Disappearance of Abigail Blagg
Disappearance of Abigail Blagg | |
|---|---|
 Blagg c. 2001 | |
| Born | Abigail Jo Blagg March 21, 1995 |
| Disappeared | November 13, 2001 (aged 6) Grand Junction, Colorado |
| Status | Missing for 23 years, 8 months and 21 days |
| Height | 4 ft 0 in (122 cm) |
| Parents |
|
On November 13, 2001, six-year-old Abigail Jo Blagg disappeared from her home in Grand Junction, Colorado. Her mother, Jennifer Loman Blagg, was murdered by her father, Michael Francis Blagg, that afternoon. Jennifer's body was found several months later, although Abigail was never located.
Life and prior events
[edit]Blagg was born on March 21, 1995 to mother Jennifer Loman Blagg and father Micael Francis Blagg.[1][2] At the time of her disappearance, the Blaggs had been living in Grand Junction. Abigail was enrolled as a first-grader at Bookcliff Christian School,[3] and Jennifer was a teacher's aide at the school.[4] Prior to living in Colorado, the Blaggs had lived in the Sumterville, South Carolina area, where they attended the First Baptist Church.[5]
Disappearance
[edit]On the afternoon of November 12, 2001, Blagg and her mother were seen at their home on the 2200 block of Pine Terrace Court in Grand Junction.[6] That afternoon, there was a struggle while Abigail was in a bedroom on the home's second floor.[1][7] A large pool of blood was found on a mattress in the home's master bedroom and both Jennifer and Abigail were missing from the residence.[1]
On the day of Abigail's disappearance, some of Jennifer Blagg's jewelry had been stolen.[1]
Aftermath
[edit]Jennifer remained a missing person until June 4, 2002, when her body was found in the Mesa County landfill, wrapped in a tent.[8][9][10] Abigail was never found, and remains a missing person as of 2025. In 2014, DNA samples believed to be of Abigail's were collected by authorities, but the process for confirming that the DNA was her's was never completed for unknown reasons.[11]
Michael Blagg had attempted to commit suicide in February 2002 after being questioned about allegedly stealing office equipment; he denied involvement in the disappearance in a suicide note.[1] The following month, authorities confirmed that foul play was likely involved in Abigail's disappearance.[12][1] In 2004, Michael was convicted for the murder of Jennifer Blagg,[13] although he was never charged in relation to Abigail's disappearance due to her never being located.[14] In a 2018 retrial the ruling was upheld, and Michael Blagg was sentenced to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole.[15] A third retrial in 2023 upheld the previous ruling.[16] Blagg's abduction was logged in the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System as case number #MP5857,[17] and in The Doe Network as case number 4434DFCO.[18] The Doe Network classifies her disappearance as "Endangered Missing".[18]
See also
[edit]- List of kidnappings: 2000–2009
- List of people who disappeared
- Murder of Jessica Ridgeway, a 2012 kidnapping and murder in Westminster, Colorado
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d e f "Abby Jo Blagg". The Charley Project. October 12, 2004. Retrieved July 16, 2025.
- ^ "Case Detail: Abigail Blagg". Colorado Bureau of Investigation (.gov). Retrieved July 16, 2025.
- ^ "Husband Convicted Again in Retrial for Wife's 2001 Fatal Shooting — as 6-Year-Old Daughter Remains Missing". People. April 6, 2018. Retrieved July 16, 2025.
- ^ "Remains may be linked to missing pair". The Oklahoman. June 5, 2002. Retrieved July 16, 2025.
- ^ "Disappearance of wife, daughter shock Baptist community in Colo". Baptist Press. November 20, 2001. Retrieved July 16, 2025.
- ^ Jenkins, Billy (September 2, 2020). "Almost 19 Years Ago Abby Blagg Went Missing From Grand Junction". KEKB-FM. Retrieved July 16, 2025.
- ^ "Michael Blagg asked acquaintance if he wanted to see the crime scene". KUSA. March 21, 2018. Retrieved July 16, 2025.
- ^ Sylte, Allison (March 22, 2018). "Jury sees graphic photos of Jennifer Blagg's body after she was found in landfill". KUSA. Retrieved July 16, 2025.
- ^ "Jennifer Blagg Thought She'd Found The Perfect, God-Fearing Man in Husband Michael — Then She Vanished". Oxygen True Crime. January 17, 2022. Retrieved July 16, 2025.
- ^ Porter, Gabrielle (March 27, 2018). "Expert disputes timeline of Jennifer Blagg's death". The Grand Junction Daily Sentinel. Retrieved July 16, 2025.
- ^ Shockley, Paul (April 16, 2015). "Abby Blagg's DNA in hand, police confirm". The Grand Junction Daily Sentinel. Retrieved July 16, 2025.
- ^ "MISSING - IF YOU HAVE ANY INFORMATION ABOUT ABBY JO: MESA COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE (970) 244-3500 OR THE POLLY KLAAS FOUNDATION (800) 587-4357" (PDF). Polly Klaas Foundation. April 24, 2018. Retrieved July 16, 2025.
- ^ "Colorado man convicted of wife's murder gets a second shot at freedom". CBS News. May 12, 2018. Retrieved July 16, 2025.
- ^ "She Thought She'd Found The Perfect, God-Fearing Husband — Then She Vanished". Yahoo News. January 17, 2022. Retrieved July 16, 2025.
- ^ "Michael Blagg sentenced to life in prison for the murder of his wife in Grand Junction in 2001". The Denver Post. April 5, 2018. Retrieved July 16, 2025.
- ^ "Court upholds Blagg murder conviction". Mesa County, Colorado website. June 30, 2023. Retrieved July 16, 2025.
- ^ "Missing Person - NamUs #MP5857". National Missing and Unidentified Persons System. Retrieved July 16, 2025.
- ^ a b "4434DFCO - Abby Jo Blagg". The Doe Network. Retrieved July 16, 2025.