Dateline: 5 harrowing details about Jessie Blodgett's murder, revisited

One of Dateline's episodes featured the chilling murder of Jessie Blodgett, 19, whose body was found unresponsive on her bed. In 2013, Joy, Jessie's mother, stepped into Jessie's room, assuming her daughter was just in a deep sleep. But Jessie didn't respond to her call. The concern in Joy's voice grew, and when Joy gently shook her shoulder, her worst fears were confirmed.

She immediately dialled 911, and as the investigation unfolded, the case, which seemed like a natural death, transformed into a homicide, with strangulation signs over Jessie's body. Later, the autopsy confirmed that she had been strangled and sexually assaulted in her bedroom in the morning. The Dateline episode explores the case in detail. Read on to know five harrowing details of Jessie Blodgett's murder.

Here are the 5 harrowing details about Jessie Blodgett's murder, as shown in Dateline

Jessie's murder case rippled shock waves through the small Wisconsin community of Hartford. People first believed it to be some sudden illness or a tragic accident, but only later did the complete image surface, which left the entire community terrified.

It got even more chilling when the authorities suspected a man, and when they reached out to him, he was attending Jessie’s memorial at her parents’ house. He hugged Jessie’s grieving parents goodbye, wiped away fake tears, and left to meet with detectives, per reports.

Here are five harrowing details of the case, as shown on Dateline.

1. No signs of forced entry

The investigation unveiled that the intruder entered the house via an unlocked door, as there were no signs of forced entry. Therefore, this suggests the killer is familiar with the family and their trusting habits. There were deep abrasions on Jessie's wrists, suggesting a tight knot, and ligature marks around her neck.

The investigators found some ropes while searching in Bartelt's family home, which matched the ligature marks on Jessie's body. There were some tape ducts under Jessie's bed that her mother discovered after the murder.

The authorities tested the fingerprints, which led them to Daniel Bartelt, who had previously been acquainted with Jessie and was his classmate before they joined different colleges after high school.

2. Forensic and digital evidence

Forensic and digital evidence confirmed Daniel as the murderer. When the authorities interrogated the man, he showed some psychotic behaviour, and another case of assault emerged when he tried to attack another girl, Melissa, a few days before attacking Jessie, but the girl managed to escape.

Forensic analysis confirmed that Dan’s fingerprints were on multiple pieces of tape from both crime scenes, and even the CCTV footage further confirmed Daniel's crime.

Dateline: 5 harrowing details about Jessie Blodgett's murder (Image via NBC)

3. Daniel's interrogation

The investigators noted some fresh cut marks on his body, which he first claimed were a result of a work accident, then, in another interview, he claimed the marks formed while cooking.

Bartelt eventually admitted to assaulting a woman named Melissa in a park days before Jessie’s murder because he simply wanted to "scare someone." He tied her up with a rope and attacked her, and only by a stroke of luck did she survive.

During questioning, Bartelt inadvertently revealed that Jessie had been sexually assaulted—information that had not yet been disclosed to the public or press. This damning slip made it clear that he had first-hand knowledge of the crime, placing him squarely at the scene.

4. His internet search history was alarming and incriminating

After obtaining a search warrant, police discovered that Bartelt had researched serial killers, snuff films, and p*rnographic content involving violence against women. It also involved a video that showed a woman being raped, strangled, washed, and tucked into bed, a scenario which is horrifying and is similar to Jessie's case.

The disturbing parallels between his digital footprint and the crime scene painted a picture of a deeply disturbed and dangerous individual.

5. Daniel's Punishment

In September 2017, Bartelt appealed his guilty verdict to the Wisconsin Supreme Court. He argued that the investigator used statements he made without a lawyer's presence during the trial, which is a violation of his constitutional rights. The court, however, rejected his appeal, as shown in Dateline, determining that law enforcement had acted within legal bounds.

His conviction was upheld, and his sentence remained intact. For Melissa's attack, Dan shockingly received a mere five-year prison sentence plus five years of supervision. The sentence was widely criticized at the time. He also received a life sentence without parole for the rape and murder of Jessie Blodgett. This means that he will probably die in prison if there aren't any unforeseen legal developments in his case, as shown on Dateline.