Who Killed Renee Pagel & Why?

Disclaimer: This article contains mentions of murder. Reader discretion is advised.

Dateline: Unforgettable reexamines Renee Pagel’s murder case and lengthy investigation that revealed her killer was someone close to home. The episode “Window of Opportunity” will air on the Oxygen this Thursday, August 8, 2024, at 8 p.m. ET. A synopsis reads, “A bombshell more than a decade after the crime reignites the investigation into the death of Sarah Pagel’s mother; Andrea Canning looks back at her emotional interview with Sarah, whose mom touched so many lives.”

Renee Pagel’s family members found her dead from multiple stab wounds in her Michigan home in August 2006. The incident happened in her bedroom, where she died of more than 50 stab wounds to the head, face, and torso. Renee had recently undergone surgery and was on bed rest at the time. Reportedly, the crime scene had blood splatter on the walls, prompting authorities to deduce that the killer attacked her in a crime of passion.

Detectives soon learned that Renee and her former husband, Michael Pagel, had gone through a bitter divorce before the murder. Michael, who sought custody of their children, property, and alimony from Renee, had lost the battle. This initially seemed like a motive, but the case went cold due to lack of evidence. More than a decade later, an unlikely confession led investigators to the killer, Michael Pagel.

Why did Michael Pagel kill Renee Pagel?

Seven weeks before Renee Pagel’s murder, she had won a contentious custody battle against her former husband, Michael Pagel. Sportskeeda reported that Michael had been seeking the custody of their three children, alimony, and the house. But, a judge sided with Renee and ordered Michael to pay alimony instead. Detectives suspected the duo’s bitter divorce prompted Michael to commit the crime. They also believed the killer was aware of Renee’s surgery since it would have been easier to attack the defenseless, bedridden victim.

However, Michael Pagel refused to talk to authorities and asked for a lawyer. Detectives also suspected his brother Charles’ involvement since he had a strained relationship with the victim. Charles said he had a solid alibi as he was on the other side of the state when the murder took place. He claimed he returned home after driving his regular route that evening and was with his daughter the following morning. Due to a lack of evidence, the case went cold and remained unsolved for 13 years.

Then, in November 2019, Charles tipped off Renee Pagel’s best friend, Chris Crandle, which provided a breakthrough in the case. According to Oxygen True Crime, he told Crandle in a call that he was afraid of becoming Michael Pagel’s next victim. After the call, authorities scheduled an interview with Charles, who confessed that Michael killed Renee.

He reportedly told detectives everything he knew about Michael Pagel’s alleged involvement in Renee’s murder. Charles revealed that he witnessed Michael discard the murder weapon, a knife, in a river in 2011. The two were sitting inside a car and drinking together near a river when Michael took out a knife wrapped in cloth from a bag. He then admitted to Charles, “This is how I finalized my divorce.”

Authorities eventually recovered the murder weapon from the river. They arrested Michael in connection with Renee Pagel’s murder on February 6, 2020. He took a plea deal on a second-degree murder count. However, the case took another turn when Michael appeared in court during the plea hearing and made a shocking claim. He alleged to have hired his brother Charles to commit the murder.

In October of that year, Renee Pagel’s killer, Michael, received a prison sentence of 25 to 50 years. The case will air on Oxygen’s Dateline: Unforgettable on Thursday, August 8, 2024.