She left for errands and bingo and never came back. Now Dakota Spotlight explores 1994 North Dakota cold case

Wes and Linda Julson stand on the lawn in front of their house in Center, North Dakota, and hold a fframed photo of their missing daughter, Michele (Shelly) Julson — Wes and Linda Julson hold a photo of their missing daughter, Michele "Shelly" Julson, at their home in Center, North Dakota, June 21, 2022. The Julsons question how law enforcement handled the disappearance of Shelly, who vanished on Aug. 2, 1994, while running errands in Bismarck.

By Jeremy Fugleberg and James Wolner

July 20, 2022 at 7:00 AM

Michele "Shelly" Julson's disappearance and the mysteries surrounding it are at the center of the new season of Dakota Spotlight podcast.

Listen to Episode 1 — Fly On The Wall

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The Shelly Julson case has been a mystery from the start.

On August 2, 1994, 26-year-old Michele "Shelly" Julson dropped off her young son at his paternal grandparents home so she could run some errands in Bismarck, North Dakota. She wanted to pick up her paycheck and possibly play some bingo. She was expected back in just hours. She never returned.

Now, her disappearance and the mysteries surrounding it are at the center of the seventh season of Dakota Spotlight, Forum Communications Co.’s premier investigative true-crime podcast.

In episode 1 of the new season, the podcast dives into the full Bismarck Police Department file on the Julson case, following investigators in the first few days of their work as they interview family, friends and associates to trace Julson's movements leading up to her disappearance. The episode reveals statements and interviews from police of witnesses, what investigators found in their searches and their request for an aerial search.

A first look at Julson's file raises some big questions:

Who was harassing Shelly and vandalizing her car?
Why are 104 pages of Shelly's police file missing?
Who are the two mystery men Shelly met just days before she went missing.
And the most important question of all: What happened to Shelly Julson?

Photo gallery — Browse with arrow on right

School portrait of a smiling Shelly Julson 18 years of age wearing blue button-down shirt under a purple knitted vest. Shelly has feathered, shoulder-length red-brown hair and dark eyes and eyebrows.

1/12: Michele 'Shelly' Julson grew up in Center, North Dakota. She was the daughter of Wesley and Linda Julson. She has not been seen or heard from since August 2, 1994.

Michele Julson's missing persons poster with photo of Shelly and her car as found at found at the Comfort Inn hotel in Bismarck. Shelly is smiling looking into the camera, wearing a red shirt.

2/12: Bismarck Police Department's missing poster for Shelly Julson

Shelly Julson's blue and white trailer-home at 716 West Sweet Avenue in Bismarck, North Dakota

3/12: Shelly Julson lived at 716 West Sweet Avenue, in Bismarck. When investigators came looking for her the doors were locked and the TV was on.

Rear of trailer home at location of Shelly Julson's residence in 1994. Three windows are visible. When investigators walked the perimeter of the home the windows in the back were open.

4/12: When investigators walked the perimeter of Shelly Julson's home the windows in the back were open. The front door was locked and the TV was on.

Present day photograph of Shelly's employer's office where she was to pick up her paycheck. The office was located at 309 East Broadway in Bismarck. A brick building.

5/12: Shelly said she was going to pick up her paycheck at the Fort Abraham Lincoln Foundation office, 309 East Broadway in Bismarck. She never picked up her check.

1990s era photograph of the square single-story building named The Burnt Creek Club where Shelly Julson worked dealing black-jack and where she was reportedly harassed b patrons. A sign stands near the street: Burnt Creek Club

6/12: Shelly worked dealing black jack at the burnt creek club and had been dating Tony Hulm a bartender there. Shelly told friends and family the patrons at the bar were harassing her and she had asked her supervisor to transfer to a different location. On more than one occasion, Shelly believed someone had followed her home from the bar and her car was vandalized.

Close up image of the Burnt Creek Club's sign outside the bar. The words 'Burnt Creek' are in red, then 'Club' in white caps on a black background. Below that in black characters on a yellow background are the words ON & OFF SALE

7/12: Shelly worked dealing black jack at the burnt creek club and had been dating Tony Hulm a bartender there. Shelly told friends and family the patrons at the bar were harassing her and she had asked her supervisor to transfer to a different location. On more than one occasion, Shelly believed someone had followed her home from the bar and her car was vandalized.

