Dakota Spotlight
Hosted by James Wolner and James · James Wolner | Investigative Journalist & Creator of Dakota Spotlight
4.8from 878 ratings
- 353
- Episodes
- 116
- Transcribed
- 878
- Ratings
- Daily
- Cadence
- 2019
- First episode
- 41K
- YouTube views
About Dakota Spotlight
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.
- Publisher
- James Wolner | Investigative Journalist & Creator of Dakota Spotlight
- Category
- society & culture · true crime
- Language
- en
- Explicit
- No
- First episode
- 7 Feb 2019
- Latest episode
- 8 Oct 2026
Latest episodes
116 of 353 episodes have a transcript.
8 Oct 2026TRANSCRIPT
Where We’ve Been, Where We’re Going
24 Sept 2026TRANSCRIPT
You Killed Chris Update: Linda meets with the FBI
3 Sept 2026TRANSCRIPT
Call Me Shelly (9): Follow the Red Dirt Road
Inside a recent episode
Where We’ve Been, Where We’re Going
Published 8 Oct 2026 · Transcript excerpt
[…] It was an old one from 1965 about a murder. Rapid Inn was a little farming community. A bank, numerous houses, two grocery stores, and a school. The headline read like this. Mankato youth arrested in shotgun slaying. On a late night in September of 1965, in rural Minnesota, a clean-cut 17-year-old high school student walked into a local crossroads gas station on the edge of town. Gas station in front, truck stop in the back. Kind of a lonesome place out on the highway. In his hands was a loaded shotgun. When he walked out, he had about $800 in his pocket, and the gas attendant lay dead on the floor. […]
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See plansWho has been a guest on Dakota Spotlight
Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.
- Linda Schulko
- Mari Zoerb Hansen
- Jaden Woodworth
- Tony Hulm
- Wes Julson
Reach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
- YouTube views
- 40,820
- Score snapshot 15 Sept 2025
- Apple Podcasts (US)
- 4.8 / 5
- 878 ratings
Podcast Authority Score: 91 / 100
A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.
- Quality
- 95
- Social presence
- 90
- YouTube
- 76
- Engagement
- 96
Contact Dakota Spotlight
- Guest appearances
- Books guests
Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.
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Questions about Dakota Spotlight
Who hosts Dakota Spotlight?
James Wolner and James host the show. Published by James Wolner | Investigative Journalist & Creator of Dakota Spotlight.
How often do new episodes come out?
The show publishes daily, based on its RSS feed.
Does Dakota Spotlight take guests?
Yes. Guests have been identified in episode analyses.
Where can I read transcripts?
116 of 353 episodes have a transcript on Pod Engine. Full transcripts are available with a Pod Engine plan.
Host of Dakota Spotlight?
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