ND ND - Barbara Cotton, 15, Williston, 11 Apr 1981

[theforgotten]

Season 5 episode 17 of the Dakota Spotlight podcast, Barbara’s older brother Frank, now deceased, was a POI in Barbara’s disappearance. What??!

That was a good podcast. I felt awful for their niece! I hope Barbara's family and friends get some answers soon!

 

[Bit of hope]

What's disturbing to me is that there are only 3 unidentified persons (one of them an infant and two males) listed/entered in Namus. Somehow I'm not buying that. There must be far more.

 

[Schiellj]

What's disturbing to me is that there are only 3 unidentified persons (one of them an infant and two males) listed/entered in Namus. Somehow I'm not buying that. There must be far more.

I'm not sure I know what you mean. Barb now has 28 exclusions as "Cheerleader in the Trunk" has recently been added.


(It says 29 exclusions however, the Monmouth County Jane Doe is listed twice)

 

[Schiellj]

I also submitted the following UPs:
UP4611
UP1265
UP53955
UP4603
These haven't been added to Barb's exclusions list despite the first 3 being submitted almost a year ago and UP4603 submitted over a year ago.
I submitted 8 total so we're batting 50% I guess.

 

[Schiellj]

It has been 2 years in the works but
The Vanished podcast has released Barb's 2-part story to early access for their patreon supporters.
Episode 1 will be released to the public tomorrow, September 12th 2022, and episode 2 will be released the following day!

https://www.patreon.com/posts/barbara-cotton-1-71653501

 

[Schiellj]

The first half of Barb's story has been released and the 2nd half will be released tomorrow wherever you get your podcasts!

EPISODE 361: Barbara Cotton Part 1 - A Lost Girl — The Vanished Podcast

On April 11, 1981, a 15-year-old girl named Barbara Cotton disappeared from Williston, North Dakota. Barbara's mother, Louise, called around to her friends to see if they had seen her, but no one said they had. Louise reported her daughter missing to the Williston Police Department and sent any tips

www.thevanishedpodcast.com

 

[chaddylex]

Here is the 2nd half of the episode Barbara Cotton Part 2: A Tangled Web

On April 11, 1981, 15-year-old Barbara Cotton disappeared from Williston, North Dakota. Barbara was a bright young woman with plans for her future. She was saving for her first apartment that she planned to rent when she turned 16 in the fall. Barb’s dreams came to a screeching halt on that chilly spring evening when she seemingly disappeared into the night. Piecing together even the most basic clues today is difficult. Who last saw Barb, and at what time? And how can we even confirm these things now? There are conflicting stories and big puzzle pieces missing. Now more than ever, people are invested in finding out what happened to Barbara Cotton. They might be getting closer to the truth.

If you have any information regarding the disappearance of Barbara Cotton, please contact the Williston Police Department at 701-577-1212.

 

[theshadow45]

Bumping, today is Barbara’s birthday.

 

[John/Jane Doe]

@Caring1 Hey could you post the current list of NamUs exclusions for Barbara Louise Cotton? I would greatly appreciate it.

 

[Caring1]

@Caring1 Hey could you post the current list of NamUs exclusions for Barbara Louise Cotton? I would greatly appreciate it.

29 Unidentified Person Exclusions

 

[Richard]

This April will mark 42 years missing.

 

[theshadow45]

Barbara has been missing for 42 years today.

 

[Richard]

Barbara Cotton, 15, Missing since 11 April 1981

LINK:

"Persons of interest" in missing Barbara Cotton case - Listen to full interview with investigators at Williston police department

It's been 40 years since anyone has seen or heard from Barbara Cotton, who vanished from Williston, N.D. at age 15. Over the decades, several generations of investigators have tackled this cold case. In episode 6 of "A Better Search for Barbara," Dakota Spotlight Podcast interviews Williston Police…

www.thedickinsonpress.com

 

[John/Jane Doe]

Barbara Louise Cotton – The Charley Project

 

[Caring1]

Bump for Barbara and her family. No new exclusions.

 

[Caring1]

 

[Bit of hope]

1DFND - Barbara Louise Cotton

In July of 1981 (so a couple of months after Barbara went missing), the boyfriend hung himself in a jail in Montanta. I don't think Montanta exist? Why was he in jail? And was there a link with Montana? Did he flee from ND to Montana?

 

[Schiellj]

1DFND - Barbara Louise Cotton

In July of 1981 (so a couple of months after Barbara went missing), the boyfriend hung himself in a jail in Montanta. I don't think Montanta exist? Why was he in jail? And was there a link with Montana? Did he flee from ND to Montana?

Barb has a website where I tried to explain things out the best that I could.
You don't think Montana exists?
It is unknown if he was actually Barb's boyfriend.
He was in jail for disorderly conduct.
He was a drifter from California. He may have been headed towards home.
I've never heard it described as him fleeing and I haven't found anything that suggests he was running away from anything. He didn't even make it across Montana in the months following her disappearance.

 

[summergirl1]

. Cotton feels that… (and there’s another person listed in here)… may know where she is but is not telling.”

If this person is still alive, then it would certainly be interesting to get their thoughts about why Louise Cotton felt that way. They may not remember, now, though.

Barbara's case is unfortunately one of many back then where the fact she was assumed to have run away made sure there wasn't the investigation there should have been early on. Even her mother thought she ran away early on or at least thought that was the most likely possibility. I think on her mother's part that may have had something to do with denial. And the police back then seemed to jump to the conclusion that many teenagers ( or those even younger, too)" ran away", even in cases where that was less likely to be a possibility than with Barbara. Obviously Louise Cotton didn't know the whole story on Stacey Werder, though.

 

[Bit of hope]

Barb has a website where I tried to explain things out the best that I could.
You don't think Montana exists?
It is unknown if he was actually Barb's boyfriend.
He was in jail for disorderly conduct.
He was a drifter from California. He may have been headed towards home.
I've never heard it described as him fleeing and I haven't found anything that suggests he was running away from anything. He didn't even make it across Montana in the months following her disappearance.

I don't know why I wrote that....must be a mistake on my site. Of course Montana exists.