com/ Get all episodes early, ad-free, and more. Subscribe to Spotlight PLUS: https://dakotaspotlight.com/spotlight-plus/ Sign up for the Dakota Spotlight newsletter: https://dakotaspotlight.com/newsletter/ Email: dakotaspotlight@gmail.com Facebook: https://facebook.com/groups/dakotaspotlight X/Twitter: @dakotaspotlight Instagram: @dakotaspotlight TikTok: @dakotaspotlight Bluesky: @dakotaspotlight.bsky.social YouTube: @dakotaspotlightpodcast4800 Proudly produced by Six Horse Media: info@sixhorsemedia.com Advertise your podcast or brand in Dakota Spotlight episodes: info@sixhorsemedia.com All content in this podcast, including audio, interviews, and soundscapes, is the property of Six Horse Media. Any unauthorized use, reproduction, or rebroadcast of this material without the express written consent of Six Horse Media is strictly prohibited. For permissions or inquiries, please contact info@sixhorsemedia.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This Case Snapshot examines the 1990 murder of Robin Enockson in rural North Dakota. Beginning with an escape from a state hospital a decade earlier, the episode lays out the crime, the investigation, and how the case was ultimately resolved years later after a confession. Archival news audio courtesy of the State Historical Society of North Dakota. Produced by James Wolner. Research assistance by Mari Zoerb Hansen. Check out the full catalog and everything Dakota Spotlight: https://dakotaspotlight.com/ Get all episodes early, ad-free, and more. Subscribe to Spotlight PLUS: https://dakotaspotlight.com/spotlight-plus/ Sign up for the Dakota Spotlight newsletter: https://dakotaspotlight.com/newsletter/ Email: dakotaspotlight@gmail.com Facebook: https://facebook.com/groups/dakotaspotlight X/Twitter: @dakotaspotlight Instagram: @dakotaspotlight TikTok: @dakotaspotlight Bluesky: @dakotaspotlight.bsky.social YouTube: @dakotaspotlightpodcast4800 Proudly produced by Six Horse Media: info@sixhorsemedia.com Advertise your podcast or brand in Dakota Spotlight episodes: info@sixhorsemedia.com All content in this podcast, including audio, interviews, and soundscapes, is the property of Six Horse Media. Any unauthorized use, reproduction, or rebroadcast of this material without the express written consent of Six Horse Media is strictly prohibited. For permissions or inquiries, please contact info@sixhorsemedia.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Forty years after 22-year-old Kelly Jean Robinson was found floating in a gravel pit pond in rural Minnesota, her case had gone cold — until DNA tests taken by an adopted man revealed that Kelly was his biological mother, and she had been murdered. In this episode, Dakota Spotlight is excited to share this story from our longtime friend Trisha Taurinskas. Her investigative reporting is meticulous, insightful, and deeply respectful of the families she covers. Working with Kelly’s family, Trisha uncovered never-before-released information: new suspects, details from her autopsy, and new critical facts from an autopsy. To see images of Kelly, visit: https://www.inforum.com/people/kelly-robinson Check out the full catalog and everything Dakota Spotlight: https://dakotaspotlight.com/ Get all episodes early, ad-free, and more. Subscribe to Spotlight PLUS: https://dakotaspotlight.com/spotlight-plus/ Sign up for the Dakota Spotlight newsletter: https://dakotaspotlight.com/newsletter/ Email: dakotaspotlight@gmail.com Facebook: https://facebook.com/groups/dakotaspotlight X/Twitter: @dakotaspotlight Instagram: @dakotaspotlight TikTok: @dakotaspotlight Bluesky: @dakotaspotlight.bsky.social YouTube: @dakotaspotlightpodcast4800 Proudly produced by Six Horse Media: info@sixhorsemedia.com Advertise your podcast or brand in Dakota Spotlight episodes: info@sixhorsemedia.com All content in this podcast, including audio, interviews, and soundscapes, is the property of Six Horse Media. Any unauthorized use, reproduction, or rebroadcast of this material without the express written consent of Six Horse Media is strictly prohibited. For permissions or inquiries, please contact info@sixhorsemedia.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

