Dark Side of the Desert

Summary

Podcast Summary: "Dark Side of the Desert" – 48 Hours

Episode Title: Dark Side of the Desert
Host/Author: CBS News
Release Date: May 14, 2025
Duration: Approximately 45 minutes

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Introduction

"48 Hours," an award-winning CBS News podcast, delves into the intricate and often haunting narratives behind significant crime and justice cases. In the episode titled "Dark Side of the Desert," the series explores the harrowing case of Michael Blagg, a seemingly upstanding family man whose life unraveled into tragedy and suspicion. This episode meticulously examines the disappearance and subsequent murder of Michael's wife, Jennifer Blagg, and their six-year-old daughter, Abby, against the backdrop of Grand Junction, Colorado.

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The Disappearance

A Calm Morning Turned Nightmare

On November 12, 2001, Michael Blagg followed his routine: waking up early, gently exiting the bedroom to let his wife Jennifer and daughter Abby continue sleeping, and heading off to his job as an operations manager. However, that day would mark the beginning of a nightmare for the Blagg family.

At around 7:00 AM [07:30], Michael made his first call to his wife, receiving no response. Subsequent calls throughout the day—morning, mid-morning, and noon—yielded no answers, heightening his concern. By 3:00 PM [15:24], Michael sensed something was amiss and decided to return home.

Upon arriving, he noticed unsettling signs: an open back door, disarray in the bedroom, and a significant bloodstain on the bed where Jennifer should have been. Desperate and horrified, Michael dialed 911 at [02:16] seconds past two minutes and eighteen seconds ([02:18]), reporting blood all over the bed and the absence of his family.

First Signs of Tragedy

As Michael navigated the scene, he discovered a large blood spot in the master bedroom and realized both Jennifer and Abby were missing. "I knew Jennifer was dead and I knew that probably Abby was too," he confided at [01:51] minutes. The absence of Abby remained a mystery, adding another layer of despair to the unfolding tragedy.

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The Investigation

Unraveling the Blaggs' Perfect Facade

The Blaggs were perceived as the epitome of a happy, devout Christian family. Michael, a decorated Persian Gulf War veteran and helicopter pilot, and Jennifer were active members of their evangelical church, organizing prayer groups and embodying the ideal couple. Their daughter, Abby, was cherished by everyone, described as "full of life" and a reflection of her mother.

Despite their outwardly perfect image, tensions and secrets lay beneath the surface. In late November [16:36], Michael confided in sheriff's investigator Steve King about a troubling aspect of his personal life: an addiction to hardcore pornography. Michael revealed that Jennifer had discovered his addiction, leading to significant marital strife. Surprisingly, instead of the relationship deteriorating, Jennifer chose to join him online, suggesting they use pornography as an "educational tool" following her hysterectomy—a revelation that seemed incongruent with Michael's previously pristine persona.

"This was during a time after Jennifer's hysterectomy, and she knew we were going to have to find other ways of satisfying each other," Michael explained at [17:18] minutes.

Suspicion Falls on Michael Blagg

As the investigation progressed, inconsistencies in Michael's story and behavior raised red flags. Notably, DNA tests confirmed Jennifer's blood only in the bedroom and the family van, an unusual distribution that lacked traces in other parts of the house. Additionally, the contents of Jennifer's purse, including an apology email from Michael reading "do not give the devil a foothold," and an empty jewelry box near the blood-soaked bed, suggested possible staging.

Sheriff's investigator Steve King grew increasingly skeptical of Michael's innocence. During an intense five-hour interview at [13:36] minutes, Michael maintained his innocence but appeared unusually detached, a demeanor that further fueled suspicion.

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The Crime Scene

Discovery at the Landfill

On June 4, 2002 [02:54], the decomposed body of Jennifer Blagg was unearthed at a local landfill in the high desert near Grand Junction. Sheriff’s investigator Steve King described the moment as "surreal" [03:27], emphasizing the shock and disbelief that followed. Jennifer was found wrapped in a red and black plastic tent, confirming her death by gunshot wound—a cause labeled as homicide by Michael himself at [03:59] minutes.

Abby remained missing, with no trace found despite extensive searches in the landfill and surrounding desolate mesas. The discovery of Jennifer's body intensified the investigation, shifting the focus squarely onto Michael Blagg.

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The Trial

Building the Prosecution's Case

The prosecution, led by District Attorney Frank Daniels, constructed a circumstantial case against Michael Blagg, positing that financial and psychological pressures led to the tragic murders. Evidence presented included:

• Blood Evidence: DNA confirmed Jennifer's blood in the bedroom and family van {Timestamp references can be added here}.

• Apology Email: A digital message from Michael expressing regret over giving "the devil a foothold" [13:18].

• Circumstantial Motives: Alleged strain from Michael's pornography addiction and potential marital discord.

In opening statements [32:15], Daniels painted a picture of a man pushed to his limits, suggesting that Michael's addiction precipitated a fatal confrontation leading to Jennifer's murder.

Defense's Standpoint

Michael's defense, led by public defender David Eisner, aimed to dismantle the prosecution's narrative by introducing doubt:

• Alibi: Michael claimed he was not involved in his family's disappearance and murder, insisting on his innocence despite the overwhelming evidence.

• Questioning Motives: Eisner argued there was no solid motive for Michael to commit such heinous acts, emphasizing his character and community standing.

• Character Witnesses: Family friends testified to Michael's pleasant demeanor and loving marriage, attempting to portray him as incapable of such violence.

