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

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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]

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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

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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]

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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

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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]

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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

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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]

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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

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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]

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In 1960, in St. Paul, something didn't look right with an office phone, and it leads back to Lloyd Brenna. By now, he has built a life that looks stable on the surface, a job, a home, a reputation, but there are cracks. A wiretap. A past he’s left behind. Behavior that doesn’t quite line up with the man people think they know. As Wallace Brenna settles into his own version of adulthood, Harold Pieper moves forward on a steady path. Then, in 1970, an IRS agent investigating Lloyd is shot.

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

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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]

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In 1930s Chicago, Lloyd Brenna is arrested for burglary and sent to prison, where parole hearings reveal a young man who is both highly intelligent and deeply unpredictable. Given a rare second chance with a job and housing, he quickly violates parole, returns to theft, and lands back behind bars. As Lloyd moves between incarceration and opportunity, his brother Wallace Brenna is arrested and imprisoned for crimes of his own, while a boy named Harold Pieper grows up, unaware their paths will one day cross.

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

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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]

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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: [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

The Bagpiper and His Brother traces 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 Brenna brothers while, in parallel, the life of the victim unfolds, carrying a quiet, growing sense of dread toward an unsettling end. It’s a serious story, with moments of dark humor along the way.

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

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

James is joined by Dakota Spotlight researcher Mari Zoerb Hansen for a conversation with investigative reporters Hayley Fox and Betsy Shepherd about the making of Valley of Shadows, their deep dive into the disappearance of Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Deputy Jon Aujay. It’s a discussion about reporting, persistence, and what happens when a case refuses to stay buried. Following the interview, you’ll hear Episode 1 of the series.

Listen to Valley of Shadows: https://www.pushkin.fm/podcasts/valley-of-shadows

About Valley of Shadows: How the search for a missing deputy uncovered the Mojave Desert's meth epidemic, the outlaw bikers supplying it, and the corrupt police force covering it up.

On June 11, 1998, Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department deputy Jon Aujay went for a run in California’s Devil’s Punchbowl park. A long-distance runner and former military, Aujay felt at home in the rocky terrain, but when he didn’t return home by nightfall, his wife reported him missing. Nearly 30 years later, Aujay has yet to be found and the mystery surrounding his disappearance has only deepened.

Some say Aujay is just another missing hiker, claimed by the inhospitable landscape of the Southern California desert. Some say he took his own life out there. But there’s another theory that many of Aujay’s friends and LASD colleagues are convinced is true… that he was the victim of foul play, and that his own department is covering it up.

Through exclusive interviews, revealing wiretaps, and buried police files, investigative reporters Hayley Fox and Betsy Shepherd dig into what the sheriff’s department has kept hidden all these years.

Told over 8 episodes, Valley of Shadows follows the hairpin turns of the Aujay case, and breaks new ground in the search to uncover what really happened to the missing deputy.

Episode 1: The Devil's Punchbowl: Deputy Jon Aujay is former military, an ultramarathon runner, and a part of the Los Angeles County Sheriff Department’s elite SWAT unit, so when he fails to return home from a run in Antelope Valley’s Devil’s Punchbowl…no one knows what to think. The sheriff’s department launches a widespread search for him, but finds no trace. Theories of accident, suicide, and desertion swirl, but Aujay’s former boss — retired CaptainMike Bauer — is convinced there’s something darker at play.

Explore the full catalog: https://DakotaSpotlight.com

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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]

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