James shares a Christmas message with Dakota Spotlight listeners. A moment to pause, say thank you, and reflect before the year comes to a close, with appreciation for everyone who listens, supports the show, and makes this work possible. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In the season’s final chapter, Dakota Spotlight returns to Rapidan, Minnesota—to the classmates, friends, and families still living in the shadow of Ray Dahms’s murder. Host James Wolner traces the final years of Brian Lee Hendrickson, from later crimes and manipulation to his eventual downfall. This episode also brings together two people whose lives he forever changed—Mark Hendrickson, the killer’s brother, and Michelle, one of his victims—for a conversation decades in the making. From courtrooms and archives to quiet Minnesota cemeteries, this conclusion reflects on truth, forgiveness, and the slow turning of justice. A Dakota Spotlight true crime podcast rooted in investigative journalism, it’s a story about accountability, empathy, and how truth, though buried, endures. Meanwhile in Mankato was written, researched, edited, and produced by James Wolner. Additional research assistance by Mari Zoerb Hansen. Check out the full catalog and everything Dakota Spotlight: https://dakotaspotlight.com/ Get all episodes early, ad-free, and more. Subscribe to Spotlight PLUS: https://dakotaspotlight.com/spotlight-plus/ Sign up for the Dakota Spotlight newsletter: https://dakotaspotlight.com/newsletter/ Email: dakotaspotlight@gmail.com Facebook: https://facebook.com/groups/dakotaspotlight X/Twitter: @dakotaspotlight Instagram: @dakotaspotlight TikTok: @dakotaspotlight Bluesky: @dakotaspotlight.bsky.social YouTube: @dakotaspotlightpodcast4800 Proudly produced by Six Horse Media: info@sixhorsemedia.com Advertise your podcast or brand in Dakota Spotlight episodes: info@sixhorsemedia.com All content in this podcast, including audio, interviews, and soundscapes, is the property of Six Horse Media. Any unauthorized use, reproduction, or rebroadcast of this material without the express written consent of Six Horse Media is strictly prohibited. For permissions or inquiries, please contact info@sixhorsemedia.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

By the early 1980s, Brian Lee Hendrickson was still working at the Minnesota Home School in Sauk Centre, supervising teenage girls. When one of them—Michelle—spoke up, she was dismissed as unstable and her accusation brushed aside. Hendrickson walked free again. In this episode, Michelle tells her story, while Hendrickson’s brothers and Michelle’s husband reflect on how this could have happened. Dakota Spotlight revisits a Minnesota courtroom case where no one seemed to realize that the man on trial had already been convicted of murder years earlier. Through careful investigative journalism, this true crime podcast examines how blind faith in rehabilitation allowed history to repeat itself—and how one survivor’s courage brings long-overdue clarity to a broken justice system. Meanwhile in Mankato was written, researched, edited, and produced by James Wolner. Additional research assistance by Mari Zoerb Hansen. Check out the full catalog and everything Dakota Spotlight: https://dakotaspotlight.com/ Get all episodes early, ad-free, and more. Subscribe to Spotlight PLUS: https://dakotaspotlight.com/spotlight-plus/ Sign up for the Dakota Spotlight newsletter: https://dakotaspotlight.com/newsletter/ Email: dakotaspotlight@gmail.com Facebook: https://facebook.com/groups/dakotaspotlight X/Twitter: @dakotaspotlight Instagram: @dakotaspotlight TikTok: @dakotaspotlight Bluesky: @dakotaspotlight.bsky.social YouTube: @dakotaspotlightpodcast4800 Proudly produced by Six Horse Media: info@sixhorsemedia.com Advertise your podcast or brand in Dakota Spotlight episodes: info@sixhorsemedia.com All content in this podcast, including audio, interviews, and soundscapes, is the property of Six Horse Media. Any unauthorized use, reproduction, or rebroadcast of this material without the express written consent of Six Horse Media is strictly prohibited. For permissions or inquiries, please contact info@sixhorsemedia.