Whereas investigating Michele Julson’s disappearance in Bismarck in 1994, police detectives realized she had informed family and friends {that a} Bismarck Police lieutenant named Donald Schaffer had been harassing her. Julson’s cold-case file gives no indication that Schaffer was ever investigated or questioned in regards to the harassment or Julson’s disappearance.
Within the new and maybe ultimate episode of Season 7 of the Dakota Highlight investigative podcast, founder and host James Wolner seems to be into Schaffer, his lengthy profession on the Bismarck Police Division and the way his paths crossed with Julson’s earlier than she disappeared.
Hearken to Episode 9 — Frightened, Adopted, Harassed
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A variety of unusual issues had been occurring to Julson simply earlier than she fell off the face of the earth in August of 1994. Between nameless hang-up telephone calls at house, her automobile being vandalized, being adopted house from work and an ominous car cruising previous her entrance door at evening, Julson was feeling harassed and on edge. Julson informed pals that one of many folks harassing her at work was a Bismarck police officer . . . named Don Schaffer.
Schaffer’s rise to lieutenant was not with out controversy and it abruptly led to 1996 after Schaffer was arrested for allegedly terrorizing and assaulting his girlfriend. In her utility for an emergency safety order in opposition to him, Schaffer’s girlfriend stated he threw her down some stairs twice and punched her within the face. “He was yelling he was going to kill me,” she wrote.
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About Dakota Highlight, Season Seven: ‘Name Me Shelly — The Mysterious Disappearance of Michelle Julson’
On this season of Dakota Highlight, creator, host and Regional Emmy Award-winner James Wolner seems to be into the chilly case of 26-year-old Michelle “Shelly” Julson, who vanished from Bismarck, North Dakota on Aug. 2, 1994. Granted unique, unprecedented entry by police to the cold-case file, Wolner presents a play-by-play evaluate of the preliminary investigation and additional examines the unusual occasions surrounding Shelly’s life and her disappearance.
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With the help of new interviews with Shelly’s pals, household and retired police investigators, Wolner dives into the shadows of Shelly’s world on the time — Bismarck’s bar and playing scene — and tracks the actions of a number of individuals of curiosity. All in an try to reply the most important questions of the case: What truly occurred to Shelly?
Gallery – Browse with arrow on proper
1/28: College portrait of a smiling Shelly Julson 18 years of age sporting blue button-down shirt beneath a purple knitted vest. Shelly has feathered, shoulder-length red-brown hair and darkish eyes and eyebrows.
2/28: Employees photograph of Lieutenant Don Schaffer of the Bismarck Police Division. Whereas investigating Michele Julson’s disappearence in 1994, investigators acquired a number of ideas informing them that Schaffer was one in every of a number of individuals harrasing Julson at an area bar, The Burnt Creek Membership. Julson’s chilly case file reveals no indication that Schaffer was ever spoken to by investigators with reference to Julson’s case. 100 and 4 pages of Julson’s investigative file had been eliminated in 1994 on the request of then head of investigations Lieutenant Myron Heinle.
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3/28: Bismarck Police Division’s lacking poster for Shelly Julson
4/28: When investigators walked the perimeter of Shelly Julson’s house the home windows within the again had been open. The entrance door was locked and the TV was on.
5/28: Shelly stated she was going to choose up her paycheck on the Fort Abraham Lincoln Basis workplace, 309 East Broadway in Bismarck. She by no means picked up her examine.
6/28: Shelly labored dealing black jack on the burnt creek membership and had been courting Tony Hulm a bartender there. Shelly informed family and friends the patrons on the bar had been harassing her and he or she had requested her supervisor to switch to a distinct location. On multiple event, Shelly believed somebody had adopted her house from the bar and her automobile was vandalized.
7/28: Shelly labored dealing black jack on the burnt creek membership and had been courting Tony Hulm a bartender there. Shelly informed family and friends the patrons on the bar had been harassing her and he or she had requested her supervisor to switch to a distinct location. On multiple event, Shelly believed somebody had adopted her house from the bar and her automobile was vandalized.