Key Testimonies and Evidence

A pivotal moment in the trial occurred when Michael's mother-in-law, Marilyn Conway, testified about an alleged incident in Corpus Christi, Texas, where Michael purportedly cornered Jennifer while intoxicated. Michael vehemently denied the occurrence, asserting, "This assault never happened" [37:05], leading to significant tension and casting further doubt on the prosecution's case.

Additionally, the defense highlighted the absence of the murder weapon and the implausibility of the blood distribution pattern, challenging the prosecution's theory of a meticulously staged crime scene.

Verdict and Conviction

After days of testimony and deliberations, the jury convicted Michael Blagg of first-degree murder [42:30] and abuse of a corpse [42:55], sentencing him to life without the possibility of parole. Michael maintained his innocence post-verdict, stating, "I am innocent of these charges, and I have nothing further to say" [42:30].

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Aftermath

Appeals and Retrial

In a stunning turn of events, Michael Blagg's conviction was overturned in 2014, following revelations that a juror had lied about a history of domestic abuse. The case was retried in 2018, resulting in another conviction and life sentence. Despite Michael's incarceration, Abby remains missing, her whereabouts still unknown.

Community and Family Impact

The Blagg tragedy left deep scars in the Grand Junction community. Families once close became adversaries in the courtroom, and trust eroded as suspicions and revelations surfaced. Michael's sister, Claire Rochester, expressed doubts about the fairness of the trial, while supporters maintained his innocence despite overwhelming evidence.

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Conclusion

"Dark Side of the Desert" meticulously unpacks the complexities of a tragic family breakdown leading to murder, highlighting themes of facade versus reality, the impact of personal demons, and the challenges of seeking justice. The case of Michael Blagg serves as a somber reminder that beneath appearances, hidden struggles can lead to irrevocable consequences. The continued mystery surrounding Abby's disappearance adds an enduring layer of sorrow and unanswered questions, leaving both the community and listeners grappling with the elusive nature of truth and justice.

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Notable Quotes with Timestamps

• Michael Blagg on Discovering the Crime Scene [01:35]:
  "I know that pornography had something to do with it."

• Steve King on the Crime Scene [03:27]:
  "It was surreal. I mean, you couldn't script it in a movie like that."

• Michael Blagg on His Family [05:38]:
  "Would probably be the most unlikely to be us."

• Michael Blagg Confessing [17:18]:
  "This was during a time after Jennifer's hysterectomy, and she knew we were going to have to find other ways of satisfying each other."

• Michael Blagg on Seeking Help [14:43]:
  "Art, have you ever been involved in anything like this in your entire life?"

• Steve King on Blagg's Guilt [20:26]:
  "Michael Blagg murdered his wife and his daughter."

• Michael Blagg During Trial [32:25]:
  "That night, as Jennifer lay in bed, Michael got his gun. He loaded a round into the chamber, and he shot Jennifer in the face."

• Michael Blagg Post-Verdict [42:30]:
  "I am innocent of these charges, and I have nothing further to say."

• Steve King on Justice [43:53]:
  "The bottom line is that Michael Blagg's going to have a long, hard life. And then he's going to have to face God."

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"Dark Side of the Desert" offers a gripping exploration of a family's descent into tragedy, the relentless pursuit of truth by law enforcement, and the murky waters of justice where appearances often deceive. This episode is a testament to "48 Hours'" commitment to uncovering the layers beneath high-profile cases, providing listeners with a comprehensive understanding of the events that shape our society's quest for justice.

Transcript

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[Michael Blagg]

Tried calling her several times throughout the day and always got through to the answering machine.

[Narrator]

Hey, where are you?

[Michael Blagg]

I'm just calling to see how you're doing and I guess I'll just keep.

[Narrator]

Trying to get a hold of you.

[Michael Blagg]

Come home, go inside, pick up the normal packages on the way in and open the door and I can see down the hallway into my master bedroom and there's stuff on the floor, papers and her purses on the floor and I can't really see everything that's in there, but I know that that's not right and the bed's not made. On top of that, my daughter's not running out to me. Daddy. Daddy. And by the time I get most of the way down the hallway, I can see there's a large blood spot where Jennifer should be.

[Narrator]

911, where's your emergency?

[Michael Blagg]

I just got home from work and there's blood all over the bed and there's stuff all over the floor. My family's gone. My daughter and my wife aren't here.

[Narrator]

Okay, calm down.

[Michael Blagg]

Anyone who knows anything about my wife and my daughter, I pray that you'll come forward. I hung up the phone and I knew Jennifer was dead and I knew that probably Abby was too. And I knew that pornography had something to do with it.

[Narrator]

Dark side of the Mesa in the high desert on the rocky's western slope, the mesas tower over the town of Grand Junction, Colorado, almost as if to protect it from the outside world. But late on the afternoon of June 4, 2002, Grand Junction saw the unearthing of its own shocking secret here at the local landfill.

[Steve King]

It was surreal. I mean, you couldn't script it in a movie like that.

[Narrator]

The movie plays over and over in the mind of sheriff's investigator Steve King.

[Steve King]

The scoop is this bucket is coming out of the ground, this tent rips and this leg drops out of this tent. As everyone is standing there watching.

[Narrator]

The decomposed body of 34 year old Jennifer Blagg, wrapped in a red and black plastic tent.

[Michael Blagg]

There was a gunshot wound as a cause of death. Matter of death, homicide.

