Michigan Man Arrested For His Wife's Murder 13 Years Later
MICHIGAN (CNN) - Michael Pagel appeared stoic as he was arraigned Thursday afternoon on charges for the planned killing of his wife, Renee Pagel, the mother of his three, now grown children.
Renee's long time close friend, Chris Crandle says Renee was near the end of a difficult divorce and she expressed concerns that her husband may harm her or the kids.
According to the Kent County Sheriff's Office, Renee was 41-years-old when she was stabbed to death in her Rockford-area home in August of 2006.
She was home recovering after donating a kidney to a parent of one of her students at the Kent County ISD.
Search warrants revealed that responding officers found her covered in blood, defensive wounds on her body and spatter on the headboard, walls and window.
"There was no sign of forced entry into the home. And there were valuables left in plain sight throughout the home so it kind of ruled out the fact that there was a theft," said Sheriff Michelle LaJoye-Young of Kent County.
Mike Pagel was a person of interest from the beginning, but authorities struggled getting evidence linking him to the crime.
The case grew cold until 2 years ago when it was re-examined.
Pagel now faces a count of first-degree premeditated murder. The judge has ordered he be held on $2 million bond.
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