James interviews Tony Hulm, former bartender at the Burnt Creek Club, and revisits questions about Shelly’s final days, the Comfort Inn, the railroad workers, and other leads still left to examine.

Inspired by Dakota Spotlight Season 7, Call Me Shelly is now a documentary film. Watch the official trailer, see upcoming screenings, and purchase tickets at https://callmeshellyfilm.com

Call Me Shelly is written and produced by James Wolner.

Archival audio courtesy of the State Historical Society of North Dakota.

Music by Wowza in Kalamazoo.

Explore the full Dakota Spotlight 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: [email protected]

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 [email protected]

Dakota Spotlight is produced by Six Horse Media: [email protected]

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 [email protected]

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

James sits down with Shelly's parents, Wes and Linda Julson, and retired Bismarck Police Officer Rob Carvell, who responded to the original missing persons call in 1994 and later volunteered to re-examine the case in 2016.

Inspired by Dakota Spotlight Season 7, Call Me Shelly is now a documentary film. Watch the official trailer, see upcoming screenings, and purchase tickets at https://callmeshellyfilm.com

Call Me Shelly is written and produced by James Wolner.

Archival audio courtesy of the State Historical Society of North Dakota.

Music by Wowza in Kalamazoo.

Explore the full Dakota Spotlight 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: [email protected]

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 [email protected]

Dakota Spotlight is produced by Six Horse Media: [email protected]

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 [email protected]

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

James speaks with one of Shelly’s friends, retired investigator Bill Connor, and one of the railroad workers mentioned in the cold case file. He also goes looking for Jennie, the former Burnt Creek Club barmaid Shelly suspected may have been harassing her.

Inspired by Dakota Spotlight Season 7, Call Me Shelly is now a documentary film. Watch the official trailer, see upcoming screenings, and purchase tickets at https://callmeshellyfilm.com

Call Me Shelly is written and produced by James Wolner.

Archival audio courtesy of the State Historical Society of North Dakota.

Music by Wowza in Kalamazoo.

Explore the full Dakota Spotlight 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: [email protected]

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 [email protected]

Dakota Spotlight is produced by Six Horse Media: [email protected]

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 [email protected]

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

James follows the early investigation into Shelly’s final known days, including Tony Hulm’s statements, the babysitter’s account, the two railroad workers, Rick Snell, and the missing records in Shelly’s case file.

Inspired by Dakota Spotlight Season 7, Call Me Shelly is now a documentary film. Watch the official trailer, see upcoming screenings, and purchase tickets at https://callmeshellyfilm.com

Call Me Shelly is written and produced by James Wolner.

Archival audio courtesy of the State Historical Society of North Dakota.

Music by Wowza in Kalamazoo.

Explore the full Dakota Spotlight 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: [email protected]

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 [email protected]

Dakota Spotlight is produced by Six Horse Media: [email protected]

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 [email protected]

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As investigators continue looking for Shelly, they interview friends and co-workers, follow reports of harassment, search for her Ford Thunderbird, and begin tracing the people who may have seen her before she disappeared.

Inspired by Dakota Spotlight Season 7, Call Me Shelly is now a documentary film. Watch the official trailer, see upcoming screenings, and purchase tickets at https://callmeshellyfilm.com

Call Me Shelly is written and produced by James Wolner.

Archival audio courtesy of the State Historical Society of North Dakota.

Music by Wowza in Kalamazoo.

Explore the full Dakota Spotlight 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: [email protected]

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 [email protected]

Dakota Spotlight is produced by Six Horse Media: [email protected]

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 [email protected]

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In August 1994, 26-year-old Michele "Shelly" Julson drops off her three-year-old son with his grandfather, planning to return a few hours later. She never does. As family, friends, and police begin searching, troubling details emerge about the days leading up to her disappearance, including reports that Shelly believed she was being harassed. Inspired by Dakota Spotlight Season 7, Call Me Shelly is now a documentary film.

Inspired by Dakota Spotlight Season 7, Call Me Shelly is now a documentary film. Watch the official trailer, see upcoming screenings, and purchase tickets at https://callmeshellyfilm.com

Call Me Shelly is written and produced by James Wolner.

Archival audio courtesy of the State Historical Society of North Dakota.

Music by Wowza in Kalamazoo.

Explore the full Dakota Spotlight 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: [email protected]

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 [email protected]

Dakota Spotlight is produced by Six Horse Media: [email protected]

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 [email protected]

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Leah Sottile joins Dakota Spotlight for a conversation about investigative journalism, the ethics of true crime storytelling, and the challenges of reporting on unresolved cases in overlooked rural communities. Leah discusses the making of Hush Season 2, the line between mystery and journalism, and the emotional weight of reporting on the 2019 death of Sarah Zuber in rural Oregon.

