A Better Search for Barbara

Podcast by Dakota Spotlight | True Crime Podcast by James Wolner

English

True crime & mysteries

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About A Better Search for Barbara

On April 11, 1981, fifteen-year-old Barbara Louise Cotton disappeared while walking home in Williston, North Dakota. She had just finished dinner and set out into the evening for what should have been a short, familiar walk. She never arrived. In the years that followed, her case was often dismissed as a runaway, leaving her family with few answers and a story that never fully settled. In A Better Search for Barbara, journalist James Wolner returns to one of North Dakota’s longest-running cold cases. What began as a short series grew into a far deeper investigation, stretching across decades and state lines. Through interviews, records, and newly uncovered testimony, the story unfolds piece by piece, following a search that has never truly ended.

All episodes

22 episodes

A Better Search for Barbara (22): Case Update 2024 - New Testimony

More than forty years after Barbara Cotton disappeared, new testimony continues to shape the investigation. The search moves forward, one piece at a time. And it is not over yet. Connect with Lisa Jo and the #FindBarbCotton Movement: Email: findbarbcotton@gmail.com Website: https://findbarbcotton.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/findbarbcotton/ Instagram: @findbarbcotton TikTok: @findbarbcotton Bluesky: ‪@findbarbcotton.bsky.social‬ Music by Wowza in Kalamazoo: https://wowzainkalamazoo.bandcamp.com/ A Better Search for Barbara is a Dakota Spotlight investigation, part of the documentary style true crime podcast created by investigative journalist James Wolner. Support Dakota Spotlight Get episodes early and ad free with Spotlight PLUS https://dakotaspotlight.com/spotlight-plus Explore more Dakota Spotlight investigations https://dakotaspotlight.com Contact: dakotaspotlight@gmail.com Dakota Spotlight is produced by Six Horse Media. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

18 Mar 2026 - 46 min

A Better Search for Barbara (21): But, I Saw Barb Cotton! - Alleged Sighting

A witness recalls seeing Barbara Cotton after she was believed gone. The account is quiet, but difficult to ignore. It raises new questions about what may have happened after she vanished from Williston. Music by Wowza in Kalamazoo: https://wowzainkalamazoo.bandcamp.com/ A Better Search for Barbara is a Dakota Spotlight investigation, part of the documentary style true crime podcast created by investigative journalist James Wolner. Support Dakota Spotlight Get episodes early and ad free with Spotlight PLUS https://dakotaspotlight.com/spotlight-plus Explore more Dakota Spotlight investigations https://dakotaspotlight.com Contact: dakotaspotlight@gmail.com Dakota Spotlight is produced by Six Horse Media. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

18 Mar 2026 - 24 min

A Better Search for Barbara (20): Lost Suicide Note - Stacey Werder Death

The circumstances surrounding Stacey Werder’s death are revisited, including questions about a reported suicide note. The story remains unsettled. And the questions remain. Music by Wowza in Kalamazoo: https://wowzainkalamazoo.bandcamp.com/ A Better Search for Barbara is a Dakota Spotlight investigation, part of the documentary style true crime podcast created by investigative journalist James Wolner. Support Dakota Spotlight Get episodes early and ad free with Spotlight PLUS https://dakotaspotlight.com/spotlight-plus Explore more Dakota Spotlight investigations https://dakotaspotlight.com Contact: dakotaspotlight@gmail.com Dakota Spotlight is produced by Six Horse Media. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

18 Mar 2026 - 45 min

A Better Search for Barbara (19): Red Sullivan Speaks Out - Exclusive Interview

Red Sullivan speaks publicly about what he remembers from the time Barbara Cotton disappeared. His account adds another piece to the story. And another perspective to consider. Music by Wowza in Kalamazoo: https://wowzainkalamazoo.bandcamp.com/ A Better Search for Barbara is a Dakota Spotlight investigation, part of the documentary style true crime podcast created by investigative journalist James Wolner. Support Dakota Spotlight Get episodes early and ad free with Spotlight PLUS https://dakotaspotlight.com/spotlight-plus Explore more Dakota Spotlight investigations https://dakotaspotlight.com Contact: dakotaspotlight@gmail.com Dakota Spotlight is produced by Six Horse Media. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

18 Mar 2026 - 1 h 36 min

A Better Search for Barbara (18): The Inquest - Stacey Werder Hearing

The investigation revisits the inquest into Stacey Werder. Testimony and records begin to add new weight to the story. What emerges raises questions that have never fully settled. Music by Wowza in Kalamazoo: https://wowzainkalamazoo.bandcamp.com/ A Better Search for Barbara is a Dakota Spotlight investigation, part of the documentary style true crime podcast created by investigative journalist James Wolner. Support Dakota Spotlight Get episodes early and ad free with Spotlight PLUS https://dakotaspotlight.com/spotlight-plus Explore more Dakota Spotlight investigations https://dakotaspotlight.com Contact: dakotaspotlight@gmail.com Dakota Spotlight is produced by Six Horse Media. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

18 Mar 2026 - 1 h 8 min

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