Introducing: Dakota Spotlight - A Better Search for Barbara Episode 1

Summary

The Burden: Introducing Dakota Spotlight – A Better Search for Barbara (Episode 1)

Podcast: The Burden
Host: Orbit Media
Cross-promotion: Dakota Spotlight, hosted by James Woolner
Release Date: June 14, 2025

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Overview

This special crossover episode of The Burden features the first installment of Dakota Spotlight: A Better Search for Barbara. Host James Woolner investigates the cold case disappearance of 15-year-old Barbara Cotton, who vanished in 1981 from Williston, North Dakota. Through immersive narration and interviews with those who knew Barbara, the episode paints a portrait of life in a small town and the unanswered questions that have haunted her friends and family for more than four decades. Central themes include the persistence of memory, unresolved grief, and the shortcomings of law enforcement in missing persons cases.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Setting the Scene: Williston, 1981

• Historical Backdrop: April 1981, a period marked by Reagan’s recovery from an assassination attempt and the countdown to the first space shuttle launch, but in Williston, life was routine.
  • [03:28] “A few moments ago in Washington, US President Ronald Reagan is released from the hospital ... And in the state of Florida over at Cape Canaveral, NASA gives the green light for the first ever launch of space shuttle Columbia…” – James Woolner
• Town Life: Residents engaged in typical spring activities—changing out snow tires, spring cleaning, and listening to the Minnesota Twins on the radio.

2. Teenage Life & The Last Night

• Popular Hangouts: Wheel Awhile roller skating rink served as a central social spot for teens.
  • [06:42] “It was just a hangout where we’d all get together, you know, something to do on the weekends, especially in the cold, you know, winter months and stuff.” – Sandy Evanson
• Routine vs. Anxiety: Sandy Evanson recounts the routine of pickup and drop off, noting her unease walking alone at night.
  • [09:07] “I’m scared. I’m like some parts I can remember running, you know, not because of the cold, but because I’m scared it’s dark and where are the weirdos and things like that?” – Sandy Evanson

3. The Disappearance of Barbara Cotton

• Timeline: After spending the evening with friends, Barbara was last seen walking towards home after a meal reportedly with her boyfriend and her mother.
• Immediate Aftermath: Her absence is discovered when her mother, Louise Cotton, calls Sandy looking for Barbara late at night.
  • [09:46] “I remember thinking, though, this probably isn’t a good phone call. Nobody calls at that time of night, you know, for something good. And I pick it up and it (squeezes)…” – Sandy Evanson
• No Evidence of Runaway: Barbara left all her personal belongings, including her glasses, savings, and a paycheck.
  • [13:04] “You’re going to run away with more money. Close. I want to say over $3,000. Close to $4,000 in her savings account.” – Sandy Evanson
• Official Response: The authorities’ initial assumption was that she ran away, resulting in delayed investigation and missed opportunities.

4. The Investigation: Gaps and Confusion

• Lack of Police Follow-up: Neither Sandy nor Barbara’s siblings were interviewed by police.
  • [13:04] "So are you telling me that law enforcement never interviewed you back then?" – James Woolner
    "Never." – Sandy Evanson
  • [30:58] “I don’t want to badmouth the police, but in some ways I do… I don’t remember them asking any questions. And that’s just the part where she was always chocked up to be a runaway.” – Sandy Evanson
• Neighborhood Canvassing: Some residents (not police) knocked on doors and searched the park for signs of Barbara, to no avail.

5. Contradictory Accounts: The Last Dinner and the Mysterious Boyfriend

• Discrepancy Over Dinner: Reports conflict on whether Barbara’s mother was present at dinner with Barbara and her boyfriend the night she disappeared.
  • [35:41] “If the police have other information, meaning according to them, the third person was not Barbara’s mother, then wouldn’t you think that after the article came out... they would reach out to the reporter with a correction...?” – James Woolner
• Family Left in the Dark: Siblings Kent and Kathy Cotton were unaware their mother might have been at the dinner.
  • [37:21] “Yeah, See, I had no idea. Up until last year, it was, I believe, that my mom had, I guess, supper, dinner, supper with Barb and her boyfriend.” – Kathy (Barbara’s sister)

6. Remembrance & Regret

• Sandy’s Guilt: Sandy expresses regret that she and others didn’t push harder with police at the time.
  • [41:13] “I miss her. I’m sorry that I didn’t do more back then, that I didn’t call the police department... I feel guilty that we didn’t do enough early on and I feel terrible that this happened to her...” – Sandy Evanson
• Enduring Hope: In 2020, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children reignited interest in the case, prompting renewed efforts to reach out to potential witnesses.