[Narrator]

Jennifer and her six year old daughter Abby had been missing for seven months. Abby has not been found to this day, not in the landfill, nor in the desolate mesas nearby. Until one day in November 2001, the Blagg family lived here in this comfortable house in a quiet cul de sac. The mystery of what really happened inside those four walls still haunts this town. The Blaggs, after all, seem so happy, so normal, so very nice.

[Michael Blagg]

I had everything. I was on top of the world. I had a great job, wonderful family, incredible wife and daughter. Everything was going perfect for me.

[Narrator]

They're kind of a poster child, sort of a family.

[Michael Blagg]

A photographic studio would probably have their.

[Narrator]

Picture up on the wall somewhere. The Reverend Art and Rhonda Blankenship got to know the Blaggs in 2000 through their small evangelical church. They just looked like an ideal couple, you know, friendly and open, talked. Everybody seemed to like them a lot. Both Michael and Jennifer were enthusiastic born again Christians, extremely spiritual. They organized personal prayer groups for the congregation. It was definitely an integral part of their lives. So if you had had to pick a couple to whom this would be the most unlikely thing to happen, this.

[Michael Blagg]

Would probably be it.

[Narrator]

Probably the most unlikely to be us. How did you meet Jennifer?

[Michael Blagg]

Oh, it was a wonderful love story. I was in the Navy.

[Narrator]

The Blaggs had met 10 years before in California. She was in college.

[Michael Blagg]

I recognized that there was something special about her.

[Narrator]

He was a decorated Persian Gulf War veteran, a helicopter pilot. I liked Mike from the beginning. He was a very personal young man. Jennifer stayed close to her mother, Marilyn, even after she married Michael in 1993. They seemed happy. I thought they were happy. In every letter she would tell me how much she loved Michael. This agrees. Michael's mother, Betsy was a fairy tale couple and he was absolutely in love with her. What was she like if she walked in this room now? What kind of person would I meet?

[Michael Blagg]

You would meet someone that would light this room up better than these lights do in here right now. And she could talk to a fence and make it smile. You'd like her right away.

[Narrator]

That's how people reacted. Oh yeah. And that little girl meant everything to the two of them. It's a girl. Abby arrived three years after they married there.

[Michael Blagg]

She said, hi.

[Narrator]

Did you see it? You'd have to see Abby to really understand how precious she was. She just was so full of life.

[Michael Blagg]

A miniature Jennifer. She was just wonderful in all aspects. Wake up singing in the morning and go to bed singing at night.

[Narrator]

And her parents seemed to dote on her. You better go, Abby. Run.

[Michael Blagg]

You better run.

[Narrator]

Mother and daughter still were asleep, Michael says when he headed out the door at six o' clock that November morning.

[Michael Blagg]

The normal routine for me is to kind of slide out of bed carefully because Jennifer's still asleep.

[Narrator]

Off to his job as operations manager at a local manufacturing plant, the Ametek Dixon Company. Around seven he called home. No answer.

[Michael Blagg]

It rang through to the answering machine. Good morning gorgeous.

[Narrator]

It's me.

[Michael Blagg]

Just calling to see how you and Abby are doing. Which isn't terribly unusual. Sometimes, you know, they're in the bathroom or doing other things.

[Narrator]

He says he called again mid morning. Hey, where are you? Just calling to see how you're doing again. Then at noon.

[Michael Blagg]

Hello my beautiful brides. Hope you're having fun. You're out and about doing all kinds of cool and nifty things. And now I'm starting to get a little worried. I haven't heard from her. She hasn't called me back on any of these calls. And the next time I get a chance to call is around three. Something that afternoon. Where are you guys? I hope everything's going okay. I love you.

[Narrator]

Admission around 4, he left for home. Later he told police he had sensed something was wrong the second he walked in.

[Michael Blagg]

There in front of me is an open back door. She wouldn't just leave a door or window open.

[Narrator]

But he says nothing prepared him for the horror of what he saw in the bedroom.

[Michael Blagg]

I can see there's a large dark spot on the bed. I think that maybe she's rolled off the bed and is on the the ground on the other side. And so I go around the side of the bed and there's more blood. And so at this point I know I have to call for help.

[Narrator]

911, where's your emergency?

[Michael Blagg]

Oh my God. It's in my house.

[Narrator]

The 911 dispatcher told him to check the garage. The couple's minivan was still there. Did your daughter go to school? It was not until the dispatcher asked about his daughter that Michael finally thought to check Abby's room. I'm going to go up and look.

[Michael Blagg]

At my daughter's room. Her school clothes are still laid out waiting for her. Her bed is messed up.

[Narrator]

Abby was gone.

[Michael Blagg]

Where can they be?

[Narrator]

The story of a bloody bed of a missing mother and child rocked the town of Grand Junction. It's very frightening. Very frightening. Particularly at first, everybody was just fearful. You know, they thought, is there some escaped prisoner on the loose? But the more the police looked at that crime scene, the more questions they had for Michael Blagg.

[Steve King]

I'm not sure anybody knows Michael Black. I mean, not who he really is.

[Narrator]

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[Michael Blagg]

You just don't do it to a baby.

[Narrator]

You just don't do it.

[Michael Blagg]

You just don't do it.

[Narrator]

Jennifer Blagg's older brother, David Loman, has no idea how many hours he spent combing the mesas around Grand Junction.

[Michael Blagg]

You always want hope.

[Narrator]

Searching for his missing six year old niece, Abby. He says it's the least he can do for his little sister.

[Michael Blagg]

We were best friends. We had an agreement that we never ended any conversation or goodbye, even for a few minutes without saying, I love you.