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This episode looks inside Minnesota’s prison and parole system during the years when Brian Lee Hendrickson was behind bars—and how shifting attitudes toward rehabilitation vs punishment helped lead to his early release. We hear from Brian’s brothers, Mark and Gary, about the shock of seeing him walk free after just five years for murder, and how he soon ended up working for the State of Minnesota at the Minnesota Home School in Sauk Centre. Through interviews, records, and careful investigative journalism, Dakota Spotlight examines the Minnesota parole experiment that failed to protect the vulnerable and reveals how the optimism of reform collided with the realities of crime and manipulation. A Dakota Spotlight true crime podcast that uncovers how one man’s early release exposed deep flaws within Minnesota’s corrections system—and how the consequences still echo decades later. Meanwhile in Mankato was written, researched, edited, and produced by James Wolner. Additional research assistance by Mari Zoerb Hansen. Check out the full catalog and everything Dakota Spotlight: https://dakotaspotlight.com/ Get all episodes early, ad-free, and more. Subscribe to Spotlight PLUS: https://dakotaspotlight.com/spotlight-plus/ Sign up for the Dakota Spotlight newsletter: https://dakotaspotlight.com/newsletter/ Email: dakotaspotlight@gmail.com Facebook: https://facebook.com/groups/dakotaspotlight X/Twitter: @dakotaspotlight Instagram: @dakotaspotlight TikTok: @dakotaspotlight Bluesky: @dakotaspotlight.bsky.social YouTube: @dakotaspotlightpodcast4800 Proudly produced by Six Horse Media: info@sixhorsemedia.com Advertise your podcast or brand in Dakota Spotlight episodes: info@sixhorsemedia.com All content in this podcast, including audio, interviews, and soundscapes, is the property of Six Horse Media. Any unauthorized use, reproduction, or rebroadcast of this material without the express written consent of Six Horse Media is strictly prohibited. For permissions or inquiries, please contact info@sixhorsemedia.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The second half concludes the You Killed Chris story — newly abridged and remastered. Through interviews, archives, and reflection, I revisit Linda’s decades-long effort to confront the man she believes murdered her college friend — and how her determination kept the story alive through five decades of silence and disbelief. Check out the music of MVLL CRIMES: https://mvllcrimes.bandcamp.com/ Two Good Books about Christine Rothschild: Murder on the 56th Day: Linda Schulko. Get the Kindle version of Linda’s great book. Linda donates all proceeds to charity. Get Linda’s book on Amazon⁠ https://amzn.to/4cX0DEe⁠ Cold: The Unsolved Murders of Seven Young Women: Kevin Damask. Get Kevin’s book on Amazon⁠ https://amzn.to/43YFy8l Additional research by Mari Zoerb Hansen Check out the full catalog and everything Dakota Spotlight: https://dakotaspotlight.com/ Get all episodes early, ad-free, and more. Subscribe to Spotlight PLUS: https://dakotaspotlight.com/spotlight-plus/ Sign up for the Dakota Spotlight newsletter: https://dakotaspotlight.com/newsletter/ Email: dakotaspotlight@gmail.com Facebook: https://facebook.com/groups/dakotaspotlight X/Twitter: @dakotaspotlight Instagram: @dakotaspotlight TikTok: @dakotaspotlight Bluesky: @dakotaspotlight.bsky.social YouTube: @dakotaspotlightpodcast4800 Proudly produced by Six Horse Media: info@sixhorsemedia.com Advertise your podcast or brand in Dakota Spotlight episodes: info@sixhorsemedia.com All content in this podcast, including audio, interviews, and soundscapes, is the property of Six Horse Media. Any unauthorized use, reproduction, or rebroadcast of this material without the express written consent of Six Horse Media is strictly prohibited. For permissions or inquiries, please contact info@sixhorsemedia.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A newly abridged and remastered two-part version of You Killed Chris: A Friend’s Fight for Justice. In 1968, 18-year-old Christine Rothschild was found murdered outside Sterling Hall on the University of Wisconsin–Madison campus. This first part takes us back to the turmoil of the 1960s and into Christine’s world — and to her friend Linda, who refused to let her story be forgotten. Two Good Books about Christine Rothschild: Murder on the 56th Day: Linda Schulko. Get the Kindle version of Linda’s great book. Linda donates all proceeds to charity. Get Linda’s book on Amazon⁠ https://amzn.to/4cX0DEe⁠ Cold: The Unsolved Murders of Seven Young Women: Kevin Damask. Get Kevin’s book on Amazon⁠ https://amzn.to/43YFy8l