7. The Broader Impact

• Small Town Vulnerabilities: The episode exposes how perceptions of safety and trust in authority can lead to investigative failures with lasting consequences.
• Seeking Community Help: There’s a call to action for listeners who may have memories related to that night.
  • [40:08] “Maybe that’ll spark a memory of somebody that worked at Cakes and Cones... or those kinds of things, and maybe that’ll spark a memory...” – Sandy Evanson

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Investigation Failures:
  • [13:04] “So are you telling me that law enforcement never interviewed you back then... Never.” – James Woolner & Sandy Evanson
• On Barbara’s Character:
  • [23:08] “She was a very great and loyal friend... she was very beautiful, always from the time she was little till she just got more beautiful as she got older...” – Sandy Evanson
• On the Runaway Narrative:
  • [28:47] “And then after that, they think she’s run away with that guy she was seeing... And I do believe two times... they went and searched his motel room but never found any sign of her.” – Sandy Evanson
• On Regret and Loss:
  • [41:13] “I miss her. I’m sorry that I didn’t do more back then... that this happened to her and that she should have had the chance to live and live a good life and have kids and get married and, and then we’d all be hanging out together now instead of doing a podcast about her.” – Sandy Evanson

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Important Timestamps

• [02:52] Beginning of "Dakota Spotlight" segment – Introduction to the case
• [06:42] Sandy describes the skating rink and local teen scene
• [09:07] Sandy’s recollection of her fear walking home alone
• [13:04] Discussion of police not interviewing Sandy or Barbara’s siblings
• [15:41] The Charlie Project summary of the disappearance
• [23:08] Sandy’s memories of Barbara’s character
• [28:47] Details about the boyfriend and issues with the runaway theory
• [33:45] Sandy’s own efforts to revive media attention in 2011
• [35:41] Analysis of confusing and conflicting dinner accounts
• [41:13] Sandy’s feelings of regret and loss
• [42:34] Recent attempt by law enforcement to reconnect with witnesses

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Structure & Flow

1. Atmospheric Introduction: Anchors the story within the broader American context of the early 1980s.
2. Personal Recollections: Detailed interviews with Barbara’s childhood friend, building empathy and a sense of intimacy.
3. Fact Gathering: The host investigates police actions, community memory, and factual discrepancies—inviting the listener along for the detective work.
4. Reflection & Call to Action: The narrative drives home the lingering pain of unresolved cases and the importance of community recollection in seeking justice, ending on a note of hope for new answers.

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Final Notes

With its rich sense of place and heartfelt testimony, this episode both captivates and unsettles—suggesting that the quest for justice is as much about human memory as it is about hard evidence. The investigation continues, with more to be explored in upcoming episodes.

Transcript

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[Sandy Evanson]

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[Podcast Advertiser/Host]

Hey there, it's Steve Fishman and thank you for listening to get the Money and Run. If you're into true crime podcasts, then I want to recommend one to you that I I think you're gonna appreciate. It's called Dakota Spotlight. It's hosted by James Woolner and it investigates unsolved cases, suspicious death and long forgotten stories. Most of them are from North Dakota and the surrounding region, thus the title. But what makes this podcast stand out is its focus not just on the events, but the people, not just the crime, but the characters around it. It's deeply researched and it's driven by this kind of uncanny commitment to getting at the truth. There are 11 seasons of original reporting. The sound design's immersive. The interviews are really powerful. You get victims, families, investigators, even some people connected to the accused. Dakota Spotlight offers a level of depth and humanity you don't often hear in the true crime space. If that sounds like your kind of podcast, then check out Dakota Spotlight wherever you listen. Or you can visit dakotaspotlight.com.

[James Woolner]

Youm'Re listening to Dakota Spotlight. My name is James Woolner. It's been four decades since a 15 year old girl vanished while walking home on the streets of Williston in the North Dakota oil country. And it all started on April 11, 1981.

[Sandy Evanson]

And we're waiting word on the President of the United States at George Washington Hospital. Mr. Reagan as we we saw him pop up and sit back down in the hospital and we get this story finally wrapped up. All of the executives are on the dais applauding the President's entry.

[James Woolner]

A few moments ago in Washington, US President Ronald Reagan is released from the hospital 12 days after being shot in the chest by a would be assassin. And in the state of Florida over at Cape Canaveral, NASA gives the green light for the first ever launch of space shuttle Columbia, set for the following day.

[Sandy Evanson]

The launch team has been briefed on the way in which a halt can be called to the countdown. The launch events are being controlled by the ground launch sequencer now that has.

[James Woolner]

Been initiated elsewhere in the United States. It's business as usual on this Saturday in the upper Midwest. Mother Nature is hinting here and there that she just might follow through on her pledge, her her promise of the actual manifestation of an actual springtime. All across this region, Northerners pack up the family car and head to the local shops and hardware stores where parents inspect garden hoses and potting soil. And the kids are drawn to Easter basket aisles where they fondle bags of pink bunnies, yellow chicks and chocolate eggs wrapped in colored foil.

