031 - The Murder of Joel Lovelien

Joel Lovelien took his fiancee to a Halloween party at the Broken Drum bar and grill in Grand Forks, North Dakota on Saturday, October 27th, 2007. The party was big, and a bus pulled up pouring out 40 to 50 twenty-somethings making it even busier. Joel took a call outside, and when he returned, explained to his fiancee that he was going to check on someone he saw outside who may have been left behind.Show more

Moments later, a woman came in screaming to call 911 and Joel's fiancee made the grisly discovery of Joel's beaten body. He was rushed to the hospital, but died as a result of his wounds. The investigation began, but it contained a sordid cast of characters like you'd find in a bad comic book. Identities were unknown, but Police were looking for men dressed as a cowboy, hunter, lion, construction worker, gangsta rapper and a clown.

When all was said and done, the Lion - a man named Travis Stay was arrested and tried for the murder, but ultimately, was found not guilty. While many believe Stay was the perpetrator, others feel that some of the other men from the party bus may have actually committed the crime in a drunken rage.

Join host Steven Pacheco as he attempts to maneuver through this confusing case in an attempt to answer the question: Who murdered Joel Lovelien?

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