Dakota Spotlight: True Crime & Cold Case Investigations
Jul 23, 2026 · 50 min · 12 segments
James follows the early investigation into Shelly’s final known days, including Tony Hulm’s statements, the babysitter’s account, the two railroad workers, Rick Snell, and the missing records in…
James WolnerHost
It's Tuesday, August 9th, and although Bismarck PD doesn't know it yet, the next few days of the investigation will be hit with several whirlwind-like encounters.
And unfortunately, a rabbit hole is about to derail and swallow up the investigation.
One that won't be completely understood for another decade when a keen detective named Bill Connor will take a new look at the case.
We'll hear from Detective Connor in the next episode, but for now, here we are on August 9th, 1994, one week since Shelly has been seen.
Officer Emmert and others wonder, why was Shelly's car found at the Comfort Inn? Was she there herself? Has the car been sitting there for a week? Did someone dump it there recently? The Comfort Inn has changed location since 1994.
Today, a new Comfort Inn rests just a few hundred yards away from the old location, but the original hotel is there now under the name The Quality Inn.
And to this day, at The Quality Inn, there is a lounge with an entrance on the west side of the building.
Emmert
makes contact with a blackjack dealer who worked at the lounge on Tuesday, the 2nd of August, a guy named Waylon.
Emmert moves on to the elbow room angle and Shelly's a counter with the two railroad workers.
On the night she met them, Shelley had been dealing blackjack at the Elbow Room, and another FALF worker was with her, a woman named Robin.
She stated she worked on Sunday at the Elbow Room with Shelly.
She said that Shelly was in a real good mood for a change.
She had talked to Shelly about some prank phone calls that Shelly was getting.
Shelly thought it was Jenny, who was a barmaid at the Burnt Creek Club.
She had also talked to Shelly before about Jenny being the one who keyed her car.
Shelly told Robin that she had met some 40-year-old guy, and she was going to go out with him.
Robin didn't know who the guy was.
It's Tuesday, August 9th, and although Bismarck PD doesn't know it yet, the next few days of the investigation will be hit with several whirlwind-like encounters.
And unfortunately, a rabbit hole is about to derail and swallow up the investigation.
One that won't be completely understood for another decade when a keen detective named Bill Connor will take a new look at the case.
We'll hear from Detective Connor in the next episode, but for now, here we are on August 9th, 1994, one week since Shelly has been seen.
Officer Emmert and others wonder, why was Shelly's car found at the Comfort Inn? Was she there herself? Has the car been sitting there for a week? Did someone dump it there recently? The Comfort Inn has changed location since 1994.
Today, a new Comfort Inn rests just a few hundred yards away from the old location, but the original hotel is there now under the name The Quality Inn.
And to this day, at The Quality Inn, there is a lounge with an entrance on the west side of the building.
Emmert
makes contact with a blackjack dealer who worked at the lounge on Tuesday, the 2nd of August, a guy named Waylon.
Emmert moves on to the elbow room angle and Shelly's a counter with the two railroad workers.
On the night she met them, Shelley had been dealing blackjack at the Elbow Room, and another FALF worker was with her, a woman named Robin.
She stated she worked on Sunday at the Elbow Room with Shelly.
She said that Shelly was in a real good mood for a change.
She had talked to Shelly about some prank phone calls that Shelly was getting.
Shelly thought it was Jenny, who was a barmaid at the Burnt Creek Club.
She had also talked to Shelly before about Jenny being the one who keyed her car.
Shelly told Robin that she had met some 40-year-old guy, and she was going to go out with him.
Robin didn't know who the guy was.
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