[Sandy Evanson]

Third, here's a pitch. Swung on, fly ball, center field, easy out. Gary Ward is there.

[James Woolner]

And he takes it in North Dakota, automobile owners who want to avoid a fine have just four days to get the snow tires off. And so all across the wide state, part of Saturday afternoon is spent out in the garage, spring cleaning, listening to the Minnesota Twins lose again, this time against Oakland, three to nothing.

[Sandy Evanson]

So there's one away.

[James Woolner]

Saturday becomes Saturday night, and after the evening meal, many North Dakotans fall into one of three categories. First are those who have to stay home for the night, kids and children with no say in the matter. They fall asleep in pajamas watching Love Boat or Fantasy Island. The second category are those who just want to stay in for the night, the fatigued adults, many of them parents and homeowners. These North Dakotans sit up late and play cards or watch Chevy Chase hosting Saturday Night Live. Some just go to bed while others nod off on the couch only to wake up with a jolt again and cast a panicked look at the clock. Their day is not quite done yet because they are the parents and occasional chauffeurs of the third category, teenagers who have no desire at all to stay home on a Saturday night in April. Of course, on April 11, 1981. The Saturday Night options for teenagers are slim. Some go to the movies. Others ask a parent to drive them to the indoor roller skating rink. On this night. One such roller skating rink is Wheel awhile just outside of the town of Williston, North Dakota.

[Sandy Evanson]

It was just a hangout where we'd all get together, you know, something to do on the weekends, especially in the cold, you know, winter months and stuff.

[James Woolner]

This is Sandy Evanson. In 1981, she was Sandy Schubert. On the evening of April 11, 1981, Sandy was just 16 years of age when she went roller skating with some of her friends at Wheel awhile in Williston. The skating rink was a favorite hangout for Sandy and her friends.

[Sandy Evanson]

We were like so hooked that, yep, I saved all my money and I think my first pair of skates were like $120, which was a lot of money back then.

[James Woolner]

At the Wheel a while, the teenagers of Williston could get out of their homes and yet stay out of the cold and for the most part, out of trouble. They socialized, bought popcorn and candy at the concession stand and skated to pop music beneath the giant disco ball.

[Sandy Evanson]

They would, you know, turn the lights down sometimes and have the strobe lights in the mirror ball. And yeah, there were boys there. There was ones that I had a crush on.

[James Woolner]

Sandy and her friends often stayed at Wheel a while until closing, when a parent would pick them up and there.

[Sandy Evanson]

Would be two sessions, like, usually like a seven to nine and a nine to midnight or something like that. I believe it was. But we would pretty much stay. I think we usually go from like seven to midnight on this evening.

[James Woolner]

If her memory serves her correctly, Sandy's parents are out of town and so her friend's mother picks them up at Wheel awhile and drives them back to her friend's house where they hang out for a while. Her friend's house is a few blocks.

[Sandy Evanson]

North of Sandy's, pretty close to 18th street and 9th Avenue.

[James Woolner]

After some time at her friend's house, Sandy decides to go home to walk home alone. Sandy never feels fully comfortable doing this, even though Williston is considered a pretty safe place by most of her friends at the time. On this night, she's on edge, however, maybe because her parents left town on business and she knows she's returning to an empty house in the dark.

[Sandy Evanson]

I'm scared. I'm like some parts I can remember running, you know, not because of the cold, but because I'm scared it's dark and where are the weirdos and things like that?

[James Woolner]

Sandy Arrives at home and is greeted by nothing but an empty house. Still feeling cold and out of sorts, she takes one look at her own bed and then heads to her parents bedroom. Maybe she'll feel a little safer if she sleeps in mom and dad's empty bed.

[Sandy Evanson]

And I get the covers all wrapped around me and I had just drifted off. And I remember looking over, there was a clock by my mom's bedside table and it said like one. It was pretty much right on the dot at one, I believe. And I was like, who's calling at one? At first I thought it might be my mom and dad, but I thought, nah, they wouldn't be calling this late. But maybe they're calling to see I got home from roller skating. I remember thinking, though, this probably isn't a good phone call. Nobody calls at that time of night, you know, for something good. And I pick it up and it squeeze.

[James Woolner]

Louise is Louise Cotton, a parent, the mother of 15 year old Barbara Cotton, Sandy's childhood friend. But Sandy and Barbara don't hang out.

[Sandy Evanson]

Together anymore, you know, and so Louise knew that she probably wouldn't be hanging with me. And I thought, that's weird, she's calling to ask. And I said no, I haven't seen her.

[James Woolner]

And truth be told, nobody has admitted to seeing Barbara Cotton since that night. She didn't come home or call the next day or the next year or ever again. Some seem to think she just ran away. Ran away without her savings, without her eyeglasses, without any clothes, without taking anything with her. April of 2021 marks 40 years since Barbara Cotton vanished in Williston, North Dakota. What happened to Barbara Cotton?