Additional research by Mari Zoerb Hansen Check out the full catalog and everything Dakota Spotlight: https://dakotaspotlight.com/ Get all episodes early, ad-free, and more. Subscribe to Spotlight PLUS: https://dakotaspotlight.com/spotlight-plus/ Sign up for the Dakota Spotlight newsletter: https://dakotaspotlight.com/newsletter/ Email: dakotaspotlight@gmail.com Facebook: https://facebook.com/groups/dakotaspotlight X/Twitter: @dakotaspotlight Instagram: @dakotaspotlight TikTok: @dakotaspotlight Bluesky: @dakotaspotlight.bsky.social YouTube: @dakotaspotlightpodcast4800 Proudly produced by Six Horse Media: info@sixhorsemedia.com Advertise your podcast or brand in Dakota Spotlight episodes: info@sixhorsemedia.com All content in this podcast, including audio, interviews, and soundscapes, is the property of Six Horse Media. Any unauthorized use, reproduction, or rebroadcast of this material without the express written consent of Six Horse Media is strictly prohibited. For permissions or inquiries, please contact info@sixhorsemedia.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Episode 3 follows Brian Lee Hendrickson’s case through late 1965 and 1966, as court procedures, psychiatric evaluations, and a Minnesota trial unfold under the state’s Youth Conservation Commission. At the same time, a new Supreme Court ruling on Miranda rights reshapes the very laws surrounding confession and sentencing. We meet Hendrickson’s brothers, Mark and Gary, whose memories of that era reveal a family story caught between denial and discovery, and we open a parallel thread on Michelle’s early life — the beginnings of a second tragedy yet to come. Through careful investigative journalism, Dakota Spotlight continues this true crime podcast journey through Minnesota’s justice system, where one decision inside a courtroom still echoes six decades later. Meanwhile in Mankato was written, researched, edited, and produced by James Wolner. Additional research assistance by Mari Zoerb Hansen. Check out the full catalog and everything Dakota Spotlight: https://dakotaspotlight.com/ Get all episodes early, ad-free, and more. Subscribe to Spotlight PLUS: https://dakotaspotlight.com/spotlight-plus/ Sign up for the Dakota Spotlight newsletter: https://dakotaspotlight.com/newsletter/ Email: dakotaspotlight@gmail.com Facebook: https://facebook.com/groups/dakotaspotlight X/Twitter: @dakotaspotlight Instagram: @dakotaspotlight TikTok: @dakotaspotlight Bluesky: @dakotaspotlight.bsky.social YouTube: @dakotaspotlightpodcast4800 Proudly produced by Six Horse Media: info@sixhorsemedia.com Advertise your podcast or brand in Dakota Spotlight episodes: info@sixhorsemedia.com All content in this podcast, including audio, interviews, and soundscapes, is the property of Six Horse Media. Any unauthorized use, reproduction, or rebroadcast of this material without the express written consent of Six Horse Media is strictly prohibited. For permissions or inquiries, please contact info@sixhorsemedia.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In the aftermath of Ray Dahms’s killing, Blue Earth County investigators launch a Minnesota murder investigation that soon points to a local teenager, Brian Lee Hendrickson. When they finally bring him in for questioning, Hendrickson shocks officers with a murder confession that seems to close the case almost as quickly as it began with the justice system. Episode 2 of Meanwhile in Mankato revisits those first tense hours of the Mankato Gas Station Murder and the community’s mourning for Ray Dahms, whose death left Rapidan searching for answers. Through careful investigative journalism, Dakota Spotlight explores how a small-town murder rippled across Minnesota, shaping perceptions of truth and accountability. A Dakota Spotlight true crime podcast where every answer reveals another question—and where justice proves far more elusive than anyone imagined. Meanwhile in Mankato was written, researched, edited, and produced by James Wolner. Additional research assistance by Mari Zoerb Hansen. Check out the full catalog and everything Dakota Spotlight: https://dakotaspotlight.com/ Get all episodes early, ad-free, and more. Subscribe to Spotlight PLUS: https://dakotaspotlight.com/spotlight-plus/ Sign up for the Dakota Spotlight newsletter: https://dakotaspotlight.com/newsletter/ Email: dakotaspotlight@gmail.com Facebook: https://facebook.com/groups/dakotaspotlight X/Twitter: @dakotaspotlight Instagram: @dakotaspotlight TikTok: @dakotaspotlight Bluesky: @dakotaspotlight.bsky.social YouTube: @dakotaspotlightpodcast4800 Proudly produced by Six Horse Media: info@sixhorsemedia.com Advertise your podcast or brand in Dakota Spotlight episodes: info@sixhorsemedia.com All content in this podcast, including audio, interviews, and soundscapes, is the property of Six Horse Media. Any unauthorized use, reproduction, or rebroadcast of this material without the express written consent of Six Horse Media is strictly prohibited. For permissions or inquiries, please contact info@sixhorsemedia.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In 1965, seventeen-year-old Brian Hendrickson committed a small-town murder when he walked into a gas station outside Mankato, Minnesota, and shot clerk Ray Dahms twice at close range. Sentenced to forty years, he served just over five.The case would later be remembered as the Mankato Gas Station Murder. In this opening episode of Dakota Spotlight’s twelfth season, host James Wolner takes us back to 1965 and the small town of Rapidan, Minnesota. We meet the classmates and friends of Ray Dahms, shot down at the age of 18 in this Minnesota murder case — people who have never forgotten him. The episode traces Ray’s final hours on September 25, 1965, and introduces us to seventeen-year-old Brian Lee Hendrickson, whose own path that night would lead to tragedy at Rothfork Truckstop in Blue Earth County, Minnesota. Dakota Spotlight is a true crime podcast dedicated to investigative journalism, revisiting cold cases and small-town murders across the Midwest. Learn more about the Mankato Gas Station Murder at DakotaSpotlight.com. Meanwhile in Mankato was written, researched, edited, and produced by James Wolner. Additional research assistance by Mari Zoerb Hansen. Check out the full catalog and everything Dakota Spotlight: https://dakotaspotlight.com/ Get all episodes early, ad-free, and more. Subscribe to Spotlight PLUS: https://dakotaspotlight.com/spotlight-plus/ Sign up for the Dakota Spotlight newsletter: https://dakotaspotlight.com/newsletter/ Email: dakotaspotlight@gmail.com Facebook: https://facebook.com/groups/dakotaspotlight X/Twitter: @dakotaspotlight Instagram: @dakotaspotlight TikTok: @dakotaspotlight Bluesky: @dakotaspotlight.bsky.social YouTube: @dakotaspotlightpodcast4800 Proudly produced by Six Horse Media: info@sixhorsemedia.com Advertise your podcast or brand in Dakota Spotlight episodes: info@sixhorsemedia.com All content in this podcast, including audio, interviews, and soundscapes, is the property of Six Horse Media. Any unauthorized use, reproduction, or rebroadcast of this material without the express written consent of Six Horse Media is strictly prohibited. For permissions or inquiries, please contact info@sixhorsemedia.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On October 27, 2007, Joel Lovelien stepped outside the Broken Drum Bar in Grand Forks, North Dakota, during a night filled with costumes, celebration, and heavy drinking. Moments later, he was found in the parking lot, gravely injured. Despite a rapid emergency response, Joel did not survive. For this Halloween throwback, Dakota Spotlight revisits the first episode of Unresolved: The Murder of Joel Lovelien — a true story that began with a party bus, a crowd in costume, and a tragedy that left behind more questions than answers. Through interviews, trial evidence, and police reports, journalist James Wolner reexamines one of North Dakota’s most haunting unsolved cases — and the night that changed a community forever. Check out the full catalog and everything Dakota Spotlight: https://dakotaspotlight.com/ Get all episodes early, ad-free, and more. Subscribe to Spotlight PLUS: https://dakotaspotlight.com/spotlight-plus/ Sign up for the Dakota Spotlight newsletter: https://dakotaspotlight.com/newsletter/ Email: dakotaspotlight@gmail.com Facebook: https://facebook.com/groups/dakotaspotlight X/Twitter: @dakotaspotlight Instagram: @dakotaspotlight TikTok: @dakotaspotlight Bluesky: @dakotaspotlight.bsky.social YouTube: @dakotaspotlightpodcast4800 Proudly produced by Six Horse Media: info@sixhorsemedia.com Advertise your podcast or brand in Dakota Spotlight episodes: info@sixhorsemedia.com All content in this podcast, including audio, interviews, and soundscapes, is the property of Six Horse Media. Any unauthorized use, reproduction, or rebroadcast of this material without the express written consent of Six Horse Media is strictly prohibited. For permissions or inquiries, please contact info@sixhorsemedia.