Dateline: Window Of Opportunity - 5 harrowing details about Michigan resident Renee Pagel's death, revealed

An episode of Dateline—Window of Opportunity talks about Renee Pagel, a mom from Michigan, a nursing instructor, and a woman deeply faithful to serving others. Renee was heartlessly murdered in August, 2006. Her body was found to have been stabbed over 50 times in her own home.

The case that had to be fought for her justice remained cold for years on end, something that left her family and friends in search of some desperate need for answers.

Dateline - Window of Opportunity dives deep into the case of Renee Pagel, trying to throw some light on the many outrageous and distressing details of this case.

Here are five harrowing eye-openers from the Dateline episode that we’ve listed out just for you:

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1. Renee's selfless act before her murder- Her story as told on Dateline

In one of the most tear-jerking twists of this cold case covered on Dateline—Window of Opportunity—just days before her brutal murder, Renee Pagel had decided to make a generous decision to make a contribution of her kidney to a man she scarcely knew.

One of the fathers of her nursing students, Phil Salliotte, was in dire need of a kidney, and Renee, always wanting to put others first, came forward with the option of donating one of her own kidneys to the man.

It was a life-saving deed that would eventually be minimized by her ruthless murder just five days down the line. The shockwave and grief felt by her family and those close to her due to her murder were combined with the utter irony of the charitable life she gave to another person, only for hers to be stolen away from her so vehemently.

A correspondent tells Dateline - Window of Opportunity

“Renee Pagel’s friends and daughter shared their stories with me, they talked about their fight for truth and justice, but in the end, this story is about Renee, a generous soul who touched the lives of everyone around her, even people she barely knew.”

2. The gruesome discovery of her body

As the Dateline episode further follows its tracks, Renee’s body was located by her father on August 5, 2006. As imagined, a father finding his dead daughter brutally murdered and lying on the floor, the crime scene as seen by Renee’s father was unsettling.

It was later found out that Renee had been knifed in the most brutal way possible for more than 50 times.

Upon entering the crime scene, Renee’s distraught father rings up the 911 phone call:

“My daughter…We just found her in bed and she’s got a lash on her arm, and, uh, she’s all bloody.”

The most significant evidence of struggle from Renee’s end was a deep wound located on her hand, which is a clear indication of signs to defend oneself against the person attacking. Every inch of the room where she was found in was sprayed with her dark red blood.

It was a clear indication right from the beginning of the case that whoever had committed this gruesome act of violence wanted her to not live another day at all, which also sparked speculations for personal enmity between Renee and the attacker.

3. The estranged husband as the suspect

At the time of her murder, Renee was also going through a sour divorce from her husband, Michael Pagel. Their marriage and relationship had worsened after years and years of stress over financial matters, including Michael’s lack of enthusiasm to work a full-time job all this while Renee was the main breadwinner of the house.

As Dateline narrates the story, it was Michael’s reaction to Renee’s murder that raised doubts and suspicions surrounding him as a low-key suspect. When the officials informed him of her passing, he showed little to no emotion, giving out a lawyer card rather than articulating his emotions and concern.

This is where he takes the beat.

According to one of Renee's friends:

"She was the worker, she was the breadwinner and he had backed off a little bit on his full-time work and he stayed home and was able to play with the kids and I know there was a little bit of tension there...”

Investigators began to focus on him as a suspect, particularly after they found out some details about his attitude and marriage life with Renee.

4. The key piece of evidence: The flashlight

One of the most important pieces of evidence recovered from the crime scene was a flashlight—orange, clean, and something that felt out of place.

Investigators at first found no direct link bridging the gap between the flashlight and the murder case of Renee Pagel, as talked about on Dateline —Window of Opportunity.

Years passed by, and there was no resolution to the brutal case covered on Dateline whatsoever. However, a few years down the line, the investigating team discovered that Michael (Renee’s husband) owned another similar-looking flashlight, and the two flashlights had been sold together.

This discovery provided an inch of the evidence required to link Michael Pagel to the crime… But was this enough?

Another important detail that puts Michael’s one leg in the grave is his battle for custody with the kids that he eventually ended up losing to Renee.

Joyce Schaner says,

“The judge told Mike in no uncertain terms you’re going to go get a job and you’re going to work full time and you are going to pay child support and Renee is going to stay in the home and he was incensed…”

5. The Confession That Broke the Case Open

With no arrest being made, the case stayed on as a cold case for more than a decade, until… a dreadful breakthrough was made when Michael’s brother, Beau, got in touch with the investigators.

During a documented phone conversation, Beau disclosed that Michael had come clean about him taking Renee’s life while the brothers were on a hunting trip. He declared that Michael had said,

"This is how I finalize a divorce."

Beau led the investigators to a creek where Michael had discarded the murder weapon, and after rummaging the area, the knife used to brutally murder Renee was finally found.

This revelation, along with the murder weapon being found, was enough for an arrest warrant for the murder of his wife, Renee Pagel.

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Through the constant struggles of her family, friends, and the investigative team, justice was finally served after 13 years of living in the dark.

Renee Pagel’s story, now documented on Dateline: Window of Opportunity, acts as a reminder of the lengths people are likely to go to for those whom they love in search of justice.

Michael Pagel is now sentenced to jail for 25-50 years on account of brutally murdering his wife, Renee Pagel.