A Better Search for Barbara (20): Lost Suicide Note – Investigating the Barbara Cotton Cold Case

Dakota Spotlight: True Crime & Cold Case Investigations

James Wolner

Documentary, Society & Culture, True Crime

4.8 • 903 Ratings

🗓️ 22 January 2022

⏱️ 45 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Barbara Louise Cotton’s disappearance in 1981 remains one of North Dakota’s most troubling cold cases. Episode 20, Lost Suicide Note, brings forward two powerful perspectives: Sandee Evanson, Barbara’s childhood friend, reflects on her enduring search for answers, while Stacey Werder’s sister in California shares insight into his death and the note tied to his suicide. A Better Search for Barbara weaves together community memory, investigative journalism, and real crime investigations into an unsolved murder still seeking resolution. Music by Wowza in Kalamazoo: https://wowzainkalamazoo.bandcamp.com/ 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

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0	Hey folks, it's James here, host and producer of this show, Dakota Spotlight.
0:03.8	I've got some exciting news to share with you.
0:06.4	I've just launched a brand new podcast called The Sleep Retreat.
0:11.6	The Sleep Retreat is designed to help you relax, unwind, and drift off to sleep.
0:17.1	With soothing soundscapes and calming original stories by yours truly, it's the perfect escape for a busy mind.
0:25.1	You can find the sleep retreat wherever you listen to podcasts or head over to the sleepretreatpodcast.com.
0:32.7	You're listening to Dakota Spotlight, a production of Forum Communications.
0:36.9	My name is James Wulner, and this is episode 20 of a production of forum communications. My name is James
0:37.6	Walner, and this is episode 20 of a better search for Barbara. Hi. I'm sorry. Nice to meet you.
0:45.5	Nice to meet you. I feel like I know you kind of. And he snooping in mom's room and found a letter and said that it was a suicide letter.
0:57.0	He did. He remembers it being a suicide.
0:59.0	Yeah. And he said he brought it up to grandma and she would not talk about it.
1:04.0	This is the original report that came in on 412, 1981, at 1556 hours, okay?
1:22.7	And this is what it says.
1:24.4	Call from Louise Cotton reporting that her daughter Barbara has not come home since yesterday.
1:30.2	She is a 15-year-old, list her date of birth, brown hair and eyes, small build, wearing a tan short jacket and blue jeans.
1:38.7	Was last seen at a friend's house at about 10 p.m. last night. Was with a guy by the name of Stacey earlier in the evening.
1:46.3	Stacey, first name, used to wash dishes at cakes and cones.
1:53.7	Some of the things that he liked to do could kill you.
2:01.6	Because how would nobody know about this point?
2:04.6	He enjoyed choking and suffocating me and my sister.
2:09.6	She was, I don't know, one of the kindest people I knew.
	...

Please login to see the full transcript.

Previous episode | Next episode

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from James Wolner, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of James Wolner and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.