Following the interview, hear the first episode of Hush Season 2. In March 2019, 18-year-old Sarah Zuber was found dead just 400 feet from her family’s home in the wooded hills above Rainier, Oregon. Six years later, her family still has no clear answers. What begins as a tragic and confusing death soon spirals into a story filled with unanswered questions, community rumors, disputed forensic conclusions, and a family’s relentless search for the truth.

Listen to Hush: https://www.opb.org/show/hush/

More from Leah Sottile and Ryan Haas at The Western Edge on Substack: https://substack.com/@thewesternedge1

Explore the full Dakota Spotlight 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: [email protected]

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 [email protected]

Dakota Spotlight is produced by Six Horse Media: [email protected]

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 [email protected]

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After the release of The Bagpiper and His Brother, listeners who knew Harold Pieper began reaching out. In this update episode, Harold's stepdaughters and granddaughter share memories that reveal a devoted husband, caretaker, and grandfather. Their stories offer a fuller picture of the man whose life was forever changed by the 1971 bombing.

Binge the full season of The Bagpiper and His Brother ad-free with Spotlight PLUS. Sign up on the Dakota Spotlight show page in Apple Podcasts or Spotify, on Patreon, or at https://DakotaSpotlight.com/spotlight-plus

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: [email protected]

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 [email protected]

Dakota Spotlight is produced by Six Horse Media: [email protected]

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 [email protected]

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Journalist and podcast creator Josh Dean joins Dakota Spotlight to discuss scams, deception, and the craft of narrative podcasting. Josh talks about the rise of fraud stories, producing investigative audio on a weekly schedule, and his upcoming book on the legendary Lockheed Skunk Works.

Following the interview, hear an episode of Chameleon Weekly titled “The de Kooning Job: Teachers Turned Thieves,” the strange true story of a retired couple linked to the theft of a priceless Willem de Kooning painting that vanished from an Arizona museum in 1985, only to resurface decades later hanging behind a bedroom door in rural New Mexico.

Listen to Chameleon Weekly: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/chameleon/id1532225667

Crimeless is another stellar podcast by Josh: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/crimeless/id1844700671

Josh’s new book “The Impossible Factory” is available on Amazon: https://a.co/d/0bJ7XR8a

Explore the full Dakota Spotlight 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: [email protected]

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 [email protected]

Dakota Spotlight is produced by Six Horse Media: [email protected]

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 [email protected]

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In September 1972, in Edina, Lloyd Brenna appears to have put the bombing behind him, until federal agents return with a new case. This time, it’s tax fraud, built around a fabricated identity and a scheme that begins to unravel in court. Faced with the evidence, Lloyd doesn’t back down. Instead, he offers explanations so strange, so confident, that they seem to defy common sense. As Lloyd faces sentencing, Wallace Brenna serves time for his role in the bombing, and Harold Pieper, still recovering from his injuries, turns to the civil courts in search of accountability. 

A special thanks to Mike Wald and Derrik Dyka for their contributions to this episode. Looking for hockey pickup games, leagues, tournaments, and clinics? https://HockeyFinder.com

The Bagpiper and His Brother is written and produced by James Wolner, with additional research assistance by Mari Zoerb Hanson.

Archival audio sourced from the Library of Congress, identified as public domain.

Binge the full season of The Bagpiper and His Brother ad-free with Spotlight PLUS. Sign up on the Dakota Spotlight show page in Apple Podcasts or Spotify, on Patreon, or at https://DakotaSpotlight.com/spotlight-plus

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

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Watch Dakota Spotlight on YouTube: https://youtube.com/@dakotaspotlightpodcast4800

To advertise on Dakota Spotlight, contact [email protected]

Dakota Spotlight is produced by Six Horse Media: [email protected]

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 [email protected]

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On a quiet night in 1971, in Huron, South Dakota Harold Pieper is asked to pick up a small case at the airport. Minutes later, it explodes. The investigation turns to Genevieve Johnson and her connection to Wallace Brenna, setting off a chain of events driven by jealousy and obsession. With Lloyd Brenna pulled in, the brothers become the focus of a bombing case that leads to a nationwide search, an arrest, and a trial that seems all but certain. But when the verdict comes down, it leaves more questions than answers, and the consequences are far from over.

The Bagpiper and His Brother is written and produced by James Wolner, with additional research assistance by Mari Zoerb Hanson.

Archival audio sourced from the Library of Congress, identified as public domain.

Binge the full season of The Bagpiper and His Brother ad-free with Spotlight PLUS. Sign up on the Dakota Spotlight show page in Apple Podcasts or Spotify, on Patreon, or at https://DakotaSpotlight.com/spotlight-plus

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: [email protected]

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 [email protected]

Dakota Spotlight is produced by Six Horse Media: [email protected]

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 [email protected]

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices