Disclaimer: This article contains mentions of murder. Readers are advised to exercise caution.

Dateline: Unforgettable reexamines the murder case of Renee Pagel and the lengthy investigation that revealed her killer was someone close to home. The episode "Window of Opportunity" airs on Oxygen on Thursday, August 8, 2024 at 8:00 p.m. ET. A synopsis reads: "A bombshell more than a decade after the crime revives the investigation into the death of Sarah Pagel's mother; Andrea Canning reflects on her emotional interview with Sarah, whose mother touched so many lives."

Renee Pagel's family found her dead from multiple stab wounds in her Michigan home in August 2006. The incident occurred in her bedroom, where she died from more than 50 stab wounds to her head, face, and torso. Renee had recently undergone surgery and was lying in bed at the time. Blood was reportedly spattered on the walls of the crime scene, leading authorities to deduce that her killer had attacked her in a crime of passion.

Detectives soon learned that Renee and her ex-husband, Michael Pagel, had been going through a bitter divorce before the murder. Michael, who wanted custody of their children, property, and alimony from Renee, had lost the battle. This initially seemed like a motive, but the case was frozen due to lack of evidence. More than a decade later, an unlikely confession led detectives to the killer, Michael Pagel.