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8/28: Shelly Julson often labored on the Elbow Room. Totally different from at this time, in 1994 the bar was positioned close to third avenue and Important. 36 hours earlier than Shelly disappeared she was witnessed speaking to 2 males within the parking zone simply after closing. The lads had said they had been railroad employees and one of many males was going to be laid over in Bismarck a pair extra days.
9/28: Bismarck Police officer Dennis Partitions was the primary investigator to work on Shelly’s case.
10/28: Officer Julie Thompson labored on Shelly’s case. Thompson centered on trying into Shelly’s banking exercise and he or she was additionally current when Shelly’s house was investigated and when her automobile was positioned.
11/28: Shelly’s mother and father Wesley and Linda Julson submitted this handwritten letter to Bismarck PD to additional substantiate their robust perception that Shelly wouldn’t depart her son willingly.
12/28: Wesley and Linda Julson outdoors their house in Middle, North Dakota on June 21, 2022. The Julsons query how properly Bismarck Police Division dealt with Shelly’s case. Shelly disappeared on August 2, 1994 after dropping her son Jaden at his paternal grandparents house. She was going to choose up her paycheck and run errands however by no means returned.
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13/28: Phase of police interview report by Bismarck Police and Kevin Woodworth. Investigators falsely preserve that Kevin Woodworth and his father referred to as the police on the identical day Shelly went lacking.
14/28: Jaden Woodworth was solely 3 and 1/2 yrs outdated when his mom Michele Julson dropped him off at his paternal grandparent’s house. She stated she was going to run errands, however by no means returned. Lately, legislation enforcement informed him his father reported his mom lacking prematurely, and suspiciously—a declare now debunked by Dakota Highlight podcast.
15/28: Left to proper: Linda Julson, Jaden Woodworth and Shelly Julson in an undated {photograph} roughly three years earlier than Shelly vanished.
16/28: Anthony “Tony” Hulm graduated from Timber Lake Excessive College, Timber Lake South Dakota in 1975. In a 2022 interview with Dakota Highlight Hulm discusses his relationship with Shelly Julson who disappeared in 1994.
17/28: Shelly’s mother and father Wesley and Linda Julson submitted this handwritten letter to Bismarck PD to additional substantiate their robust perception that Shelly wouldn’t depart her son willingly.
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18/28: Lieutenant Myron Heinle was head of investigations throughout the preliminary investigation into Michele Julson’s disappearance. In 1994, for causes unknown, Heinle directed investigators to take away 100 and 4 pages of Julson’s police file. The contents of these pages is unknown.
19/28: Particular person of curiosity Rick Snell lived in an upstairs residence at 212 East Important Avenue in Bismarck. He was reported to be an everyday buyer at then close by Elbow Room Bar the place Shelly Julson labored.
20/28: Rick Snell didn’t return to work at Nice Strains in Bismarck on Wednesday, August third, 1994, the day following Shelly’s disappearance. He resurfaced six day’s afterward August 9, which investigator Invoice Connor considers to be an attention-grabbing coincidence.’ Shelly’s automobile was discovered on August 8, 1994.
21/28: Invoice Connor investigated Shelly’s cold-case from 2005 to 2010
22/28: Bismarck Police officer Cliff Emmert was one in every of a number of officers who regarded into Shelly Julson’s previous after she vanished beneath mysterious circumstances in August of 1994. He realized that Shelly had been getting harrased and her automobile had been vandalized simply previous to her disappearence.
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23/28: Officer Julie Thompson labored on Shelly’s case. Thompson centered on trying into Shelly’s banking exercise and he or she was additionally current when Shelly’s house was investigated and when her automobile was positioned.
24/28: Bismarck Police officer Dennis Partitions was the primary investigator to work on Shelly’s case.
25/28: Shelly labored dealing black jack on the burnt creek membership and had been courting Tony Hulm a bartender there. Shelly informed family and friends the patrons on the bar had been harassing her and he or she had requested her supervisor to switch to a distinct location. On multiple event, Shelly believed somebody had adopted her house from the bar and her automobile was vandalized.