[Narrator]

Really?

[Michael Blagg]

Yeah.

[Narrator]

So the last time you talked to her.

[Michael Blagg]

I love you.

[Narrator]

Not long after that last I love you, Jennifer and Abby Blagg were reported missing.

[Michael Blagg]

Oh my God. It's in my house.

[Narrator]

And sheriff's investigator Steve King was trying to make sense of a bloody and bewildering crime scene at the time.

[Steve King]

Walking out of there, you're sort of scratching your head saying, well, this doesn't look right, and this doesn't look right, and this doesn't look right.

[Narrator]

No Jennifer, no Abby, no bodies and no sign of a struggle.

[Steve King]

How did this quantity of blood get here? And yet you don't have any sign of a normal attack situation.

[Narrator]

On the dresser was Jennifer's purse. The contents spilled out, including her keys to the van. Also in the purse, an email from Michael, an apparent apology. I would love to take some time to talk through the purse. It reads, do not give the devil a foothold. And near the blood soaked bed, on the carpet, Jennifer's empty jewelry box.

[Steve King]

You're struck by the fact that there was all sorts of other things there that someone that is in there purely for monetary gain would have taken with them. So I'm saying, you know, this crime scene doesn't look right. It looks like it's staged.

[Narrator]

What in the world did you think had happened?

[Michael Blagg]

I had no idea what had happened. I just knew that it was bad. Whatever it was, was bad.

[Narrator]

Which was exactly what Michael Blagg repeatedly told Steve King and other officers that night in an intense five hour interview. I have no idea with no lawyer present, but I saw a lot of blood.

[Michael Blagg]

A lot of blood.

[Steve King]

That first interview, we very much looked at Michael Blagg as victim of a violent crime.

[Narrator]

In measured tones, he conceded the couple had had some rocky times, but he said his marriage was solid.

[Michael Blagg]

You won't find anyone that loves each other more than we do. It's a wonderful marriage.

[Narrator]

King found Blagg's manner composed and collected, strangely unsettling.

[Steve King]

In fact, I said to him, if my wife and my child were missing, I would put probably be at St. Mary's Hospital being medicated at this point because of the fact that it's so stressful.

[Narrator]

After the interview, realizing that Blagg had no place to stay, I decided to take him home. Pastor Blankenship drove him to his own house. Did he talk to you? Not very much. In fact, really only one sentence. We drove along and he turned to.

[Michael Blagg]

Me and said, art, have you ever been involved in anything like this in your entire life?

[Narrator]

What did you think he meant when he asked you that?

[Steve King]

I don't know what he meant. I have no idea.

[Narrator]

Over the next few days, the community reached out to Michael Blagg. At the beginning, everybody was very supportive. The church really rallied around and they made little tags with ribbons that said, hope, you know, just Jennifer and Abby. And Jennifer's mother was right by Michael's side. If you know how to pray to the Heavenly Father, pray to him. Ask him to bring these precious people home.

[Michael Blagg]

Just allow them to come home. That's all I can ask. Please allow them to come home. Thank you.

[Narrator]

The appeals were heartbreaking, but investigators were beginning to have their doubts about Michael Blagg. For one thing, the blood evidence was puzzling. DNA tests confirmed that the blood in the bed was Jennifer's. But strangely, there was no trace of her blood anywhere else in the house. Even more striking was the one other place where her blood was found. It was in the family van parked in the garage. Small traces of Jennifer's blood on the door and inside. As more questions arose. You talked to him in this car, right?

[Steve King]

Yes.

[Narrator]

You talked to him in restaurants.

[Steve King]

Right.

[Narrator]

King began meeting with Blagg informally.

[Steve King]

He needed information about the case, and I needed information about him and his.

[Narrator]

Life and his family slowly zeroing in on the Blagg's fairytale marriage.

[Steve King]

I was pushing him on that. It's like, boy, you paint a really nice picture. That just sounds too good. Was when he started saying, well, let me tell you about, you know, the darker side. Let me tell you about the embarrassing side.

[Narrator]

In late November, Michael Blagg, publicly so devout, privately admitted to King that he was addicted to hardcore pornography. And that when Jennifer found out, she had been very upset. I mean, I would imagine that would have been a fairly heated conversation. It was, yeah, we like, what are you doing?

[Michael Blagg]

Yeah, we talked about very much like that.

[Narrator]

But then Michael says his equally devout wife decided to join him online.

[Michael Blagg]

She told me, I don't want you to be doing this, but if you are going to be doing this, then we should be together with this.

[Narrator]

They used hardcore porn sites, he says, purely as an educational tool.

[Michael Blagg]

This was during a time after Jennifer's hysterectomy, and she knew we were going to have to find other ways of satisfying each other. And we were looking at it more as experimenting, looking for alternate things that we could do.

[Steve King]

In the back of my mind, I'm thinking, okay, that just doesn't play right.

[Narrator]

For King, the explanation hardly fit the profile of a once hard, partying Navy pilot.

[Michael Blagg]

You're missing out on the party, dude.

[Steve King]

Why would you think that I wouldn't realize that based on your life experience, you probably didn't need to go to the Internet as an educational tool on oral sex?

[Narrator]

At what point did it begin to dawn on you that they Were thinking of you as a suspect. February 5th, three months after Jennifer and Abby disappeared, the investigators brought Michael Blagg back in for questioning. Again with no lawyer present.

[Michael Blagg]

They proceeded at that point to interrogate me for over 10 hours.

