Dateline: Unforgettable is examining the murder of Renee Pagel by her husband, Michael “Mike” Pagel, who brutally stabbed his wife as they went through divorce proceedings in Courtland Township, Kent County, Michigan.
On August 5, 2006, Renee was recovering from surgery after donating her kidney when Pagel attacked her as she lay in bed.
The twisted killer stabbed the 41-year-old mother of three more than 50 times in her head, face, and torso. Despite her weakened position, Renee fought hard for her life, as proved by the multiple defensive wounds she suffered on her hands.
Renee left behind three children: 7-year-old twins Sarah and Joel and 3-year-old Hannah. Their father then raised the children until he was finally arrested 14 years after the murder.
The Kent County Sheriff’s Office had always considered Pagel a person of interest, but he had appeared to have a rock-solid alibi.
However, he was arrested in February 2020 after he made incriminating statements that led officers to the murder weapon.
Assistant Kent County Prosecutor Kellee Koncki accused Pagel of committing a heinous and selfish act that deprived three young children of their mother and was now also depriving them of their father.
Watch the Latest on our YouTube ChannelRegarding the murder itself, Koncki said, “She died a gruesome, painful, horrifying death at the hands of the father of her children.”
Mike Pagel pleaded guilty to Renee Pagel murder
In May 2020, Pagel pleaded guilty to second-degree murder but claimed he hired his brother, Charles Pagel, to do the actual stabbing. He told the detectives that he wasn’t in his right mind and that the stress of divorce and the custody battle led him to murder.
The police disputed his allegation about his brother, stating there was no evidence that Charles Pagel was involved and that Pagel had acted alone.
Pagel was eventually sentenced to a minimum of 25 years and a maximum of 50. He will be 80 years old when he is eligible for parole.
Mike Pagel apologized to his kids for killing Renee Pagel
At his sentencing, Pagel asked for forgiveness. He told family and friends, “What I did was wrong and I deserve consequences. I am ultimately responsible, and I regret that very much.” However, he continued to claim his brother was the killer.
A letter written to the court by the now-adult Sarah Pagel spoke of the indescribable pain she and her siblings felt when they lost their mother at such a young age. But she also claimed her father did an “incredible job” raising them.
Dateline: Unforgettable airs Thursdays at 8/7c on Oxygen.