The Bagpiper and His Brother (1): Strange Beginnings at Braemar

Dakota Spotlight: True Crime & Cold Case Investigations

James Wolner

Documentary, Society & Culture, True Crime

4.8 • 900 Ratings

🗓️ 7 May 2026

⏱️ 42 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Lloyd and Wallace Brenna are two Midwestern brothers whose outwardly ordinary lives conceal a long pattern of troubling behavior. From rural North Dakota beginnings to a 1971 bombing in South Dakota, the story moves through wiretapping, theft, and an attempted assassination. Built from years of research and original reporting, the series follows the Brennas while, in parallel, the life of the victim unfolds, carrying a quiet, growing sense of dread toward an unsettling end. A serious story, with moments of dark humor along the way. 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 Have information about a case or want to get in touch? Email: dakotaspotlight@gmail.com 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 info@sixhorsemedia.com Dakota Spotlight is produced by Six Horse Media: info@sixhorsemedia.com 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 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	You're listening to Dakota Spotlight. My name is James Wollner.
0:13.0	It's May 24, 1967, downtown Minneapolis, Minnesota, the corner of Hennepin and 4th Street South.
0:22.4	It's 3.30 in the morning.
0:24.5	A slender, 50-year-old man steps out into the night from the lobby of the Andrews Hotel.
0:30.6	He looks both ways and walks across 4th Street towards the public library parking lot.
0:35.9	There's a slight breeze in the air, 53 degrees Fahrenheit.
0:45.2	When he reaches the other side, he fishes his car keys from his pocket. At the driver's side door,
0:51.8	he hesitates. Then he walks to the rear bumper.
0:56.0	He looks down at the trunk.
0:59.2	Perhaps he frowns a little before glancing around the parking lot.
1:06.2	He studies the trunk again, staring.
1:09.2	He scratches his chin, then looks up and down
1:12.1	4th Street and finally back at the 6th story Andrews Hotel.
1:23.9	Later, this man will pick up a telephone, place a call, exchange words.
1:29.7	What he says exactly before hanging up, I can't be sure.
1:33.7	Maybe it sounded something like this.
1:36.7	Look, all I know is the bagpipes are gone.
1:40.1	Music Now....you know....and...
1:45.0	...you know.
1:47.0	...and... This is Season 13, The Bagpiper and his brother, a story that will carry us from North Dakota to Montana, Nebraska, Illinois, Wisconsin,
2:20.1	Minnesota, to South Dakota, and back again. It's a tale packed with oddities and head-shaking,
2:26.5	bewildering turns, including, but not limited to, a couple of normal-looking family men,
	...

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.