[Narrator]

By now, the FBI was involved, which meant that this interview, unlike the first, was not taped.

[Michael Blagg]

They were telling me that, you know, we know you did it. You're the one. Why don't you just tell us where they are? These are the people, by the way, that I was trusting to find my wife and daughter and to bring them home to me, you know, putting their fingers in my chest and. You're the one. You're the one. I know you killed him. Just tell us. I lost hope that day.

[Narrator]

Police found him the next morning.

[Steve King]

I saw Michael Blagg lying in the tub with blood.

[Michael Blagg]

I tried to slit my wrist.

[Steve King]

He had a picture of Jennifer and Abbey. He had a Bible, and it was open.

[Michael Blagg]

Next thing I remember was waking up in the hospital.

[Narrator]

Investigators also found a suicide note in which Michael Blagg insisted he was not a murderer. You had nothing to do with any of this?

[Michael Blagg]

Absolutely nothing to do.

[Narrator]

You know nothing about anything at all having to do with their disappearance or Jennifer's death.

[Michael Blagg]

All I know is what I saw when I came back to the house that horrible afternoon.

[Narrator]

But for some, Michael Blagg's suicide attempt was a clear sign of a guilty conscience. People did, for some reason, take that.

[Michael Blagg]

As a. Oh, well, that's what I thought.

[Narrator]

Community defining moment or something. Now even Michael's mother in law, Marilyn Conway, was beginning to have questions. Mike, it's Mama. I would like it if you would pick up the telephone. She agreed to help investigators by leaving Blagg a series of phone messages. Mike, will you help me out? With Jennifer and Abby demanding he come clean, I would appreciate it, Mike, if you would give me any information that you feel in your heart that you can possibly give me as to where my girls are. Blagg never responded. But investigator King is sure that he could have.

[Steve King]

Michael Blagg murdered his wife and his daughter.

[Narrator]

The problem may be improving it. Five months after Jennifer and Abby disappeared, volunteer searchers fanned out over the highlands and rivers around Grand Junction.

[Steve King]

200 volunteers working for 11 days, searching 45 miles around the Blagg residence.

[Michael Blagg]

This is Abby.

[Narrator]

Everybody needs to know who Abby is. It was incredible to see the turnout. This whole community got involved. There was employers paying wages of people to come out and search. But Michael Blagg was not among them. The Moose 100.7 Good morning. A fact duly noted in town. I don't remember him ever putting out pictures of his daughter or sending a big search party like a lot of parents would completely do. Black protests that it wasn't his choice.

[Michael Blagg]

They said that as a potential suspect in this, they just thought that it would be bad for me to be out there. And so I was barred from being able to search for my daughter, my wife.

[Narrator]

They told you specifically, you cannot go on the search.

[Michael Blagg]

That's correct.

[Narrator]

And you wanted to go on the search?

[Michael Blagg]

Absolutely. I wanted to go on that search.

[Narrator]

By spring of 2002, no bodies had been found. But Blagg certainly was a suspect complex. Crime unit and investigator King had a working theory.

[Steve King]

He shoots his wife. My belief is that he went upstairs and suffocated his daughter, put them both in the van and went to Ametek Dixon and put both of them in the trash receptacle there.

[Narrator]

One person could do that and not leave any blood through the house. No drag marks, you know? No, nothing like that.

[Steve King]

Well, committed, motivated person could do that. One that has thought about this in a cold, calculated, lean manufacturing type of way. Yeah.

[Narrator]

But if Blagg had put Jennifer's body in his company's dumpster, then her remains should have ended up here somewhere in the sprawling county landfill. But where. Where was she found?

[Steve King]

Up there.

[Narrator]

Did you honestly expect to find her when you came out here? At first.

[Steve King]

I think that you. You hope to find her.

[Narrator]

Using global positioning technology and landfill logs, they set up a grid system much like an archaeological site, zeroing in on quadrants where they believe they'd find trash from Blagg's company, trash dumped the previous November.

[Steve King]

There are people that I know that were out there when it was 104 degrees, when every bag it seemed like you were opening up was a dead deer or elk carcass. And that sight, that smell, would cause you to retch and just want to drop you to your knees.

[Narrator]

Finally, on day 16, they found Jennifer Blagg.

[Steve King]

The odds of that happening like that have to be astronomical. If you're a person of faith, you start saying it was meant to be that way.

[Narrator]

Authorities wasted no time. Two days later, they arrested Blagg at his mother's home in Georgia. Has there ever honestly been a moment when you said to yourself, could this possibly be. Could any of these things that they're saying about him possibly be so? Well, if we're talking about.

[Steve King]

About.

[Narrator]

Have I thought for a second he might have murdered his wife? Not one second. Still Betsy Blagg is worried. I just don't think Michael can get a fair trial here. I say he's guilty. I think he's guilty. To me, he's guilty. Definitely guilty. I thought he was guilty before he was even accused.

[Michael Blagg]

It just seems that way.

[Narrator]

What do you think happened?

[Michael Blagg]

At some point while we were out as a family, someone saw us and decided they liked Abby and wanted to take her after I had left. They broke in through the back, shot Jennifer, grabbed Abby. And why they took Jennifer at that point, I don't know. Unless it was somehow to control Abby.

[Narrator]

Why would someone who wanted to kidnap your child take your wife's body, you know, and have it end up in the landfill?

[Michael Blagg]

I can't explain why they took Jennifer. It's just. I know that it happened.

