48 Hours - Dark Side Of The Desert

Episode Date: January 11, 2026

In November 2001, Michael Blagg returned to his Colorado home to find a bloody bed and an empty jewel box, but his wife and their six-year-old daughter were missing. When investigators learned that Blagg and his wife had argued over his addiction to hard-core pornography, Blagg became the prime suspect. “48 Hours" Correspondent Susan Spencer reports. This classic "48 Hours" episode last aired on 3/24/2007. Watch all-new episodes of “48 Hours” on Saturdays, and stream on demand on Paramount+. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

I tried calling her several times throughout the day and always got through the answering machine. Hey, where are you? I'm just calling to see how you're doing and I guess I'll just keep trying to get home of you. Come home, go inside, pick up the normal packages on the way in and open the door. And I can see down the hallway into my master bedroom. and there's stuff on the floor. Papers and her purse is on the floor. And I can't really see everything that's in there, but I know that that's not right.

And the bed's not made. On top of that, my daughter's not running out to me, Daddy, Daddy! And by the time I get most of the way down the hallway, I can see there's a large blood spot where Jennifer should be. One, where's your emergency? I just got home from work, and there's blood all over the bed, and there's...

stuff all over the floor. My family's gone. My daughter and my wife are here. Okay, calm down. Anyone who knows anything about my wife and my daughter, I pray that you'll come forward. I hung up the phone and I knew Jennifer was dead and I think that probably Abby was too. And I think that pornography had something to do with it. Dark Side of the Mesa. In the high desert on the Rockies' western slope, the Mesa's tower over the town of Grand Junction, Colorado, almost as if to protect it from the outside world. But late on the afternoon of June 4, 2002, Grand Junction saw the unearthing of its own shocking secret, here at the local landfill.

It was surreal. I mean, you couldn't script it in a movie like that. The movie plays over and over in the mind of sheriff's investigator Steve King. This scoop is, this bucket is coming out of the ground. This tent rips, and this leg drops out of this tent. As everyone is standing there watching. The decomposed body of 34-year-old Jennifer Blagg wrapped in a red and black plastic tent. There was a gunshot wound as a cause of death, a manor death homicide. Jennifer and her six-year-old daughter Abby had been missing for seven months.

Abby has not been found to this day, not in the landfill, nor in the desolate mesas nearby. Until one day in November 2001, the Black family lived here in this comfortable house in a quiet cul-de-sac. The mystery of what really happened inside those four walls still haunts this town. The Blags, after all, seemed so happy, so normal, so very nice. I had everything. I was on top of the world. I had a great job, wonderful family, incredible wife and daughter. Everything was going perfect for me. They're kind of a poster child sort of a family. A photographic studio would probably have their picture up on the wall somewhere.

The Reverend Art and Rhonda Blankenship got to know the Blags in 2000. through their small evangelical church. They just looked like an ideal couple, you know, friendly and open, talked. Everybody seemed to like them a lot. Both Michael and Jennifer were enthusiastic born-again Christians. Extremely spiritual, they organized

personal prayer groups for the congregation. It was definitely an integral part of their lives. So if you had had to pick a couple to who you know this would be the most unlikely thing to happen this would probably be it the most unlikely of the us how did you meet Jennifer it was a wonderful love story I was in the Navy the blacks had met ten years before in California she was in college I recognize that there was something special about her he was a decorated Persian Gulf War veteran a helicopter pilot I liked Mike from the

beginning he was very personal young man Jennifer stayed close to her mother, Marilyn, even after she married Michael in 1993. They seemed happy. I thought they were happy. In every letter, she would tell me how much she loved Michael. This, agrees Michael's mother, Betsy, was a fairy tale couple. And he was absolutely in love with her. What was she like?

If she walked in this room now, what kind of person would I meet? You would meet someone that would light this room up better than these lights do, than these lights do in here right now. She could talk to a fence and make it smile. You'd like her right away. That's how people reacted. Oh, yeah. And that little girl meant everything to the two of them.

It's a girl. Abby arrived three years after they married. There, she said hi. Did you see it? You'd have to see Abby to really understand how precious she was. She just was so full of life. A miniature Jennifer. She was just wonderful in all aspects.

She wake up singing in the morning and go to bed singing at night. And her parents seem to dote on her. Mother and daughter still were asleep, Michael says, when he headed out the door at 6 o'clock that November morning. The normal routine for me is to kind of slide out of bed carefully because Jennifer's still asleep. Off to his job as operations manager at a local manufacturing plant, the Amatech Dixon Company.

Around seven, he called home. No answer. It rang through to the answering machine. Good morning, gorgeous at me. Just calling to see how you and have you doing. Which isn't terribly unusual sometimes. You know, they're in the bathroom or doing other things. He says he called again mid-morning.

Just calling to see how you're doing. Again then at noon. Hello, my beautiful bride. Hope you're having fun. You're out in about doing all kinds of cool and misty things. And now I'm starting to get a little worried. I haven't heard from her. She hasn't called me back.

on any of these calls. And the next time I get a chance to call is around three something that afternoon. Everything's good okay, I met you, and miss it. Around four he left for home. Later he told police he had sensed something was wrong the second he walked in. There in front of me is an open back door. She wouldn't just leave a door or window open. But he says nothing prepared him for the horror of what he saw in the bedroom. You can see there's a large dark spot on the bed. I think that maybe she's rolled off the bed and is on the ground on the other side. And so I go around the side of the bed and there's more blood.

And so at this point, I know I have to call for help. 911, where's your emergency? Oh, my God, it's my house. The 911 dispatcher told him to check the garage. The couple's minivan was still there. Did your daughter go to school? It was not until the dispatcher asked about his daughter that Michael finally thought to check Abby's room.

I'm going to go up and look at my daughter's room. Her school clothes are still laid out waiting for her. Her bed is messed up. Abby was gone. Where can they see? The story of a bloody bed, of a missing mother and child, rocked the town of Grand Junction.

It's very frightening, very frightening. Particularly at first, everybody was just fearful. You know, they thought, is there some escaped prisoner on the loose? But the more the police looked at that crime scene, the more questions they had for Michael Blag. I'm not sure anybody knows Michael Black. I mean, not who he really is. He just don't do it to a baby.

It just don't do it. Just don't do it. Jennifer Blag's older brother, David Lohman, has no idea how many hours he's spent combing the masas around Grand Junction. You always want to hope. Searching for his missing six-year-old niece, Abby. He says it's the least he can do for his little sister. We were best friends. We had an agreement that we never ended any conversation or goodbye even for a few minutes without saying I love you.

Really? Yeah. So the last time you talked to her? I love you. Not long after that last I love you, Jennifer and Abby Blag were reported missing. Oh my God, it's in my house. And Sheriff's Investigator Steve King was trying to make sense of a bloody and bewildering crime scene. At the time walking out of there, you're sort of scratching your head saying, well, this doesn't look right and this doesn't look right and this doesn't look right. No Jennifer, no Abby, no bodies, and no sign of a struggle. How did this quantity of blood get here, and yet you don't have any sign of a normal attack situation? On the dresser was Jennifer's purse. The contents spilled out, including her keys to the van.

Also in the purse, an email from Michael, an apparent apology. I would love to take some time to talk through the problems we're having. it reads, do not give the devil a foothold. And near the blood-soaked bed on the carpet, Jennifer's empty jewelry box. You're struck by the fact that there was all sorts of other things there that someone that is in there purely for monetary gain would have taken with them. So I'm saying, you know, this crime scene doesn't look right. It looks like it's staged. What in the world did you think it happened? I had no idea what had happened. I had no idea what had and I just knew that it was bad. Whatever it was was bad.

Which was exactly what Michael Blagg repeatedly told Steve King and other officers that night, in an intense five-hour interview with no lawyer present. But I saw a lot of blood. A lot of blood. That first interview, we very much looked at Michael Blag as a victim of a violent crime. In measured tones, he conceded the couple had had some rocky times. but he said his marriage was solid. You won't find anyone that loved each other more than he did. It's a wonderful marriage.

King found Blag's manner, composed and collected, strangely unsettling. In fact, I'd said to him, if my wife and my child were missing, I would probably be at St. Mary's Hospital being medicated at this point because of the fact that it's so stressful. After the interview, realizing that Blag had no place to stay, I decided to take him home.

Pastor Blankenship drove him to his own house. Did he talk to you? Not very much. In fact, really only one sentence. We drove along and he turned to me and said, Art, have you ever been involved in anything like this in your entire life? What did you think he meant when he asked you that?

I don't know what he meant. I have no idea. Over the next few days, the community reached out to Michael Blag. At the beginning, everybody was very supportive. The church really rallied around and they made little tags with ribbons that said hope, you know, Jennifer and Abby. And Jennifer's mother was right by Michael's side. If you know how to pray to the heaven and father, pray to him, ask him to bring these precious

people home. Just allow them to come home. That's all I can ask. Please allow them to come home. Thank you. The appeals were heartbreaking. But investigators were beginning. beginning to have their doubts about Michael Blag. For one thing, the blood evidence was puzzling. DNA tests confirmed that the blood in the bed was Jennifer's. But strangely, there was no trace of her blood anywhere else in the house. Even more striking was the one other place

where her blood was found. It was in the family van, parked in the garage, small traces of Jennifer's blood on the door and inside. As more questions arose, you talked to him in this car, right? Yes. You talked to him in restaurants. Right. King began meeting with Blag informally.

He needed information about the case, and I needed information about him and his life and his family. Slowly zeroing in on the Blag's fairy tale marriage. I was pushing him on that. It's like, boy, you paint a really nice picture. That just sounds too good. Was when he started saying, well, let me tell you about, you know, the darker side. Let me tell you about the embarrassing side. In late November, Michael Blag, publicly so devout, privately admitted to King that he was addicted to hardcore pornography,

and that when Jennifer found out, she had been very upset. I mean, I would imagine that would be a fairly heated conversation. It was, yeah, we did it. Like, what are you doing? Yeah, we talked very much like that. But then, Michael says his equally devout wife decided to join. to join him online. She told me, I don't want you to be doing this, but if you are going to be doing this,

then we should be together with this. They used hardcore porn sites, he says, purely as an educational tool. This was during a time after Jennifer's hysterectomy, and she knew we were going to have to find other ways of satisfying each other. And we were looking at it more as experimenting, looking for alternate things that we could do. In the back of my mind, I'm thinking, okay, that just doesn't play right. For King, the explanation hardly fit the profile of a once hard partying Navy pilot. You're missing out on the party, dude.

Why would you think that I wouldn't realize that based on your life experience, you probably didn't need to go to the internet as an educational tool on oral sex? At what point did it begin to dawn on you? that they were thinking of you as a suspect. February 5th. Three months after Jennifer and Abby disappeared, the investigators brought Michael Blag back in for questioning, again with no lawyer present.

They proceeded at that point to interrogate me for over 10 hours. By now, the FBI was involved, which meant that this interview, unlike the first, was not taped. They were telling me that, you know, we know he did it. you're the one. Why don't you just tell us where they are? These are the people, by the way, that I was trusting to find my wife and daughter and to bring them home to me, you know, putting their finger in my chest and you're the one, you're the one, I know you killed them. Just tell us. I lost hope that day.

Police found him the next morning. I saw Michael Blag lying in the tub with blood. I tried to slip my wrist. He had a picture of Jennifer and Abbey. He had a Bible and it was open. Well, the next thing I remember was waking up in the hospital. Investigators also found a suicide note in which Michael Blagg insisted he was not a murderer. You had nothing to do with any of this.

Absolutely nothing to do. You know nothing about anything at all having to do with their disappearance or Jennifer's death. All I know is what I saw when I came back to the house. that horrible afternoon. But for some, Michael Blag's suicide attempt was a clear sign of a guilty conscience. People did, for some reason, take that as a, oh, well, that's what I thought. Community defining moment or something. Now, even Michael's mother-in-law, Marilyn Conway, was beginning to have questions.

Mike, it's mama. I would like it if you would pick up the telephone. She agreed to help investigators by leaving Blag a series of phone messages. Mike, will you help me out with Jennifer and Abby? Demanding he come clean. I would appreciate it, Mike, if you will give me any information that you feel in your heart, that you can possibly give me as to where my girls are. Blag never responded.

But Investigator King is sure that he could have. Michael Blag murdered his wife and his daughter. and his daughter. The problem may be improving it. Five months after Jennifer and Abby disappeared, volunteer searchers fanned out over the highlands and rivers around Grand Junction. 200 volunteers working for 11 days,

searching 45 miles around the Bleg residents. This is Abby. Everybody needs to know who Abby is. It was incredible to see the turnout. This whole community got involved. There was employers paying wages of people to come out and search. But Michael Blag was not among them. The Moose 100.7.

Good morning. A fact duly noted in town. I don't remember him ever putting out pictures of his daughter or sending a big search party like a lot of parents would completely do. Blag protests that it wasn't his choice. They said that as a potential suspect in this, They just thought that it would be bad for me to be out there. And so I was barred from being able to search for my daughter and my wife.

They told you specifically you cannot go on the search. That's correct. And you wanted to go on the search? Absolutely, I wanted to go on that search. By spring of 2002, no bodies had been found. But Blag certainly was a suspect. Complex crime unit. An investigator King had a working theory.

He shoots his wife. My belief is that he went upstairs and suffocated his daughter, put them both in the van, and went to Amatech Dixon, and put both of them in the trash receptacle there. One person could do that and not leave any blood through the house, no drag marks, you know, no nothing like that. One committed, motivated person could do that. One that has thought about this in a cold, calculated, lean manufacturing type of way.

Yeah. But if Blag had put Jennifer's body in his company's dumpster, then her remains should have ended up here, somewhere in the sprawling county landfill. But where? Where was she found? Up there. Did you honestly expect to find her when you came out here at first? I think that you, you hope to find her.

Using global positioning technology and landfill logs, they set up a grid system. Much like an archaeological site, zeroing in on quadrants where they believe they'd find trash from Blag's company. Trash dumped the previous November. And there are people that I know that were out there when it was 104 degrees, when every bag it seemed like you were opening up was a dead deer or elk carcass, and that sight, that smell, would cause you to wretch and just want to drop you to your knees. Finally, on day 16, they found Jennifer Blagg. The odds of that happening like that have to be astronomical.

If you're a person in faith, you start saying it was meant to be that way. Authorities wasted no time. Two days later, they arrested Blag at his mother's home in Georgia. Has there ever, honestly, been a moment when you said to yourself, could this possibly be, could any of these things that they're saying about him possibly be so? Well, if we're talking about, have I thought for a second he might have murdered his wife? not one second. Still, Betsy Blag is worried.

I just don't think Michael can get a fair trial here. I say he's guilty. I think he's guilty. To me, he's guilty. Definitely guilty. I thought he was guilty before he was even accused. It just seems that way. What do you think happened?

At some point, while we were out as a family, someone saw us. and decided they liked Abby and wanted to take her. After I had left, they broke in through the back, shot Jennifer, grabbed Abby, and why they took Jennifer at that point, I don't know, unless it was somehow to control Abby. Why would someone who wanted to kidnap your child

take your wife's body, you know, and have it end up in the landfill? I can't explain why they took Jennifer. It's just, I know that it happened. When did you get here, Claire? I came in last night. Black's sister Claire Rochester arrives in Grand Junction just as the jury is seated, and she too wonders if a fair trial is possible. The people in this town need to understand that all of this time and this money

that the police and the DA have devoted towards accusing my brother has been wasted. I think it should frighten this public that there is somebody out there who committed this crime. But public defender David Eisner, Blag's lead attorney, says the cops never even considered that. From the get-go, they chose Michael Blag as their number one suspect, and they latched on to him and never let go. Resulting, he says, in allegations meant to undermine Michael Blag's character in the community. Allegations never prove true. Among them, that Blag, the good Christian, was looking at hardcore internet pornography the night before he reported. Jennifer missing.

Our computer analysis, which was later verified by the FBI's analysis, shows that there was no internet computer access on the night of November 12th. It just didn't happen. Nor did what was widely reported in the local media that Blagg had visited an escort service for sex. District Attorney's investigation showed that these women were totally unreliable. There was absolutely nothing to support their statements. that disappeared early on.

And finally, there were leaks about Jennifer seeking advice on divorce from the local legal aid office. The only day this could have happened, we know where they were. They weren't there. I'm working on this case for over two years. District Attorney Frank Daniels

will prosecute the case. It's a question of putting together all the pieces of evidence and being able to form a picture at the end. Michael Blagg is free on bail until trial, now just day. He's away. He starts each morning with church, then goes to his lawyer's office to help prepare his own case. What image number is that? 66. Otherwise, the Blag family rarely goes out. Too many stairs. None of them is from Grand Junction, and in this town, they have few friends.

I think they'll find justice, and I think the 99% of Mace County agrees on what that is. So they hold up in a host. hotel and wait. He did not kill his wife. He did not do anything to harm or take his daughter. It just didn't happen. Whether it's with your besties or date night, get to all the hottest concerts with Go Transit. Go connects to all the biggest entertainment venues

and makes it affordable with special e-ticket fares. A weekend pass offers unlimited travel across the network on any weekend day or holiday for just $10. A weekday group pass offers the same weekday travel flexibility from $30 for two people up to $60 for five. So no matter what day of the week, Go's got you covered. Find out more at go-transit.com slash tickets. Do you have a dark curiosity?

Heart starts pounding, horrors, hauntings, and mysteries is a weekly podcast hosted by me, Kailen Moore. Each week, I'll take you on a dark journey through terrifying true urban legends, bizarre true crime cases, chilling tales of backwoods horror and more. So if you're looking to join a passionate community of the dark, curious, check out Heart Starts pounding on the free Odyssey app or wherever you get your podcasts. And remember, stay curious. I'm only 11, but my mom and I've been wondering about where Abby is.

The district court entered for the 21st Judicial District of the Mason County, Colorado, is not a session. I think we have sufficient evidence to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. As the murder trial of Michael Blagg begins, I'm trying to figure out why it's just 29. We've waited for this for a long time, and I'm ready. This is going to be several weeks. Jennifer's mother, Marilyn Conway,

is no longer defending her son-in-law. What is your belief in regards to Michael Blige's innocence or guilt? Well, I won't go there right now. Both families are suffering. Both families are mourning and are feeling an enormous loss. I can't help but empathize with Marilyn for what she's going through. I've lost my only daughter and her only child.

And I can't tell you how bad we miss them. The pain of not being able to talk to them is her in us. We're reconvened in 0-2-CR-623. I did want to hug her, and I did want to support her. And what I said to her was, we're all praying for the same thing, that the truth will come out during this trial. But the families of Michael and Jennifer once very close, now find themselves on opposite sides of the courtroom.

I don't understand why Marilyn is not openly sitting on our side with her arm around Michael. All right. Opening statements, Mr. Daniels. The prosecution lays out its case. It was an ordinary day in the neighborhood. The evil was done in the dark of night. Arguing that that fatal weekend began with a fight on Friday. A fight Jennifer noted in one of her.

religious books. Loving God with all your mind. There's a little note that says bought with Mike on Friday. The weekend ended, says Daniels, with Jennifer's murder, sometime late Monday night. That night, as Jennifer lay in bed, Michael got his gun. He loaded around into the chamber, and he shot Jennifer in the face. As to why Michael Blag would murder his wife, Daniels suggests his addiction to internet porn. had split this once solid marriage. Right here there's a there's a note type written with a signature line at the bottom. He shows the jury the apology email from Michael.

I'm sorry if I've given the devil a foothold. The devil says the prosecution was lurking in Blag's computer. And you remember how many pornographic photos you found? Six hundred and sixty-eight of the same theme or fetish. details of which were too much even for the judge. Excuse me, I don't think this is necessary. Ladies and gentlemen of the jury have the idea what these exhibits show. Pornography is going to play a big part in this from the prosecution's standpoint.

How do you see that? A cyber sex addict does not a murderer make, you know. But this sex addict is a murderer. The prosecution insists... There was a bullet in her skull. skull. And the jury is spared no details of this crime. Would that wound be consistent with having been fired more or less straight down into her head if she had been lying on the bed with her head on a pillow? With her head on a pillow, that would be consistent, yes. After killing Jennifer, the DA continues, Blag transported her body in the family van, which explains the blood traces

found inside. Defense has more trouble explaining it. Well, how did it get there? You asking me? I They don't know. They don't know how it got there. If I'm the juror, I'm wondering. Who knows? The one on the steering wheel, the one on the brake pedal are minute. And the only ones in the back of the car where the body would have been are right around the trim. There's nothing on the interior part of the car.

And there's no evidence of clean-out. This is the challenge to explain why there's any blood there at all. If we're in a challenge, we wouldn't be here. In court, the defense maintains that finding Jennifer's blood in her own van proves nothing. In fact, Eisner insists the prosecution's whole circumstantial case fails the test of reasonable doubt. He points out that no murder weapon ever has been found, and he says there simply is no believable motive. No reason why this caring husband suddenly should morph into a ruthless killer. Cross-examination, Mr. Heisdum. Thank you, Judge.

Defense would call Wendy Holgate. Family friends take the stand to praise Michael's marriage and his character. He was always very cordial, very pleasant. just a happy, pleasant person to be around. How did Michael Blag treat Jennifer Blag? Like she was a gift that God had given him. The guy was just an immaculate representation of what a husband should be. And says Sister Claire, Michael was devastated after the disappearances. We all hugged each other.

We cried. Mike cried. My mom and I cried. Marilyn was there. She hugged us. It was just a very emotional. Time. But the defense has a problem making that portrait of Blag convincing. It's that first taped interview.

He seems rather detached. And there's an open field back behind the house. There is no emotion. There is no passion. There is no where he is my wife and daughter. It's not there. It doesn't exist. It is not true that he is cold or that he,

lax expression. We're the kind of people who like to help other people. We're nice people. We're good guys. And it's pretty hard being one of the good guys and being seen as an absolute horror. But more damaging for Blag's case than his demeanor is some surprise testimony from his mother-in-law. Hey, the people call Marilyn Conway. It shocks the defense. Michael hurt her in Corpus. He hurt her in Corpus. He hurt her in Corpus. Yes, he did. It even shocks the DA. John, well, you said that Michael hurt Jennifer in Corpus, Christi, Texas? Yes, sir. What do you remember about that?

She called home one night and said that Mike had cornered her in the bedroom, and obviously he was drunk. I understood that he was trying to choke her. She says it happened 10 years ago, an incident apparently forgotten until now. It shocked me as much as it did anybody else in the corner. It was new information to you as well. Sure. I wasn't even aware it was going to come out of my mouth.

It just came out. She got on the stand and lied. I think she saw the district attorney's case faltering, and I think she felt she would do whatever she could to help that case out. You reported that to an officer in this case sometime before today? I'm sure that I did. But I may not have. You think she lied outright?

Yes. This assault never happened. I don't believe it ever did. But she just made it up. She made it up. As the defense deals with this set, this setback, it also has a big decision to make. Is this an appropriate time, Mr. Eisner, to talk with your client about whether he'll testify?

Yes, it is, Judge. What is your decision? Will Michael Blagg tried to save himself on the witness stand? Do you expect that you would take the stand? We'll have to see. I believe the jury will make a right decision and public opinion isn't necessarily always right. With his murder trial coming to its close, Michael Blag is sticking to what's become a morning ritual.

All right. A friendly nod and smile for the jurors, day after day after day. While they hold incredible power, they're interested in seeing me as a person too. And I think that it's important to make the eye contact when possible. Thank you. Please be seated, ladies and gentlemen, welcome back. My family is not prepared for a guilty verdict. His sister Claire waits and worries.

We're all looking forward to this being over, and at the same time it's very frightening because over may not be the outcome that we know should happen. And that's just a scary thing to have to think about. Is it's just an appropriate time, Mr. Eisner, to talk with your client about whether he'll testify? Yes, it is, Judge.

What is your decision? I will not be testifying. Since Michael Blag won't be speaking for himself... Mr. Eisner. And this is actually three parts. David Eisner uses Jennifer's words. My dear husband, the love of my life, there's no words to tell you how I feel about you. I adore you.

To show that Michael never would have harmed her. I love you. I enjoy getting to spend my life with you. We've had a good almost 10 years of marriage together. I truly wouldn't have wanted to be with anyone else or anywhere else than with you. He quotes from a letter found in Michael's desk just days after her disappearance. I'm your beloved wife who adores you. How could anybody read that letter and I think Jennifer was desperately in love with a husband?

You look at these pictures, you look at these documents, and you decide. Is the Michael Blag that's in this case, is he really the cold-blooded killer they want you to believe? Whereas is this what he really is, you've got to decide. Mr. Eisner had some photographs and letters on large boards up here, and that's a lot of And, you know, that's the way it could have been, and that's the way it should have been. But that ended on November 12, 2001. Prosecution's case is built on shifting sands, and here we are at the end. I just have to hope that the jury has seen that, too.

The murder trial of Michael Blag is in the hands of the jury. Deliberations beginning early yesterday afternoon. Black's on trial for allegedly killing his wife. As a jury reached a verdict as to each count. The verdict comes in just over 24 hours. As to count one, we the jury find the defendant Michael Blagg, guilty of first-degree murder. Mr. Blag, anything you'd like to say before your sentence? I can tell you, Your Honor, that I am innocent of these charges, and I have nothing further to say.

Thank you. For the offense of first-degree murder, which is a class one felony, the defendant is sentenced to the Colorado Department of Corrections for the remainder of his natural life. And for the offense of abuse of the corpse, which is also a class two misdemeanor. Unless he wins an appeal, Michael Bleg will serve life without the possibility of parole. Thank you, ladies and gentlemen, the jury. He's a narcissistic pig, as far as I'm concerned, and he deserves the sentence he got. We outtried them every step in this trial, and I guess the jury just didn't have the courage they needed.

Michael Blag is innocent of all the crimes of which he has been convicted. He is not guilty. I'm glad it's over. But the jury's verdict doesn't answer the looming question. Why? Guilty of first-degree murder. Why would a man who seem to have it all commit such a heinous crime against a loving wife and daughter?

What do you think happened? Well, everybody will have to draw their own conclusion. I believe Jennifer was going to leave him. The bottom line is that Michael Blag is going to have a long, hard life, and then he's going to have to face God. And Jennifer and Abby Blag will be sitting on God's lap that day, and that's when justice will be served. Faith also comforts David Lohman, who is keeping up the search.

For Abby... It's the idea of getting to put mom and daughter together again. And for answers, he thinks only Michael Blag can provide. Everybody that's been married understands anger between two parents or two people. Not this kind of anger, but a child. A child. I don't, whether it be your child or someone else's, it doesn't matter. It's a child.

A child who sadly never has been found and may never be. at peace, perhaps, in the quiet beauty of the high desert. In 2014, a judge overturned Michael Blank's conviction after it was found a juror lied about her history of domestic abuse. In 2018, Blag was tried and convicted again and sentenced to life behind bars. Abby has never been found.