[Sandy Evanson]

I would go to the movies with friends all the time and walk through that park.

[James Woolner]

I'm standing at the corner of Main Street.

[Sandy Evanson]

Did you see anything unusual that night or, you know.

[Narrator/Investigator]

Her boyfriend watched her walk to Recreation park, which is five blocks from her home.

[Sandy Evanson]

That house was there. There was another little house that they first moved into right back here. She didn't have. She didn't have a boyfriend. The pieces that I put together are not good. It does not end up into a good puzzle. I don't even remember the police coming to the house, to be honest with you, you. But mostly gentle and kind is what I remember about her. She didn't want to share something. She was hiding something. And her mom told me it was a new boyfriend. I'm like, but she didn't tell me about this boyfriend. I don't know anything about this boyfriend.

[James Woolner]

So are you telling me that law enforcement never interviewed you back then.

[Sandy Evanson]

Never. She's not going to. You're going to run away with more money. Close. I want to say over 3,000. Close to $4,000 in her savings account. And then we'd all be hanging out together now instead of doing a podcast about her.

[James Woolner]

According to the North Dakota Attorney General's website, Barbara Cotton's case is open and ongoing. It's a cold case, the full description on the website states. During the evening of April 11, 1981, 15 year old Barbara Louise Cotton disappeared in Williston, North Dakota. Period. Unquote. That's all the Attorney General's website says. As if maybe sending a fair warning to any would be detective suggesting this case is starving itself to death. Slowly proceed with caution. Cap your expectations or dreams of finding out what really happened to Barbara Cotton. Or maybe I'm just reading too much into it. Anyway, I recently ignored this potential warning and headed to Williston with my camera and audio recorder. My first stop in Williston would be the corner of 4th street and Main. I'm standing at the corner of Main street and 4th in Williston, North Dakota, across the street from the Plainsman Building, which is the location where the reason I headed to the corner of 4th and Main in Williston is that although the Attorney General's website offers that minimalist version of the case, there is more information online. And among other details, I've read that Barbara Cotton was seen leaving the area of the Plainsman Building at the corner of 4th and Main. From there she walked two and a half blocks west into a small city park named Recreational Park. Once at the park, she was just five blocks from her home. The following is from the charlie [e-mail] I cannot @ present verify the validity of the following, but in a way, that is what this journey is all about. Getting clarity. I am currently attempting to get information directly from the Williston Police Department. Ideally, by the end of this podcast we'll have a lot more facts. For now though, this is what the Charlie Project has for Barbara Cotton.

[Narrator/Investigator]

Barbara was last seen leaving a restaurant on Main street in her Hometown of Williston, North Dakota during the evening hours of April 11, 1981. She had dinner there with her boyfriend and another friend. Barbara's boyfriend offered to accompany Barbara home afterwards, but she declined and left the restaurant alone. Her boyfriend watched her walk to Recreation park, which is five blocks from home. Barbara never arrived at her destination and has never been heard from again. She did not take her clothes, eyeglasses, cigarettes, money, or any other personal belongings with her when she disappeared. She also left behind a paycheck from work. Her older brother stated he was very close to Barbara and she never told him of any plans to leave home. Barbara's case was originally investigated as a runaway case, and a missing persons report was not filed for several days. As a result, authorities now believe she may have been abducted. But the prime suspect in her disappearance, a former boyfriend of Barbara's, is now deceased. Her case is considered open and unsolved.

[James Woolner]

I stood at the corner of 4th and Main, just outside the Plainsman Building. The Plainsman was built as a hotel in the 50s during an oil boom. It's about five stories tall, made of brick, and sits at the northeast corner of the intersection. I thought if Barbara's boyfriend's story was true, how well can a person see the park from that spot? If I'm stuttering here, it's really cold and windy and I thought, could he actually see Barbara that far? And yes, I mean here, standing here in person, I can definitely see the park and trees. It's, you know, I don't know. Is that 300 yards maybe? As it turns out, you can see the park pretty well. The distance is 310 yards. Fourth street actually runs right into the park. That is, if you drive or walk from Main street, you have two and a half blocks to travel. But once you get to Second Avenue west, you're at a dead end, staring straight ahead into the southeastern end of Recreational Park. Barbara would have crossed Second Avenue and walked into the park before she vanished. We will be looking closer at the park and Barbara's remaining route home later. If you're like me, you probably have some questions you're wondering about. Who was the boyfriend? How did he die? When? Why did Barbara decline a walk home and head out by herself? Did she have an argument with her boyfriend? And who was the third person at dinner that night? As you'll see, there is confusion about this. Another question I have is where did Barbara, her boyfriend, and the third person eat dinner? I assumed it was at the Plainsman Building, but now I'm not so sure. I can tell you something about one of these questions, though. Sandy Evanson and others have told me that it was not out of character for Barbara to want to walk home alone. In fact, they remember her doing the same thing with them. She didn't need an escort. She felt more than comfortable walking alone. Hopefully by the end of this podcast we will answer all of these questions and more. When Sandy Evanson was a little girl, she lived along 5th Street west between 6th Avenue west and 7th Avenue West. And just like in many communities, the houses on one city block shared a common alleyway behind the houses. One day, a new family moved into a home across the alley from Sandy. It was the Cotton family. Louise Cotton, a single mother divorced from her husband, moved in with three of her kids. A son, Kent, a daughter, Barbara, and the youngest, another daughter named Kathy.