[Narrator]

When did you get here, Claire? I came in last night. Blagg's sister, Claire Rochester, arrives in Grand Junction just as the jury is seated. And she, too, wonders if a fair trial is possible. The people in this town need to understand that all of this time and this money that the police and the DA have devoted towards accusing my brother has been wasted. I think it should frighten this public that there is somebody out there who committed this crime. But public defender David Eisner, Blagg's lead attorney, says the cops never even considered that.

[Michael Blagg]

From the get go, they chose Michael Blagg as their number one suspect and they latched onto him and never let.

[Narrator]

Go, resulting, he says, in allegations meant to undermine Michael Blagg's character in the community. Allegations never prove true. Among them that Blagg, the good Christian, was looking at hardcore Internet pornography the night before he reported Jennifer missing.

[Michael Blagg]

Our computer analysis, which was later verified by the FBI's analysis, shows that there was no Internet computer access on the night of November 12th. It just didn't happen.

[Narrator]

Nor did what was widely reported in the local media that Blagg had visited an escort service for sex.

[Michael Blagg]

District attorney's investigation showed that these women were totally unreliable. There was absolutely nothing to support their statements that disappeared early on.

[Narrator]

And finally, there were leaks about Jennifer seeking advice on divorce from the local legal aid office.

[Michael Blagg]

The only day this could have happened. We know where they were. They weren't there. I've been working on this case for over two years.

[Narrator]

District Attorney Frank Daniels will prosecute the case.

[Michael Blagg]

It's a question of putting together all the pieces of evidence and being able to form a picture at the end.

[Narrator]

Michael Blagg is free on bail until trial. Now just days away. He starts each morning with church Then goes to his lawyer's office to help prepare his own case. What image number is that? 66. Otherwise, the Blagg family rarely goes out. Too many stairs. None of them is from Grand Junction. And in this town, they have few friends. I think they'll find justice. And I think that 99% of Mesa county agrees on what that is. So they hold up in a hotel and wait. He did not kill his wife. He did not do anything to harm or take his daughter. It just didn't happen. This episode is brought to you by Lifelock.

[Michael Blagg]

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[Michael Blagg]

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[Michael Blagg]

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[Michael Blagg]

By visiting lifelock.com podcast Terms apply.

[Narrator]

Now streaming. Hi again, TV's quirkiest crime solver.

[Steve King]

I'm Elspeth Tasioni.

[Narrator]

I work with the police. It's on the case. I like my outf outlandish theories with a heavy dose of evidence and ready to go toe to toe with a cavalcade of guest stars.

[Michael Blagg]

Are you saying that this is now a murder investigation?

[Narrator]

It's starting to look that way. Don't miss a moment of the critically acclaimed hit Elsbeth. All episodes now streaming on Paramount plus and return CBS fall. That sounds like fun. Obviously, murder's not fun. At Capella University, you can learn at your own pace with our Flexpath learning format. Take one or two courses at a time and complete as many as you can in a 12 week billing session. With Flexpath, you can even finish the bachelor's degree you started in 22 months for $20,000. A different future is closer than you think with Capella University. Learn more at capella. Edu fast as 25% of students. Cost varies by pace, transfer credits and other factors. Fees apply. I know I'm only 11, but my mom and I have been wondering. About what? Where Abby is. The district court in and for the 21st Judicial District of Mason County, Colorado is now in session.

[Michael Blagg]

I think we have sufficient evidence to prove guilty on a reasonable doubt as.

[Narrator]

The murder trial of Michael Blagg begins.

[Michael Blagg]

I'm trying to figure out why it says 29.

[Narrator]

We've waited for this for a long time and I'm ready. This is going to be several weeks. Jennifer's mother, Marilyn Conway Is no longer defending her son in law. What is your belief in regards to Michael Blagg's innocence or guilt? Well, I won't go there. Right now. Both families are suffering. Both families are mourning and are feeling an enormous loss. I can't help but empathize with Marilyn for what she's going through. I've lost my only daughter and her only child. And I can't tell you. Tell you how bad we miss them. The pain of not being able to talk to them is horrendous.

[Michael Blagg]

We're reconvened in 02 CR623.

[Narrator]

I did want to hug her and I did want to support her. And what I said to her was, we're all praying for the same thing, that the truth will come out during this trial. But the families of Michael and Jennifer, once very close, now find themselves on opposite sides of the courtroom. I don't understand why Marilyn is not openly sitting on our side with her arm around Michael. All rise.

[Michael Blagg]

Opening statements. Mr. Daniels.

[Narrator]

The prosecution lays out its case.

[Michael Blagg]

It was an ordinary day in the neighborhood. The evil was done in the dark of night.

[Narrator]

Arguing that that fatal weekend began with a. A fight. Jennifer noted in one of her religious.

[Michael Blagg]

Books, loving God with all your mind. There's a little note that says fought with Mike on Friday.

[Narrator]

The weekend ended, says Daniels, with Jennifer's murder sometime late Monday night.

[Michael Blagg]

That night, as Jennifer lay in bed, Michael got his gun. He loaded a round into the chamber, and he shot Jennifer in the face.

[Narrator]

As to why Michael Blagg would murder his wife, Daniels suggests his addiction to Internet pornography had split this once solid marriage.

[Michael Blagg]

Right here, there's a note typewritten with a signature line at the bottom.

[Narrator]

He shows the jury the apology email from Michael.

[Michael Blagg]

I am sorry if I have given the devil a foothold.

[Narrator]

The devil says the prosecution was lurking in Blagg's computer.

[Michael Blagg]

And do you remember how many pornographic photos you found?

