Blagg slaying case circumstantial
Patty
Hearing indicates prosecutors have no direct evidence to present
By Nancy Lofholm
Denver Post Western Slope News Bureau
Tuesday, December 10, 2002 - GRAND JUNCTION - If Michael Blagg is
bound over to stand trial for murder when his preliminary hearing is
wrapped up Dec. 24, it will be on circumstantial rather than any
direct physical evidence linking him to his wife's death and
daughter's disappearance.
Investigators stated Monday during a day of preliminary hearing
testimony in Mesa District Court that they have no direct physical
evidence - no murder weapon, no definitive fingerprints and no blood -
to tie Blagg to the crime. But they spent a day outlining factors,
including what they deem a near confession and an allegedly planted
love note, to link the former Navy helicopter pilot to his wife's
death.
Jennifer Blagg and their 6-year-old daughter, Abby, disappeared Nov.
13. 2001, from the family's upper-middle-class home on Redlands Mesa
near Grand Junction. Michael Blagg reported them missing when he
returned from his job as an engineer and said he found a large pool of
blood and some rifled items in the master bedroom.
Michael Blagg was arrested in June after Jennifer's body, with a
bullet in the skull, was found in the Mesa County landfill in an area
that contained trash that originated from a large industrial bin at
his workplace. The bin was emptied the day after Jennifer and Abby
disappeared. Abby's body has never been found.
The discovery of Jennifer's body prompted Blagg's arrest two days
later in a case that has grown to more than 60,000 pages of
investigative materials.
Some of the key evidence brought out by 7th Judicial District Attorney
Frank Daniels and deputy Bryan Flynn during testimony Monday includes:
The discovery of the body in trash that also yielded gauges, circuit
boards and documents from Ametek-Dixson, where Michael Blagg worked.
Public defenders David Eisner and Ken Singer countered that the trash
also contained many items from other locations.
On Feb. 5, when Michael Blagg was questioned for 10 hours,
investigators say he came close to making a confession.
Mesa County sheriff's investigator Wayne Weyler testified that Blagg
was tearful and repeatedly quoted the Bible passage "the truth will
set you free." He also asked about the possible consequences for
murder as opposed to manslaughter. Weyler testified that at the end,
Michael Blagg said, "I want to tell you the truth, but I want a lawyer
to tell me what the truth means."
The following morning, Blagg attempted suicide by cutting his wrists;
he has not spoken to investigators again.
Weyler said he attempted to elicit a "deathbed" confession, but when
he asked Blagg to tell the truth, Blagg whispered that he didn't know
what happened to Jennifer and Abby. He left a written suicide note
denying he had anything to do with his wife and daughter's
disappearance.
Michael Blagg wrote a loving note of apology to Jennifer on his office
computer at 3:58 p.m. on the day Jennifer and Abby disappeared. A
printed copy of that note was found in Jennifer's purse at the home
after Michael Blagg reported them missing at 4:20 p.m. The note
expressed a hope that they could work things out quickly in time to
enjoy their 10th wedding anniversary in several days.
One of the first investigators at the scene testified that a burglary
appeared to be staged. The contents of Jennifer's purse were strewn
about their bedroom and a jewelry box was dumped out. Nothing else,
including two safes, appeared to be touched. Three guns visible in the
master bedroom closet were not taken.
An insurance list of possessions found in the Blagg home shows that
Michael Blagg owned a 9mm Smith & Wesson in addition to the three guns
found in the closet. The Smith & Wesson has not been found. The bullet
that was removed from Jennifer's skull could have come from a 9mm
pistol, according to Colorado Bureau of Investigation agent Wayne
Bryant.
Defense attorneys pointed out it could have also come from a large
number of other models of guns.
Prosecutors are alleging that the Blaggs were having marital problems,
but defense attorneys pointed out that people close to the couple,
including Jennifer's mother, had seen no sign of trouble. They cited a
note from Jennifer found in Michael's desk that said "To Michael, my
wonderful husband who I cherish. We've had a good almost 10 years
together." It was signed "Your bride."
Michael Blagg's home and laptop computers contained several thousand
pornographic sites and two PowerPoint presentations allegedly created
by Michael Blagg.
Blagg's preliminary hearing will be wrapped up Dec. 24. At that time,
District Judge David Bottger will decide if he should be bound over
for trial. Bottger will also rule on a request for a bail reduction.
