Renee Pagel, a recently divorced mother-of-three who had been bedridden following surgery, was discovered dead stabbed more than 50 times in her Michigan home in 2006. After a contentious divorce with her former husband Michael Pagel, who demanded custody of their children, property, and alimony from her, a judge sided with her, and the tragic tragedy took place a few weeks later.
The case was unsolved for 13 years after a few possible suspects before Michael’s brother Charles allegedly claimed to know crucial details about the murder. The latter claimed that the murder weapon was shown to him by the brother before it was dumped in the river, where it was later found. Michael admitted admission to second-degree murder in 2020 and was sentenced to a minimum of 25 years in prison.
In an episode dubbed “Window of Opportunity,” NBC Dateline will examine Renee Pagel’s stabbing death this coming Sunday, May 21. At 7:00 PM ET, the next episode will air on the channel.
Renee Pagel was found dead on August 5, 2006, by her father and stepmother in the bedroom of her Courtland Township, Michigan home. They dialed 911 after they discovered it. The victim’s body was still in bed when first responders arrived on the scene, and there was blood all around the room.
According to reports, Renee died as a result of more than 50 stab wounds to her face, head, and torso. She was recovering from surgery after giving a key to the father of one of her students just days prior, but despite being bedridden and suffering more defensive wounds, such as a gash across her palm, she fought her assailant bravely.