Jessie Blodgett’s murder case is the kind of true crime story that’s impossible to shake. The 19-year-old Wisconsin theater student was found dead in her bedroom in July 2013, posed as if peacefully sleeping.
Her killer? Daniel Bartelt – a former boyfriend, fellow musician, and classmate – who had just hours earlier raped and strangled her, then joined her family to cry and share memories like he hadn’t just taken her life. The Investigation Discovery series A Killer Among Friends, now streaming on HBO Max, dives into the eerie deception that kept a killer hidden in plain sight.
Jessie had just come home from a cast party for Fiddler on the Roof the night before her life was violently taken. The following day, as her friends and family were spiraling from the loss, Bartelt was right there in the thick of it – hugging Jessie’s parents, sitting in their living room, and pretending to grieve. At that time, no one had any idea who could have done something so horrific. Her friends, like Ian and Jackie, didn’t suspect Bartelt at all. He was close to Jessie, so when police asked him to come in for questioning, nobody raised an eyebrow.
That quickly changed. Bartelt asked his friends to drop him at the police station and casually told them, “Maybe come pick me up in 30 minutes?” But when they showed up, cops were already waiting and told them, “We can’t release Dan. He’s being detained.” Jessie’s dad, Buck Blodgett, couldn’t believe it. Bartelt had never been in trouble. He’d been in their home, writing songs with Jessie, hanging out like part of the family – even the day after the murder. Buck said he was with them all day, “sharing hugs and memories and tears” before his phone rang with that call from police.
Then came the twist that changed everything. Just days earlier, Bartelt had attacked a woman in a nearby park, holding a knife to her and attempting to assault her. He admitted to that attack, saying it was a spontaneous decision. For that, he got five years for first-degree reckless endangerment – on top of the life sentence he later received for Jessie’s murder.
But what really sealed his fate in the Jessie Blodgett murder case? A chilling slip-up during police questioning. Bartelt told investigators someone had “raped and murdered” Jessie. The problem? That detail had never been made public. Police immediately grew suspicious.
A search of the park’s trash cans turned up a cereal box filled with incriminating evidence – ropes, bloody wipes, and tape. DNA testing confirmed both Jessie’s and Bartelt’s DNA were present. After a 16-day investigation, he was arrested and charged with murder. In court, it was revealed Jessie had been sexually assaulted and strangled with homemade restraints.
Still, even after all that, Bartelt stood in court and told Jessie’s parents, “I can’t give you the answers you’re looking for… I believe someday we’ll be before a court that will know my conscience is clear.” He was convicted in August 2014 and sentenced to life in prison without parole, and yet he still maintains his innocence.
Through it all, Jessie’s father never responded with hate. Instead, his reaction was heartbreak. “Our first reaction wasn’t, ‘We hate this kid,’” Buck said. “It was, ‘Oh my God, what happened to Dan?’”
New episodes of A Killer Among Friends air Mondays at 10 p.m. ET on ID and stream after on HBO Max. For anyone affected by sexual violence, you can reach the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673) or visit rainn.org.
Leo Cruz brings sharp insights into the world of politics, offering balanced reporting and analysis on the latest policies, elections, and global political events. With years of experience covering campaigns and interviewing world leaders, Leo ensures readers are always informed and engaged.