[Sandy Evanson]

Here, boat. Like, there was a parking spot a little bit longer than this, and right on the other side of it was Barb's house. And then there was a kind of a duplex thing in front. That house was there. There was another little house that they first moved into right back here. Then this used to be a big, huge courtyard where we all played.

[James Woolner]

Okay. Yeah, it's kind of a.

[Sandy Evanson]

And I believe it was. My mom let me know that there were some new little girls in the neighborhood, and I think it was her idea. Go out and meet him and take your Barbies. That'll break the, you know, the ice. And so that was our first play date that I remember. And we were fast friends from that moment on.

[James Woolner]

Sandy was a year older than Barbara in school, but they soon became best buddies.

[Sandy Evanson]

It was pretty much from, like, in the summertime, from the time we got up, it was run across the alley and start hanging out together, you know.

[James Woolner]

Sandy, Barbara, Barbara's brother and sister and the other kids around the block often played together.

[Sandy Evanson]

And in that courtyard, all us kids would gather and we would play tag or, you know, we would play ball or we would ride our bikes in there. We would roller skate.

[James Woolner]

Sometimes they would ride their bikes down to the corner store and get penny candy. They also gave skateboarding a try.

[Sandy Evanson]

And then we'd get hung up on a rock and go flying or something like that.

[James Woolner]

Like other kids all over the country, Sandy and Barbara and the others made up a cluster of kids thrown together by pure geography. They were just the kids on the block.

[Sandy Evanson]

Oh, yeah, it was like we were a gang, you know, because we were all so close in age. And then there was a couple of kids that lived across the street and up and down the block and the other kids in the neighborhood. And sometimes we would play all together in that courtyard or whatever. But Kent, Kathy and Barb and I were pretty much a fixture, especially in the summer. You know, we would be all together all summer long.

[James Woolner]

The Charlie Project also has this to say about Barbara at the time of her disappearance. Missing since 4, 1181. Endangered missing female, white. Date of 1110 65. 15 years old. Height and 5 foot 2, 100 pounds or 157 centimeters. 45 kilos. A blouse, jeans, loafers. Distinguishing characteristics, Caucasian female. Brown hair, hazel eyes. Barbara's ears are pierced and her left ear is slightly lower than her right. She has a dark brown mole on the upper right side of her chest. Barbara has a pronounced S curve in her spine, which causes her to walk with a slight limp. She smoked cigarettes in 1981. Barbara wears eyeglasses, but left hers behind when she disappeared. Her teeth were in excellent condition.

[Sandy Evanson]

She was a very great and loyal friend. I can't remember ever having, really. If we had argument, it must never have lasted very long because I don't remember ever being mad at her or her being mad at me. Ah, there's so much. I wish I could get it all into words and remember everything. But she was very beautiful, always from the time she was little till she just got more beautiful as she got older. I'll read you something that I wrote down, you know, before you called. I was just like, I want to get this right so much for her. I wrote down she had this long, beautiful, slightly wavy hair that was just the thing about her.

[James Woolner]

When Barbara walked, she swayed back and forth a bit, and her hair swayed with her.

[Sandy Evanson]

It was just unique. And then she had these skinny arms, long skinny arms that hang by her side and kind of go with this walk. But mostly gentle and kind is what I remember about her. I never remember. I don't. I'm sure there had to have been one between us after all those years, like where we got in an argument or a fight, you know, as kids do, and then get back together or whatever. But I don't remember one. I always remember being good to me and like, we were besties, as close as they were.

[James Woolner]

Barbara Cotton did not share a whole lot of internal, personal stuff with her friend Sandy.

[Sandy Evanson]

But at the same time, I never saw her depressed or sad. Where I would have asked her, like, what's bothering you? Or anything. It's like once they had moved in across, they started a whole new life. And she just really seemed to flourish in that.

[James Woolner]

As time passed on, Sandy not only got to know Barbara and her siblings, she got to know their mother, Louise. And she would spend time with the family and was included in the Cotton family outings.

[Sandy Evanson]

Used to take us on little trips. Like we would go to dumps or something more. Or run down houses, you know, that were abandoned or whatever. And it'd be like a treasure hunt. And we come back with all this dumb stuff that you really Wouldn't need, you know, but it'd just be a fun outing.

