On October 27, 2007, Joel Lovelien stepped outside the Broken Drum Bar in Grand Forks, North Dakota, during a night filled with Halloween costumes, celebration, and heavy drinking. Moments later, he was found in the parking lot, bloodied, unconscious, and gravely injured. Despite the quick response of first responders, Joel did not survive. Season 8 of Dakota Spotlight presents a compelling Joel Lovelien murder podcast that investigates this still-unsolved case and the chaotic events of that night.
The parking lot was filled with partygoers arriving and leaving on a party bus. Witnesses described several costumed figures, including someone dressed as a lion. A college student named Travis Stay, who had worn a lion costume, was arrested for the murder. In December 2008, he was found not guilty.
In Unresolved, The Murder of Joel Lovelien, journalist and host James Wolner revisits the case with access to police reports, trial evidence, and exclusive interviews with detectives, prosecutors, witnesses, and Joel’s family. This season of Dakota Spotlight reexamines a haunting North Dakota homicide and asks the question that remains unanswered: Who killed Joel Lovelien?
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