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Announcing Season 12 Meanwhile in Mankato: Lies, Silence & Murder in Minnesota arrives this November. Episode 1 premieres for all listeners on Thursday, November 6. Spotlight PLUS subscribers can hear — and binge — the entire season ad-free that same day. Learn more at https://dakotaspotlight.com/meanwhile-in-mankato-true-crime-podcast/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Episode 6, Escape to the Movies, brings forward Misty Jones — remembered as the girl with the little red car — in a 2020 interview. Misty recalls her early path into a party lifestyle, her personal struggles since 1998, and her account of the night Barbara and Gordon Erickstad were killed. She also discusses figures like Rick Storhaug and Ryan Werner. This North Dakota true crime story adds a human voice to one of the state’s most disturbing small town murder cases. Welcome to Nobody Should Believe Me listeners, and for Dakota Spotlight listeners who haven’t yet heard Andrea Dunlop’s show, you can check it out here: https://open.spotify.com/show/0tU5rLsNkx7LeI2GhLlQ4X/ Check out the full catalog and everything Dakota Spotlight: https://dakotaspotlight.com/ Get all episodes early, ad-free, and more. Subscribe to Spotlight PLUS: https://dakotaspotlight.com/spotlight-plus/ Sign up for the Dakota Spotlight newsletter: https://dakotaspotlight.com/newsletter/ Email: dakotaspotlight@gmail.com Facebook: https://facebook.com/groups/dakotaspotlight X/Twitter: @dakotaspotlight Instagram: @dakotaspotlight TikTok: @dakotaspotlight Bluesky: @dakotaspotlight.bsky.social YouTube: @dakotaspotlightpodcast4800 Proudly produced by Six Horse Media: info@sixhorsemedia.com Advertise your podcast or brand in Dakota Spotlight episodes: info@sixhorsemedia.com All content in this podcast, including audio, interviews, and soundscapes, is the property of Six Horse Media. Any unauthorized use, reproduction, or rebroadcast of this material without the express written consent of Six Horse Media is strictly prohibited. For permissions or inquiries, please contact info@sixhorsemedia.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The arrest of Brian Erickstad and Robert Lawrence confirmed their role in Barbara and Gordon Erickstad’s murders, but the aftermath shocked the community. Episode 5, A Sick Salute, reveals how the East Sweet crew rallied disturbingly behind the killers — with salutes, letters, and public disrespect for the victims’ families. Former detectives Bob Haas and Lloyd Halvorson reflect on what the case meant and whether unanswered questions remain. This episode captures the unsettling loyalty at the center of a North Dakota true crime tragedy. Welcome to Nobody Should Believe Me listeners, and for Dakota Spotlight listeners who haven’t yet heard Andrea Dunlop’s show, you can check it out here: https://open.spotify.com/show/0tU5rLsNkx7LeI2GhLlQ4X/ Check out the full catalog and everything Dakota Spotlight: https://dakotaspotlight.com/ Get all episodes early, ad-free, and more. Subscribe to Spotlight PLUS: https://dakotaspotlight.com/spotlight-plus/ Sign up for the Dakota Spotlight newsletter: https://dakotaspotlight.com/newsletter/ Email: dakotaspotlight@gmail.com Facebook: https://facebook.com/groups/dakotaspotlight X/Twitter: @dakotaspotlight Instagram: @dakotaspotlight TikTok: @dakotaspotlight Bluesky: @dakotaspotlight.bsky.social YouTube: @dakotaspotlightpodcast4800 Proudly produced by Six Horse Media: info@sixhorsemedia.com Advertise your podcast or brand in Dakota Spotlight episodes: info@sixhorsemedia.com All content in this podcast, including audio, interviews, and soundscapes, is the property of Six Horse Media. Any unauthorized use, reproduction, or rebroadcast of this material without the express written consent of Six Horse Media is strictly prohibited. For permissions or inquiries, please contact info@sixhorsemedia.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices