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The murder of 19-year-old Jessie Blodgett, a gifted musician and actress, in July 2013 rocked the sleepy Wisconsin town of Hartford. The fact that Jessie was found dead in her bedroom after being r*ped and strangled and that there were no indications of forced entry suggests that the murderer knew her house.
A former classmate named Daniel Bartelt was found guilty and given a life sentence without the possibility of release in 2014 as a result of the investigation. The Dateline: Friends Until Death, which aired on Oxygen on June 22, 2022, garnered a lot of attention for the case.
Peacock, the Oxygen App, and Oxygen's website all offer streaming access to the episode, which delves into the investigation and trial.
The key details of the Jessie Blodgett Case
1) What happened on 15 July 2013?
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According to the Journal Sentinel, on July 15, 2013, Jessie Blodgett was found dead in her bedroom by her mother, Joy, around noon. She was strangled with a ligature, gagged with tape-gag-ball, tied with rock climbing rope, and r*ped.
Her clothes were wet, and there were ligature marks on her neck, wrists, and ankle from which the medical examiner could infer that the killer attempted to clean up the crime. The absence of signs of forced entry was a sign that the perpetrator had known Jessie's home and daily routine, making the crime particularly well-prepared.
2) Investigation of the Jessie Blodgett gate
Investigators found critical evidence linking Daniel Bartelt to the murder. A cereal box discarded at Woodlawn Union Park contained ropes, bloody sanitizing wipes, and tape with both Jessie’s and Bartelt’s DNA, as per the Journal Sentinel.
The matching tape was later discovered under Jessie’s bed. Additionally, Bartelt’s DNA was found under Jessie’s fingernails and around her genital area, confirming s*xual assault. This forensic evidence was pivotal in connecting Bartelt directly to the crime scene.
3) Bartelt’s Suspicious Behavior
As shown in Oxygen, during questioning on July 16, 2013, at Jessie Blodgett’s vigil, Daniel Bartelt revealed non-public details about her death, stating she was “r*ped and murdered,” which raised police suspicions. He was present at the vigil, consoling Jessie’s parents while knowing unreleased details about the crime, strongly suggesting his involvement.
4) Disturbing Digital Footprint against the killer
Bartelt’s laptop revealed a troubling online search history, including searches for a serial killer. A list of queries, real serial killer cases, bondage p*rnography, and videos related to strangulation, and how to clean the crime scene after that, all this evidence pointed to Bartelt's been trying to learn from the tutorials, as reported by the Journal Sentinel
5) Daniel Bartelt's connection to another attack
The investigation into Jessie Blodgett’s murder was aided by a separate assault on Melissa Etzler on July 12, 2013, at Richfield Historical and Nature Park. Etzler described her attacker as a young male with blonde hair and glasses, driving a blue Dodge Caravan, matching Bartelt’s description and vehicle, as per 7news.
Bartelt confessed to this attack, claiming he only meant to scare her, but the similarities strengthened the case against him for Jessie’s murder.
Stay tuned for more news and updates on Dateline: Secret Uncovered.
