The Vault

As investigators dug deeper into the disappearance of Pamela Dunn, the evidence of foul play began to pile up.

While ex-boyfriend Dave Asmussen had already provided investigators with inconsistent stories related to the vehicles he had driven the day of — and day after — Dunn's disappearance, they knew the deeper they dug, the more they'd discover.

And, they were right.

Robert Marsh says when his father was murdered in 1981, a responding officer told him that 90% of cases similar to that of his father's are solved. To date, the identity of Clifton Wendell Marsh's killer remains a mystery.

When a person goes missing, law enforcement is often stuck in a problematic position. Without a body, it can be difficult to prove a crime existed. That means justice, however obvious it may seem, is often not achieved.

For the 2001 missing persons case of Pamela Dunn, that's not exactly the story.

While Dunn has not been located, her ex-boyfriend, Dave Asmussen, is serving a life sentence for a 2006 conviction related to her kidnapping. That sentencing came on the heels of a stalking conviction, which landed him in prison in 2004 for 40 months.

While it's not the slam dunk investigators are content with, it's the successful execution of a strategy intended to keep their main suspect behind bars while continuing to collect evidence related to the disappearance of Dunn.

This is part 1 of a two-part series related to the disappearance of Pamela Dunn.

When a gunman killed a police officer in Hope, North Dakota, in 1933, the county sheriff wasn't about to take it lying down. He persisted to track the suspect for two years over seven states and thousands of miles -- one of the most highly publicized manhunts in U.S. history.

In August 1978, Deputy Richard Magnuson had been at the Roseau (Minnesota) County Sheriff's Office for about 2 ½ months. On Aug. 2, 1978, his life was cut short at the age of 20 when he was the final victim of a series of killings by Gregory McMaster.

Full story: https://www.inforum.com/news/the-vault/young-minnesota-sheriffs-deputy-killed-by-cross-border-spree-killer-in-1978-to-be-memorialized

The Minot Police Department has arrested a woman who investigators believe killed her roommate 15 years ago.

Nichole Rice, 34, was arrested Wednesday, March 16, in connection to the death of 18-year-old Anita Knutson, who was found stabbed to death June 4, 2007, in her northwest Minot apartment, Minot Police Chief John Klug said in a news release. Knutson was a Minot State University student.

Rice is expected to be charged with Class AA murder, which carries a maximum punishment of life in prison. She is being held at the Ward County Jail.

https://www.inforum.com/news/north-dakota/roommate-arrested-in-15-year-old-minot-homicide

K.G. Hagen was gunned down in a saloon in Walcott, N.D.for trying to help a family in need. Meantime, his death left his own family to fend for itself. And his wife Lena Hagen proved up for the task, becoming a homesteader and raising prominent children, one of them a future Lt. Gov.

https://www.inforum.com/news/the-vault/norwegian-immigrant-victim-of-dastardly-murder-but-his-son-and-grandson-became-prominent-nd-politicians

Was it a bungled investigation or just a really tough case? No matter what happened to Pearl Osten on October 2, 1927, her family is still looking for answers.

Reporter: Tracy Briggs

https://www.inforum.com/news/the-vault/the-mysterious-murder-of-pelican-rapids-lonely-star-pearl-osten

In this episode co-producer Jeremy Fugleberg interviews the creator and host of Dakota Spotlight James Wolner Jeremy talks to James about Dakota Spotlight, true-crime, storytelling, a bit about his life and his favorite music and more.

Dakota Spotlight is available on all podcast streaming platforms. https://www.inforum.com/podcasts/dakota-spotlight-podcast

It's become the stuff of legend - a tale of three men, taking on a seemingly insurmountable task. Breaking out of the unbreakable, chiseling, climbing, swimming and just surviving their way into folk history. And now, North Dakota has become part of the narrative.