Patty
Police detail Blagg case
Alleged killer owned handgun that hasn't been found, cops say
By Ellen Miller, Special To The News
Rocky Mountain News
December 10, 2002
GRAND JUNCTION - Michael Blagg owned a 9mm handgun, the type of weapon that killed his
wife Jennifer, a detective testified Monday.
Investigators have not found the murder weapon. They did find a .22-caliber pistol, a
.22-caliber rifle and a 12-gauge shotgun in the Blaggs' house.
Blagg, 39, was charged with first-degree murder in his wife's death after the body of his
34-year-old wife was found in the Mesa County Landfill on June 4. The couple's 6-year-old
daughter Abby, who was reported missing along with her mother on Nov. 13, 2001, has not
been found and is presumed dead by authorities.
Mesa County sheriff's Detective George Barley, the lead investigator in the case, said a
list of household possessions taken from Blagg's personal records in the family house
shows a 9mm Smith & Wesson handgun.
The detective testified that Jennifer Blagg had written "fought with Michael on Friday" in
a note in a Bible study course workbook that was dated Nov. 12.
The testimony came during a daylong preliminary hearing that will continue Dec. 24.
Mesa County District Judge Dave Bottger said he'll consider a defense request to reduce
Blagg's $1 million bail when the preliminary hearing resumes.
Blagg, dressed in a sharp- creased suit and tie, exhibited no reaction during the hearing,
which was attended by his mother, sister, niece and several supporters from the church the
Blaggs attended. All declined to comment.
Detective Wayne Weyler said that Blagg broke down during an interview with authorities on
Feb. 5. Toward the end of the 10 ½-hour interview, Weyler said, Blagg prayed and then
said, "You need to understand I can't really tell you where the bodies are at."
Weyler said he urged Blagg to tell him the truth, and Blagg said, "I want to tell you the
truth but I want a lawyer to tell me what the truth means."
The next day, Weyler and another investigator went to Blagg's townhouse and found him in
his bathtub with his wrists cut. Weyler said the house and garage smelled of vehicle
exhaust and that police found two empty pill bottles and a trail of blood from the garage
to the bathroom.
However, a note Blagg wrote insisted he was innocent in the disappearance of his wife and
daughter, Weyler said.
Weyler described a pool of blood found on the bed in the master bedroom and small puddles
of "clear liquid" on the tile of the entrance to the house, an indication to him that
cleaning had been done.
The house was extremely neat and well-kept, he said, except for the master bedroom, where
an overturned jewelry box was found along with the blood and a pile of Jennifer Blagg's
clothing.
"In 22 years (of law enforcement experience), I've never been in a (crime) scene where a
burglar or rapist left money and many things behind," Weyler said. "It's very strange and
statistically unlikely."
Sheriff's investigators allege that Michael Blagg took Jennifer Blagg's body to his
employer's trash compactor in the family minivan. The blood in the bedroom and bloodstains
found in the van match Jennifer's DNA, a Colorado Bureau of Investigation expert testified
Monday.
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d~
>Michael Blagg's home and laptop computers contained several thousand
>pornographic sites and two PowerPoint presentations allegedly created
>by Michael Blagg.
What the hell does THAT mean?! I've got TONS of powerpoint
presentations on my computers! WTF?
d~
Good Earth
djominsa...@sayno2spam.hotmail.com says...
Powerpoint presentations of porn, maybe?
Good Earth
d~
good lord.
I can't even IMAGINE what good throwing porn into powerpoint would
accomplish.
d~
Cricket
"d~" <djominsa...@sayno2spam.hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:3dfa9ea9...@netnews.attbi.com...
Instructional presentation? ;>)
Bo Raxo
"Cricket" <cc...@quixnet.net> wrote in message
news:atbuob$ka$1...@news.laserlink.net...
Slide show.
Actually, the powerpoint slides could have been a map of the plan to kill
someone, dispose of the body, something vaguely suspicious like that. I've
seen some hilarious - in a dark, sick way - powerpoint presentations put
together by people sitting in a hotel room with a laptop and nothing better
to do.
And don't knock pornographic slide shows. You gotta do something with all
of those pictures of naked women you download.
Well, I do, anyway.
Bo Raxo