In the small city of Williston, North Dakota, the spring of 1981 was shattered by the sudden and mysterious disappearance of Barbara Louise Cotton, a 15-year-old White/Caucasian female. On the evening of April 11th, Barbara vanished after having a meal in the downtown area. Accounts of her last known moments vary, with some suggesting she had dinner with her boyfriend and another friend. One version of the story indicates that her boyfriend offered to walk her home, but she declined.
He reportedly watched her walk into Recreation Park before she disappeared from sight. She was never seen or heard from again, and her body has never been found.
In the immediate aftermath of Barbara's disappearance, the investigation was slow to gain momentum, with some initially believing she may have been a runaway. However, her family never subscribed to this theory, pointing to the fact that she left behind all her personal belongings, including an uncashed paycheck. The case grew cold over the years, leaving a void in the community and a lingering sense of unease. Her disappearance is now considered an unsolved murder.
Though no arrests have ever been made, law enforcement has publicly identified three persons of interest, all of whom are now deceased. One was Stacey Werder, a 21-year-old man who was reportedly with Barbara earlier in the evening she disappeared. Werder, described as a drifter, died by suicide in a jail in Malta, Montana, in July 1981, just a few months after Barbara went missing. Before his death, he allegedly spoke about Barbara.
Another person of interest was Frank J. Delapena, a migrant worker employed in Williston at the time of Barbara's disappearance. Shortly after she vanished, Delapena left North Dakota and later kidnapped and murdered two young girls in Wyoming. He also died by suicide in jail. The third person of interest was Barbara's own older brother, Frank Cotton. The reasons for his inclusion as a person of interest have not been fully disclosed, but he was never charged in connection with his sister's disappearance and is also now deceased. Decades later, the case of Barbara Louise Cotton remains an open and haunting mystery.