The Elbow Room Bar sign at the corner of a brick building. The words 'THE ELBOW ROOM' are red on a blue oval background

8/12: Shelly Julson occasionally worked at the Elbow Room. Different from today, in 1994 the bar was located near 3rd street and Main. 36 hours before Shelly disappeared she was witnessed talking to two men in the parking lot just after closing. The men had stated they were railroad workers and one of the men was going to be laid over in Bismarck a couple more days.

Portrait of Sargant Dennis Walls, the first investigator to work on Shelly's case. Walls wears a light brown blazer, white shirt and dark tie. He has a light or gray mustache and large eyeglasses. He smiles into the camera.

9/12: Bismarck Police officer Dennis Walls was the first investigator to work on Shelly's case.

Portrait of police officer Julie Thompson. She wears a dark blazer and red blouse. Her hair is dark and she smiles pleasantly into the camera.

10/12: Officer Julie Thompson worked on Shelly's case. Thompson focused on looking into Shelly's banking activity and she was also present when Shelly's home was investigated and when her car was located.

Image of a piece of binder paper and handwriting on it. It is Wesley and Linda Julson's missing person's report. It says: Wes and Linda Julson, the parents of Michele Shelly julson would like to report the disappearance of our daughter. It is very uncharacteristic of her to abandon her child. She is a very caring and loving mother to her son. She would call frequently about his welfare even when in the care of his grandparents. If she intended to be late, she would let you know. It is also unusual for her not to pick up her paycheck. As a single working mother she needed her money to care and provide for Jaden herself. She has taken her responsibilities very seriously. It is also unusual of her to leave without notifying a friend or US of her whereabouts. Westley julsen, Linda julson

11/12: Shelly's parents Wesley and Linda Julson submitted this handwritten letter to Bismarck PD to further substantiate their strong belief that Shelly would not leave her son willingly.

Photograph of present-day Wes and Linda julson standing outside of their home in Center North Dakota holding a large framed photo of their daughter Shelly. It is Shelly's high school graduation photograph. Wesley Julson is wearing a short-sleeve blue button-down shirt and Mrs Julson a blue blouse. Wesley Julson is slightly balding and has grey hair. Mrs Julson has grey hair.

12/12: Wesley and Linda Julson outside their home in Center, North Dakota on June 21, 2022. The Julsons question how well Bismarck Police Department handled Shelly's case. Shelly disappeared on August 2, 1994 after dropping her son Jaden at his paternal grandparents home. She was going to pick up her paycheck and run errands but never returned.

About Dakota Spotlight, Season Seven: 'Call Me Shelly — The Mysterious Disappearance of Michele Julson'

In this season of Dakota Spotlight, creator, host and Regional Emmy Award-winner James Wolner looks into the cold case of 26-year-old Michele "Shelly" Julson, who vanished from Bismarck, North Dakota on Aug. 2, 1994. Granted exclusive, unprecedented access by police to the cold-case file, Wolner presents a play-by-play review of the initial investigation and further examines the strange events surrounding Shelly's life and her disappearance.

With the aid of new interviews with Shelly’s friends, family and retired police investigators, Wolner dives into the shadows of Shelly’s world at the time — Bismarck’s bar and gambling scene — and tracks the movements of several persons of interest. All in an attempt to answer the biggest questions of the case: What happened to Shelly? Where is she now?

People in this episode

(In alphabetical order)

Officer Robbie Carvell: Bismarck Police Department officer and patrolman, who responded to the Julson missing person report
Tony Hulm: Shelly's latest on-again/off-again boyfriend, and a bartender at Burnt Creek Club
Linda Julson: Shelly's mother
Michele "Shelly" Julson: a 26-year-old blackjack dealer and mother of 3-year-old Jaden, who went missing on Aug. 2, 1994
Wes Julson: Shelly's father
Julie Thompson: investigator with the Bismarck Police Department
Dennis Walls: Bismarck Police Department sergeant who was the initial and main investigator on the Julson case
Jaden Woodworth: Shelly's 3-year-old son
Kevin Woodworth: Shelly's former boyfriend and Jaden's father
Richard Woodworth: Jaden's paternal grandfather and the last person to acknowledge having seen her when she dropped Jaden at 104 American Ave.