Second Jury Finds Michael Blagg Guilty Of Murdering His Wife
GOLDEN, Colo. (CBS4) - A second jury has found Michael Blagg guilty of murdering his wife more than 15 years ago. He was immediately sentenced to life in prison without parole.
Blagg only blinked as the judge read the verdict. The disappointment among his family members was more apparent.
The jury in Blagg's retrial started deliberating the case on Monday. On Thursday morning they announced their verdict, declaring him guilty on all the four counts he was facing:
- First degree murder after deliberation
- Theft (two counts)
- Abuse of a corpse
The prosecution argued that Blagg shot his wife in the head as she slept 17 years ago in their Grand Junction home.
"He stood over his wife's head, covered it and shot her in the face," the prosecution stated.
They claimed he took her body to a trash compactor where he worked. Jennifer Blagg's body was found in a landfill several months later.
Their young daughter, 6-year-old Abby also disappeared at the same time. Her body has never been found, but investigators say Abby is presumed dead.
Defense attorneys claim it was not Blagg who killed his wife, but rather a serial pedophile and killer who had entered the house.
Blagg's defense team said hairs were found in the couple's bed that did not belong to either Michael or Jennifer.
Prosecutors said he staged the home to look like a robbery.
Blagg took the stand in his own defense and stated that he did not kill his wife.
"I loved her with all my heart," Blagg testified.
Jennifer Blagg's mother addressed the court with visible grief.
"The loss of two children at one time cannot be compared and I hope no one else ever has to experience this," said Marilyn Conway.
Michael Blagg's family continued to show their support, "We believe in our brother Michael Blagg and we love him completely."
Blagg's previous trial
Blagg was found guilty of murdering his wife Jennifer in Grand Junction in 2004, but a judge threw out his original conviction because a juror lied on her jury questionnaire about being a victim of domestic violence.
The case was moved to Golden in an attempt to find an impartial jury due to all the publicity on the Western Slope.
