In this episode of Lost Girls, hosts Amy Smith and LaDonna Humphrey begin a deep-dive series into a case that has remained unsolved for more than four decades—the disappearance of fifteen-year-old Barbara “Barb” Louise Cotton.

On April 11, 1981, Barb vanished from Williston, North Dakota after leaving a local restaurant just blocks from home. She was a teenager with a job, close friends, and plans for her future—saving money, looking ahead to milestones, and stepping into life like so many girls her age. She never made it home.

What followed was a case filled with unanswered questions, shifting leads, and lingering uncertainty. One of the last known individuals to see Barb alive died just months later, adding another layer of complexity to an already haunting investigation.

More than forty years later, Barb has never been found. Her case remains open.

This is the first episode in a multi-part series examining the timeline, the people, and the unanswered questions surrounding Barb Cotton’s disappearance—because some stories deserve more than a single telling.

If you have any information, please contact the Williston Police Department at 701-577-1212. Barb’s case is also listed in NamUs as MP2921.

Someone knows what happened.