[Steve King]

668 of the same theme or fetish.

[Narrator]

Details of which were too much even for the judge.

[Michael Blagg]

Excuse me, I don't think this is necessary.

[Narrator]

Ladies and gentlemen of the jury have.

[Michael Blagg]

The idea what these exhibits show.

[Narrator]

Pornography is going to play a big part in this. From the prosecution standpoint, how do you.

[Michael Blagg]

See that a cyber sex addict is not a murderer? Make you know.

[Narrator]

But this sex addict is a murderer. The prosecution insists there was a bullet in her skull. And the jury is spared no details of this crime.

[Michael Blagg]

Would that wound be consistent with having been fired more or less straight down into her head? If she had been Lying on the bed with her head on a pillow. With her head on a pillow. That would be consistent, yes.

[Narrator]

After killing Jennifer, the DA continues. Blagg transported her body in the family van, which explains the blood traces found inside. Defense has more trouble explaining it. Well, how did it get there?

[Michael Blagg]

You're asking me?

[Narrator]

I don't know.

[Michael Blagg]

They don't know how it got there.

[Narrator]

If I'm the juror, I'm wondering who knows.

[Michael Blagg]

The one on the steering wheel, the one on the brake pedal, are minute. And the only ones in the back of the car where the body would have been are right around the trim. There's nothing on the interior part of the car. And there's no evidence of cleanup.

[Narrator]

This is the challenge to explain why there's any blood thereof.

[Michael Blagg]

If it weren't a challenge, we wouldn't.

[Narrator]

Be here in court. The defense maintains that finding Jennifer's blood in her own van proves nothing. In fact, Eisner insists the prosecution's whole circumstantial case fails the test of reasonable doubt. He points out that no murder weapon ever has been found. And he says there simply is no believable motive. No reason why this caring husband suddenly should morph into a ruthless killer.

[Michael Blagg]

Cross examination, Mr. Eisner. Thank you, Judge. Defense would call Wendy Holgate.

[Narrator]

Family friends take the stand to praise Michael's marriage and his character. He was always very cordial, very pleasant. Just a happy, pleasant person to be around.

[Michael Blagg]

How did Michael Blagg treat Jennifer Blagg? Like she was a gift that God had given him. The guy was just an immaculate representation of what a husband should be.

[Narrator]

And, says Sister Claire, Michael was devastated after the disappearances. We all hugged each other. We cried, Mike cried. My mom and I cried. Marilyn was there. She hugged us. It was just a very emotional time. But the defense has a problem making that portrait of Blagg convincing. It's that first taped interview. He seems rather detached.

[Michael Blagg]

What if somebody put a body around your house? There's an open field back behind the house. There is no emotion. There is no passion. There is no where is my wife and daughter? It's not there. It doesn't exist.

[Narrator]

It is not true that he is cold or that he lacks expression. We're the kind of people who like to help other people. We're nice people. We're good guys. And it's pretty hard being one of the good guys and being seen as an absolute horror. But more damaging for Blagg's case than his demeanor is some surprise testimony from his mother in law.

[Michael Blagg]

Hey. The people call Marilyn Conway.

[Narrator]

It shocks the defense. Michael hurt her in Corpus.

[Michael Blagg]

He hurt her in Corpus.

[Narrator]

He hurt her in Corpus? Yes, he did. It even shocks the DA.

[Michael Blagg]

Mrs. Conway, you said that Michael hurt Jennifer in Corpus Christi, Texas?

[Narrator]

Yes, sir.

[Michael Blagg]

What do you remember about that?

[Narrator]

She called home one night and said that Mike had cornered her in the bedroom, and obviously he was drunk. I understood that he was trying to choke her. She says it happened 10 years ago. An incident apparently forgotten until now.

[Michael Blagg]

It shocked me as much as it did anybody else in the courtroom.

[Narrator]

It was new information to you as well?

[Michael Blagg]

Sure.

[Narrator]

I wasn't even aware it was going to come out of my. It just came out.

[Michael Blagg]

She got on the stand and lied. I think she saw the district attorney's case faltering, and I think she felt she would do whatever she could to help that case out. You reported that to an officer in this case sometime before today?

[Narrator]

I'm sure that I did. I may not have. You think she lied outright?

[Michael Blagg]

Yes.

[Narrator]

This assault never happened.

[Michael Blagg]

I don't believe it ever did.

[Narrator]

But she just made it up.

[Michael Blagg]

She made it up.

[Narrator]

As the defense deals with this setback, it also has a big decision to make.

[Michael Blagg]

Is this an appropriate time, Mr. Eisner, to talk with your client about whether he'll testify? Yes, it is. Judge. What is your decision?

[Narrator]

Will Michael Blagg try to save himself on the witness stand? Do you expect that you would take the stand?

[Michael Blagg]

We'll have to see.

[Narrator]

I believe the jury will make the right decision. And public opinion isn't necessarily always right, ladies. You'll end up shopping for your guy's deodorant. Right. So try Degree's original Cool Rush. You see, last year, Degree changed the formula, and men were mad. One guy even started a petition so Degree admitted they messed up and brought the original Cool Cool Rush scent back. It's clean, crisp, and actually smells like someone you want to cuddle. And it's in Walmart, Target and other stores now for under $4. So toss one in your cart and find out why it's the best selling men's antiperspirant for the last decade. Degree Cool Rush is back. And it smells like victory. This episode is brought to you by Selectquote. Life insurance can have a huge impact on our family's future. With Selectquote Getting covered with the right policy for you, you is simple and affordable. Selectquote's licensed insurance agents will tailor your experience to find a life insurance policy for your needs in as little as 15 minutes. And selectquote partners with carriers that provide policies for many conditions. Selectquote. They shop, you save. Go to selectquote.com SpotifyPod today to get started. With his murder trial coming to its close, Michael Blagg is sticking to what's become a morning ritual. A friendly nod and smile for the jurors day after day after day.

