Susan Spencer of 48 Hours investigates the November 2001 murder of Jennifer Blagg, 32, and the disappearance of her 6-year-old daughter Abby Blagg in the 48 Hours episode “Dark Side of the Mesa.” Jennifer Blagg’s husband Michael Blagg says he came home from work and saw the house in a disarray and then saw a big blood stain on his bed where his wife slept. Jennifer and the Abby weren’t in the house. Seven months after their disappearance, Jennifer’s body was found in a trash bin. (She had been shot at close range in the face.) Two days later Michael Blagg was arrested. (Abby remains missing.) In 2004, Michael Blagg, who has claimed his innocence from the very beginning, was convicted of killing his wife. He was sentenced to prison for life without parole.
Ten years after his sentencing, Blagg’s conviction was overturned when it was discovered that one of the jurors failed to mention that she had suffered domestic abuse. Blagg’s second trial started in February 2018. In court, Blagg’s defense attorney argued that Jennifer Blagg was killed by a child predator targeting Abby and provided a name of a potential suspect. The judge dismissed the possibility. Michael Blagg was found guilty of murdering his wife and dumping her body in a trash bin. Abby would be in her 20s now. 48 Hours airs Saturdays at 9pm and 10pm on CBS.
[CBS streaming: Cable cutters watch a live stream of any CBS show through Amazon Prime or CBS ALL-ACCESS. Both options offer free trials.]