[James Woolner]

The girls grew older, 12, 13 years old. And one of Sandy's warmest memories are the nights the duo spent in a camper parked in the alley.

[Sandy Evanson]

We had a bus camper. It had a big kitchen in it, living room and fridge and all that. And we would pack up the snacks and, you know, maybe the radio and maybe some cards or Connect Four or something. And we would just stay in there all night having sleepovers and just stay up all night talking about everything under the sun.

[James Woolner]

Sandy recalls that when Barbara was in seventh grade, she had a crush on a neighborhood boy. I imagine Sandy and Barbara hunkering down in the camper during a North Dakota thunderstorm, playing cards and talking about their crushes.

[Sandy Evanson]

And so he, like, had more freedom than we did. And we always just go, I wonder if he's out in the neighborhood riding around on his bike, you know, and things like that.

[James Woolner]

These were the good years, the innocent years before high school and the things that often come with it.

[Sandy Evanson]

Barb and I hung together. There was never no drinking or smoking or anything like that. It was good, wholesome kid fun.

[James Woolner]

But somehow it seems all good things must come to an end.

[Sandy Evanson]

I would say that really when we started the lake drift apart a little bit is when I went on to high school and she stayed in junior high because she being a year younger than me.

[James Woolner]

Their separation then would never be fully reconnected. They remained friends, but they just started hanging out with different people, drifting apart a bit. Sandy Evanson does not believe that her childhood friend Barbara just ran away one night 40 years ago. She's never believed the story even back then.

[Sandy Evanson]

But I think it was, oh, she's a runaway. And I have to say back, you know, when that happened, we were all probably a little naive. Bad things didn't happen like that. That much you did it, you know, especially Willie and Williston.

[James Woolner]

Sandy's mother was good friends with Louise Cotton, Barbara's mother.

[Sandy Evanson]

So, like, I would get all my information from my mom then, and my mom would tell me, the police think she run away. And we all knew that she didn't run away. It was just annoying and bothersome.

[James Woolner]

One thing Sandy learned early on is that it was assumed that Barbara had run away with this boyfriend who apparently worked in the oil fields.

[Sandy Evanson]

And then after that, they think she's run away with that guy she was seeing, and they're certain that they're gonna like him being in the oil field, seismographing. He Was moving around from town to town, from job to job. You know, they would do a job site in this town or that town and then they'd put him up in a hotel. So they just were sure they were going to find her in one of his hotel rooms. And I do believe two times if I'm not mistaken, they went and searched his motel room but never found any sign of her.

[James Woolner]

The 16 year old Sandy Evanson or Sandy Schubert at the time, didn't buy it at all. According to her memory, she even did some neighborhood canvassing, knocking on doors along 5th Street west where Barbara would have walked after leaving Recreation Park.

[Sandy Evanson]

And we knocked on some doors and we remember looking through the park. Yep. Going through the park looking for any sign and we saw absolutely nothing. I only remember one person answering the door and it's like the second block from the park I think. And that person and that lady had said she didn't hear anything or see anything.

[James Woolner]

And speaking of canvassing the neighborhood, to Sandy's knowledge, the police never did that.

[Sandy Evanson]

Wouldn't you canvas the neighborhood? I'm almost 100% sure that they didn't. If the police had talked to any of us, we would have probably sent them over to the Luther's house because their house faced Barb's house and they knew all of us very well. They had three kids that all played with us. And you know, did you see Barb walking home that night or did you see anything unusual that night or you know, or do you know anything about who Barb's been hanging around with? Because kind of Pat Luther knew everything in the neighborhood.

[James Woolner]

Of course it's possible the police did canvas the neighborhood. I'm not certain at the time of this recording. But one thing Sandy is certain of, they never spoken with her or, or asked her any questions. Her frustration is palpable.

[Sandy Evanson]

I don't want to badmouth the police, but in some ways I do. I don't know if the police, when Barbara goes missing, did they ever talk to Kent and Kathy? Because they never did. Me, I don't remember them asking any questions. And that's just the part where she was always chocked up to be a runaway. But nobody was ever asked any questions.

[James Woolner]

Some people in Sandy's situation would perhaps just give up on finding answers about a friend. They would leave it to the family and to the police and basically she did leave it to them for the most part. But she never forgot about Barbara. And others remembered Barbara too. Almost 14 years after she disappeared in January of 1995, a reporter for the newspaper, the Bismarck Tribune, published an article about Barbara after speaking with Barbara's mother, Louise, her younger sister Kathy, and others. According to the article, the last time the Cotton family had received any leads had been nine years earlier. Barbara's mother, who is now deceased, is quoted several times in the article. I want to try to find her one more time, she said. And I try to run down everything but never find anything. I don't know what to say. We miss her and love her and hope she's okay wherever she is. I'd like to know what happened. I wish she would get in touch with me. She still has money in the bank, which I'd like to give to her. I was saving it for her college. I guess I should have let her spend it. Barbara's sister Kathy was also quoted. We were very close when she disappeared. I just want to tell her to please call home. Williston Police Chief Don Wentz was also interviewed for the article. He noted that Barbara left without her glasses and a paycheck from work. Those aren't the actions of a runaway, he was also quoted as saying at the time. We had posters out and her picture on milk cartons, etc. We checked out all leads. That was in 1995. Fast forward now 16 years to the year 2011, 30 years since Barbara vanished. Sandy Evenson is not done looking. And with renewed energy, she has an idea and a smidgen of hope.

