The Tragic Case of Jessie Blodgett
A recent episode of A Killer Among Friends, a true crime show on Investigation Discovery, tells the heart-wrenching story of Jessie Blodgett, a promising 19-year-old theater student from Wisconsin. She was tragically murdered by her friend and former boyfriend, Daniel Bartelt, in July 2013.
Blodgett was a sophomore at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, deeply involved in the arts. On July 14, she returned home from a cast party, where she had performed in Fiddler on the Roof. Her mother found her lifeless body the next day in her bed. Authorities noted signs of strangulation, but no weapon was found.
The police wasted no time, launching a 16-day investigation. They searched Blodgett’s phone records and social media for clues, while an autopsy confirmed her cause of death as strangulation.
Bartelt and Blodgett had known each other for years and had even dated in high school. Friends and family recalled their close bond and how supportive Bartelt had been following Jessie’s tragic death. However, suspicions grew quickly.
Days before Jessie’s murder, Bartelt was involved in an attack on a woman in a nearby park. This raised red flags for investigators, leading them to focus on him. When questioned, Bartelt inadvertently revealed details about the crime that hadn’t been made public, further solidifying the police’s suspicions against him.
Investigators later found evidence linking him to the crime, including items discarded in a park and disturbing online searches on his computer. Ultimately, Bartelt was charged with first-degree intentional homicide.
At his trial, Bartelt maintained his innocence, offering no clear reason for his actions. Prosecutors argued that he targeted Blodgett for convenience. Friends of Jessie noted that he had attempted to reconcile with her just before her death, but she had rejected him.
Bartelt was found guilty and sentenced to life in prison without parole on October 14, 2014. He remains incarcerated at the Waupun Correctional Institution, still claiming he is not guilty.
Jessie Blodgett’s legacy continues to inspire. In her memory, her father founded the Love Is Greater Than Hate Project to address issues of male violence against women, a cause that Jessie was passionately involved with before her untimely death.