[Michael Blagg]

While they hold incredible power, they're interested in seeing me as a person, too. And I think that it's important to make the eye contact when possible. Thank you. Please be seated, ladies and gentlemen. Welcome back.

[Narrator]

My family is not prepared for a guilty verdict. His sister Claire, waits and worries. We're all looking forward to this being over. And at the same time, it's very frightening because over may not be the outcome that we know should happen. And that's just a scary thing to have to think about.

[Michael Blagg]

Is this an appropriate time, Mr. Eisner, to talk with your client about whether he'll testify? Yes, it is. Judge, what is your decision? I will not be testifying since Michael.

[Narrator]

Blagg won't be speaking for himself.

[Michael Blagg]

Mr. Eisner, this is actually three parts.

[Narrator]

David Eisner uses Jennifer's words.

[Michael Blagg]

My dear husband, the love of my life. There's no words to tell you how I feel about you. I adore you.

[Narrator]

To show that Michael never would have harmed her.

[Michael Blagg]

I love you. I enjoy getting to spend my life with you. We've had a good almost 10 years of marriage together. I truly wouldn't have wanted to be with anyone else or anywhere else.

[Narrator]

He quotes from a letter found in Michael's desk just days after her disappearance.

[Michael Blagg]

I'm your beloved wife who adores you.

[Narrator]

How could anybody read that letter and not think Jennifer was desperately in love with her husband?

[Michael Blagg]

You look at these pictures, you look at these documents, and you decide. Is the Michael Blagg that's in this case, is he really the cold blooded killer they want you to believe? Or is this what he really is? You've got to decide. Mr. Eisner had some photographs and letters on large boards up here. And, you know, that's the way it could have been, and that's the way it should have been. But that ended on November 12, 2001. Prosecution's case is built on shifting sands. And here we are at the end. You just have to hope that the jury has seen that, too.

[Narrator]

The murder trial of Michael Blagg is in the hands of the jury deliberations beginning early yesterday afternoon. Black's on trial for allegedly killing his wife.

[Michael Blagg]

Has a jury reached a verdict as to Each count? Yes, sir.

[Narrator]

The verdict comes in just over 24 hours. As to count one, we the jury find the defendant, Michael Blagg, guilty of first degree murder.

[Michael Blagg]

Mr. Blagg, anything you'd like to say before you're sentenced? I can tell you, your honor, that I am innocent of these charges, and I have nothing further to say. Thank you. For the offense of first degree murder, which is a Class 1 felony, the.

[Narrator]

Defendant is sentenced to the Colorado department.

[Michael Blagg]

Of Corrections for the remainder of his natural life. And for the offense of abuse of.

[Narrator]

A corpse, which is also a Class 2 misdemeanor. Unless he wins an appeal, Michael Blagg will serve life without the possibility of parole.

[Michael Blagg]

Thank you, ladies and gentlemen of the jury. He's a narcissistic pig as far as I'm concerned, and he deserves the sentence he got. We out tried him every step of this trial, and I guess the jury just didn't have the courage they needed.

[Narrator]

Michael Blagg is innocent of all the crimes of which he has been convicted. He is not guilty.

[Michael Blagg]

I'm glad it's over.

[Narrator]

But the jury's verdict doesn't answer the looming question, why guilty of first degree murder? Why would a man who seemed to have it all commit such a heinous crime against a loving wife and daughter? What do you think happened? Well, everybody will have to draw their own conclusion. I believe Jennifer was going to leave him.

[Steve King]

The bottom line is that Michael Blagg's going to have a long, hard life. And then he's going to have to face God. And Jennifer and Abby Blagg will be sitting on God's lap that day. And that's when justice will be serving.

[Narrator]

Faith also comforts David Loman, who is keeping up the search for Abby.

[Michael Blagg]

It's the idea of getting to put mom and daughter together again.

[Narrator]

And for answers he thinks only Michael Blagg can provide.

[Michael Blagg]

Everybody that's been married understands anger between two parents or two people. Not this kind of anger, but a child. A child. Whether it be your child or someone else's, it doesn't matter. It's a child.

[Narrator]

A child who sadly, never has been found and may never be at peace, perhaps in the quiet beauty of the high desert. In 2014, a judge overturned Michael Black's conviction After it was found. A juror lied about her history of domestic abuse. In 2018, Blagg was tried and convicted again and sentenced to life behind bars. Abby has never been found. Novocain is now streaming on Paramount. Plus, you're gonna love this. It's an adrenaline rush of fun. This is the best and a bloody good time. Looking forward to it. Novocain. Rated R. Now streaming on Paramount plus. Get ready to laugh until it hurts. You're gonna love this. Novocaine is now streaming on Paramount plus. I've got this condition. I don't feel pain. You're a superhero.

[Michael Blagg]

No.

[Narrator]

Yeah. It's an adrenaline rush of fun. This is the best and a bloody good time. Almost forgot the best part. It's the first great action comedy of the year. Year. Let the magic happen.

[Michael Blagg]

That's good.

[Narrator]

Looking forward to it. Novocain. Rated R. Now streaming on Paramount plus.