[Sandy Evanson]

Thirty years down the road, I'm working for the Williston Herald.

[James Woolner]

The Williston Herald is the newspaper in town. Sandy worked in the circulation department.

[Sandy Evanson]

And I'm, like, talking to my boss and going, you know, I wonder if the Herald be interested in doing a story. And I started telling him about my friend, and he's like, sandy put everything down that you can remember, you know, on paper, and I'll give it to the editor.

[James Woolner]

And so she did. She sits down and writes four pages in longhand of her memories about Barbara's disappearance.

[Sandy Evanson]

Yep, as a matter of fact, I still have the notes that I gave to the editor.

[James Woolner]

The Herald did run a story on April 1, 2011. You may recall that I said that I'd read here and there that when Barbara Cotton had dinner with her boyfriend, a third person was also present. The article in the Williston Herald, which seems to be based off of Sandy Evanson's four pages of notes, identifies the third person by name. According to the article, the third person was Louise Cotton, Barbara's mother. If this is true, then before she disappeared, Barbara had dinner with her boyfriend and her mother, and therefore Louise Cotton was one of the last people to see her daughter. This part gets confusing and is potentially important. Sandy sent me her notes, the same notes she gave the editor of The Williston Herald 10 years ago and which seems to be the basis or main source of that article. The following is from Sandy's notes, By the way, Sandy is uncertain today if this information came directly from Louise Cotton or if Louise told Sandy's mother, who told her. Louise said that Barbara and her boyfriend had dinner with her at the old Cakes and Cones restaurant, having a wonderful time. After some problems with Barb dating at her age, they separated on good terms. Barb left with her boyfriend and Louise returned home. After Barb never came home, she got in touch with the boyfriend. He said that he offered to walk Barbara home and she refused, saying she'd be fine. One of the questions I've asked the Williston Police Department is exactly that. Was the third person, Barbara's mother, at the time of this recording. I've not received a response yet, but let me explain why this feels so important and confusing right now. Ready? Consider this. If the police have other information, meaning according to them, the third person was not Barbara's mother, then wouldn't you think that after the article came out in 2011 in the Williston Herald, they would reach out to the reporter with a correction, or perhaps also to Sandy Evanson and ask her about this conflicting information? After all, Sandy heard this either from Louise directly or from her mother, who was friends with Louise. If you're an investigator looking into this, you might wonder if maybe Sandy's information is correct, not what you have in your police file.

[Sandy Evanson]

I remember being very disappointed about that article, too, about them not getting. There was no comment from the police.

[James Woolner]

Department on it, but they didn't reach out, and at least I found no correction. And Sandy states that she has never spoken with the police about Barbara. So that leads us to believe that it's true. Right? Louise Cotton is the third person who went to dinner with Barbara and her boyfriend. This would be all fine and dandy, but if that's true, why, oh, why in the world did Louise Cotton, Barbara's mother, never tell her kids, Kent and Kathy that she'd gone to dinner with their sister on the night she vanished? This is Kathy, Barbara Cotton's sister.

[Sandy Evanson]

Yeah, See, I had no idea. Up until last year, it was, I believe, that my mom had, I guess, supper, dinner, supper with Barb and her boyfriend.

[James Woolner]

Barbara's brother, Kent. Cotton has also spoken with me about this. He doesn't remember hearing that his mother went to dinner with Barbara that night either. How is this possible? Did Mrs. Cotton meet up with Barbara and her boyfriend and then not tell her other kids about it for decades? Did she never say, I remember the last time I saw a bar and then elaborate when and where and if she thought Barbara was acting normal or differently? Or did Mrs. Cotton tell her kids and they both forgot? Or is that story about Mrs. Cotton seeing Barbara and her boyfriend in town that night simply not true? We will be hearing more from Barbara's siblings later on. We will also visit the park where Barbara was reportedly last seen. We'll be looking closer at the five city blocks of streets and homes between the park and the Cotton residents. We'll look closer at Barbara's personal life and ask, was she a candidate for being a runaway? We'll also talk about abductions and look closer at Barbara's boyfriend. But before we move on to those things, I'd like to round off the saga of. Of Sandy Evanson and her quest to find answers about her childhood friend. Sandy would like to see the police, share more information with her. She thinks she might be able to help if just given a chance.