26/28: Shelly labored dealing black jack on the burnt creek membership and had been courting Tony Hulm a bartender there. Shelly informed family and friends the patrons on the bar had been harassing her and he or she had requested her supervisor to switch to a distinct location. On multiple event, Shelly believed somebody had adopted her house from the bar and her automobile was vandalized.
27/28: Shelly Julson lived at 716 West Candy Avenue, in Bismarck. When investigators got here searching for her the doorways had been locked and the TV was on.
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28/28: Shelly stated she was going to choose up her paycheck on the Fort Abraham Lincoln Basis workplace, 309 East Broadway in Bismarck. She by no means picked up her examine.
(In alphabetical order)
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Russ Bryant: Investigator for Burlington Northern Railroad
Invoice Connor: Bismarck Police Division investigator
Officer Rob Carvell: Bismarck Police Division officer and patrolman, who responded to the Julson lacking individual report
Larry Helfenstein: Shelly’s pal
Tony Hulm: Shelly’s newest on-again/off-again boyfriend, and a bartender at Burnt Creek Membership
Linda Julson: Shelly’s mom
Michele “Shelly” Julson: a 26-year-old blackjack vendor and mom of 3-year-old Jaden, she went lacking on Aug. 2, 1994.
Wes Julson: Shelly’s father
Holly Ness: Shelly’s pal
Don Schaffer: Bismarck police officer and patron at Burnt Creek Membership. Shelly informed pals Schaffer had been harassing her at work.
Rick Snell: Didn’t return to work at Nice Strains after Aug. 2, 1994
Julie Thompson: investigator with the Bismarck Police Division.
Dennis Partitions: Bismarck Police Division sergeant who was the preliminary and lead investigator on the Julson case
Jaden Woodworth: Shelly’s son, 3-and-a-half years outdated when she went lacking
Kevin Woodworth: Shelly’s former boyfriend and Jaden’s father
Richard Woodworth: Jaden’s paternal grandfather and the final individual to acknowledge having seen her when she dropped Jaden at 104 American Ave.
Jenny Yantzer: Barmaid at Burnt Creek Membership. Shelly speculated that Jenny was liable for hangup telephone calls and harm to her automobile. Jenny has denied any involvement.
Folks in earlier episodes
Chris Aziz: Bartender on the Elbow Room. Witnessed Shelly with two males Sunday evening.
James Becker: Shelly’s pal
Kim Borner: Shelly’s pal
Walter Czerwinski: Retired Burlington Northern worker
John Drath: Wes Julson’s co-worker and acquaintance of Shelly
Clifford Emmert: Bismarck Police Division investigator
Jack Erhardt: Kevin Woodworth’s foreman at Miller Insulation
Sheila Heil: Shelly’s boss and co-worker at Fort Abraham Lincoln Basis
Darrel Helbing: One in all two railroad employees kicked out of The Consolation Inn swimming pool at 3 a.m. on Aug. 3, 1994. The lads had been within the firm of two unidentified girls and a 3rd man in a cowboy hat.
Mitch Maher: One in all two railroad employees kicked out of The Consolation Inn swimming pool at 3 am on Aug. 3, 1994. The lads had been within the firm of two unidentified girls and a 3rd man in a cowboy hat.
Robin Mostad: Shelly’s co-worker at The Elbow Room
Bonnie Munsch: Shelly’s pal and coworker, labored with Shelly on the Burnt Creek Membership the evening earlier than Shelly vanished. Bonnie felt Shelly didn’t appear her ordinary self that evening.
Tarileen Olson: Blackjack vendor at Fort Abraham Lincoln Basis
Mike Quinn: Agent at North Dakota Bureau of Legal Investigation
Amy Sansburn: Claimed she partied with Shelly at WE Fest.
Tammy Sumner: Shelly’s babysitter
Troy Schaner: Bismarck police officer who helped North Dakota Bureau of Legal Investigation’s aerial seek for Shelly’s automobile
Nick Sevart: Bismarck Police officer
Carol Thomas: Assistant supervisor at The Fleck Home lodge close to The Elbow Room bar