[Sandy Evanson]

Come on. It's been 40 years. Can you tell us if you ever. Like, like, did Louise say that they went out to eat or. Or is this something that maybe was made up by Louise later on? Or does this story about them, you know, them going out to eat and then Barb going back with her boyfriend that night? All I have is hearsay to go on that for my Louise telling my mom and my mom telling me.

[James Woolner]

And Sandy doubts that the person or persons responsible for Barbara's disappearance are still alive. But she'd still like answers, would still like to see the case moving forward. Sandy stays creative and optimistic, looking for clues and witnesses, witnesses who have aged 40 years since that night.

[Sandy Evanson]

It's not like you're going to prosecute him, but maybe like some of these memories coming up about this boyfriend. Did they really eat at Cakes and Cones? Is that what Louise said? Or is that just something I misremember or that was miscommunicated or, you know, or those kinds of things, and maybe that'll spark a memory of somebody that worked at Cakes and Cones or. You know what I mean.

[James Woolner]

Something tells me Sandy Evanson will never give up. Sandy Evanson, who knocked on doors and asked questions after Barbara vanished without a trace. Sandy, who sent four pages of notes to the editor of the Williston Herald. Sandy, who used to hunker down with Barbara Cotton in a family camper and together listen to music and talk about all of the adventures that were still yet to come. You know, if you could say something to Barbara today, regardless if she's alive or not, what would you like to say?

[Sandy Evanson]

I miss her. I'm sorry that I didn't do more back then, that I didn't call the police department. My dad was the next cop. Why didn't I go to him more and go, dad, let's go down there and talk to him. They haven't talked to any of us. But I didn't understand how an investigation worked, you know, at that age. And I feel guilty that we didn't do enough early on and I feel terrible that this happened to her and that she should have had the chance to live and live a good life and have kids and get married and, and then we'd all be hanging out together now instead of doing a podcast about her.

[James Woolner]

Very recently, Sandy got excited. There was brand new hope, a new path forward, and an opportunity to help police find answers in any way she could. In 2020, the National center for Missing and Exploited Children came to Williston to review Barbara's case. And suddenly Sandy got a call and a voicemail from a detective at the Williston Police Department.

[Sandy Evanson]

And I don't have my phone on me when I'm at work or whenever she called me. I'm away from my phone a lot. And so I didn't, I didn't get her phone call right away and I literally called her back. I had to been over two weeks, at least four to five times going, I missed your call. Here's when I'm going to be available if you want to talk to me. I'll set aside from two to five o'clock on Tuesday or you know, that kind of thing. Never ever, ever once got a return phone call from.

[James Woolner]

Still to come on this season of Dakota Spotlight, a better search for Barbara.

[Sandy Evanson]

I remember a guy sleep, sleeping on our couch one, one day when I came home from school.

[James Woolner]

So are you telling me that law enforcement never interviewed you back then?

[Sandy Evanson]

Never. I don't even remember the police coming to the house, to be honest with you, and came into the park and then we would always cue corner up to that corner of 5th and 3rd Avenue and then walk straight up 5th. The pieces that I put together are not good. Does not end up into a good puzzle. She didn't have a boyfriend.

[James Woolner]

Dakota Spotlight is a production of Forum Communications researched, written, recorded and edited by me. James Walner this season is dedicated to my daughters and to all daughters everywhere. Some music in this season, including the song you're listening to now provided by North Dakota born former Wishek area resident and UND grad Isaac Turner of Kalamazoo, Michigan and his seemingly infinite number of musical bands and projects. This band is named wowza in Kalamazoo. We also heard a little from his bands out and the Hollis Group. Search for WOWZA out and the Hollis group on bandcamp.com or see the links in the show notes. Thanks much Isaac and friends. To learn more about missing kids, check out the national center for Missing and exploited [e-mail] to contact me, shoot me an [e-mail] if you're loving this season, please tell your friends in real life and on social media and give me a review and a review rating on Apple Podcasts. And why not come and join us at the Dakota Spotlight Facebook group. Thank you so much for listening to this episode of Season five. A better search for Barbara. Be safe, stay warm and see you next time.

[Sandy Evanson]

Sam Every day has a to do list, but adding Enjoy Belvita to yours can help you knock out the rest of it. Belvita Breakfast Biscuits are a tasty and convenient breakfast option when paired with low fat yogurt and fruit that provide steady energy all morning while Belvita Energy Snack Bites give you the perfect mid morning refuel. Best part? They both taste great, so make the most out of your morning with a bite of Velveeta. Pick up a pack of Belvita at your local store today. Step into the world of power, loyalty and luck. I'm gonna make him an offer he can't refuse with family. Cannolis and spins mean everything.

[James Woolner]

Now you want to get mixed up in the family business.

[Sandy Evanson]

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[James Woolner]

Goodbye.