Suzanne "Page" Wangler Found Dead in Her Home

[Sparky]

ROYAL OAK -- Police are investigating the death of TV news reporter/anchor Suzanne Wangler, found Saturday afternoon in her home on Vinsetta Boulevard. Royal Oak police were called to the home shortly before 3 p.m. after a relative reportedly found Wangler "unresponsive," said Detective Don Swiatkowski. "She was found by a family member and pronounced dead at 3:27 p.m.," he said. "An autopsy is scheduled to determine the cause of her death."

Sources close to the investigation told The News Wangler's death is being investigated as a suicide. Those sources said her body was found in the basement of the home. She had worked as a news reporter at several local TV stations. Swiatkowski said police would not confirm any cause of death without an autopsy. Wangler, 42, was just released from the Oakland County Jail on Thursday where she has been held in lieu of $25,000/10 percent bond for allegedly embezzling $149,000 from Les Pingilley, 52, of Woodhaven while acting as his financial adviser. The charges are felonies punishable by up to 10 years in prison. Wangler, who had entered a not guilty plea in the charges, was to appear in Oak Park District Court on Tuesday for a preliminary exam.

The allegations occurred while Wangler was working as a news anchor "Suzanne Page" at WLAJ, a Lansing TV station. She resigned from that job just a few days before her arrest, citing personal problems. It was the most recent public embarrassment for Wangler, divorced from former University of Michigan quarterback John Wangler. She was already on probation for a conviction last summer for drunken driving and child endangerment in Royal Oak. In November 2005 she was convicted of shoplifting more than $600 in food and merchandise from the Westborn Market in Berkley. Outside court last week, Wangler's attorney Carl Marlinga, said there is more to the embezzlement allegations and that Wangler and Pingilley had many things in common including their respective divorces and strong religious backgrounds.

Marlinga said as their friendship blossomed, Pingilley offered Wangler money to help her catch-up on house payments. Last October, it disintegrated, Pingilley says because he questioned what happened to his investments. Marlinga said that was because Wangler spurned Pingilley's marriage proposal. "It began with what she viewed as a deep platonic friendship but what he (Pingilley) saw as love," Marlinga said. "He was infatuated with her, asked her to marry, and when she said 'no' he said he was going to tell others she took his money."

Marlinga said Wangler regretted accepting around $52,000 she used to make house payments on the house on Vinsetta, which is now in foreclosure. Royal Oak police reported last week Wangler had been living there with no telephone service. Last week, Marlinga, who contacted two of Wangler's relatives who live out of state regarding her plight, said: "Her house was 32 degrees inside when they arrested her. They are concerned for her safety." Marlinga, who could not be reached for comment Saturday, said at her court arraignment Wangler wanted to fight the accusations against her. He said he had asked Wangler if she was experiencing any emotional problems at the time and was told "no."

[Another side]

I didn't know the woman, never heard of her, but I did follow her misadventures here on Medialine. I can't say I'm surprised.

She took quite a beating from her journalism colleagues, and, as in a lot of stories about peoples' failures, some of that beating seem to administered with more than a little glee. For someone who had fallen as far as she had, it couldn't have been easy to take.

Even in her death, the writer couldn't find a single, positive thing from her life to include in the story. Not one word.

I'm not judging anyone -- not the person who wrote the story or those who ridiculed her here on Medialine --because I understand journalism and because I know our buisness is populated by insecure people with massive egos. I guess I just wish we wouldn't leap so quickly to eat one of our own.

May her soul rest in peace.

[cinehead]

I didn't know the woman, never heard of her, but I did follow her misadventures here on Medialine. I can't say I'm surprised.

She took quite a beating from her journalism colleagues, and, as in a lot of stories about peoples' failures, some of that beating seem to administered with more than a little glee. For someone who had fallen as far as she had, it couldn't have been easy to take.

Even in her death, the writer couldn't find a single, positive thing from her life to include in the story. Not one word.

I'm not judging anyone -- not the person who wrote the story or those who ridiculed her here on Medialine --because I understand journalism and because I know our buisness is populated by insecure people with massive egos. I guess I just wish we wouldn't leap so quickly to eat one of our own.

May her soul rest in peace.

Great post, AS.

[TVShootist]

Is this old news or something? You would think that a TV station would have something posted on their site if one of their very own anchors was murdered. There is nothing at all on WLAJ's site about this.

[Angel's Hell]

AS awesome post!!!!

[cinehead]

Is this old news or something? You would think that a TV station would have something posted on their site if one of their very own anchors was murdered. There is nothing at all on WLAJ's site about this.

She hasn't worked in the business for a few years and where does it say she was murdered?

[Sigonfile]

Sounds like her life was crumbling and she ended it.

[Spike]

The charges are felonies punishable by up to 10 years in prison. Wangler, who had entered a not guilty plea in the charges, was to appear in Oak Park District Court on Tuesday for a preliminary exam.

A preliminary exam?

[Spike]

I'm not judging anyone -- not the person who wrote the story or those who ridiculed her here on Medialine --because I understand journalism and because I know our buisness is populated by insecure people with massive egos. I guess I just wish we wouldn't leap so quickly to eat one of our own.

Who ridiculed her on Medialine? I just read through the other thread again and all I see are links to stories and discussion of drinking games. I don't see any ridiculing going on.

[TVShootist]

She hasn't worked in the business for a few years and where does it say she was murdered?

Murdered, suicide.. whatever, the end result is still the same.

[adam & doctor drew]

For someone who had fallen as far as she had, it couldn't have been easy to take.


probably wasn't too easy for the guy she embezzled $150k from either.

anyone's death is sad, but let's not paint this woman as a saint either.

[Another side]

Who ridiculed her on Medialine? I just read through the other thread again and all I see are links to stories and discussion of drinking games. I don't see any ridiculing going on.

I couldn't find any "ridiculing" either ... poor choice of words on my part.

[Another side]

probably wasn't too easy for the guy she embezzled $150k from either.

anyone's death is sad, but let's not paint this woman as a saint either.

You got "paint(ing) her as a saint" from what I wrote?

[Another side]

A preliminary exam?

... with "preliminary hearing".

One of my favorite judges around hear starts every prelim with a for-the- record, " We are hear this morning for the preliminary examination in the case of the State vs. Joe Public. The state is represented by Deputy District Attorney Bill Whoever. The defendant is present in the courtroom and represented by defense counsel Molly Hardcase. Are we ready to proceed?"

[WeatherSlave]

Worked with Suzanne (Pagella) in northern Michigan 20 years ago. She was always very nice to me. RIP. Just shows how quickly life can change. Always expect change and just hope you come through it better than this.

[Roy Hobbs]

"Death is a hard thing to live with, Solo"--Rebel General Carlist Rieekan
http://www.theforce.net/swtc/Pix/dvd/zs/tesb/generalr.jpg

[Angel's Hell]

I wonder if any of us would have reacted in a bad way (calling names, cursing out) to what happened with this woman? Of course, she took bait she should never have taken. Money, in exchange for what the giver might have believed to be a romantic relationship. Or, if you don't believe her attorney's version, she stole from one of her clients. I think what is especially distressing here is that she had no phone and no heat! That doesn't sound like someone who is living the high life, it sounds more like someone who is dealing with some kind of addiction. No, she wasn't a saint, but she was human.

[Bandit]

Well, and a key word in the original story is alleged. There was not a trial - only sufficient evidence of fraud to warrant charges.

We don't know what happened exactly, so it's a little simplistic to jump to a lot of conclusions about what happened, and what may have motivated her to end her life.

[Steve Scott]

I didn't know the woman, never heard of her, but I did follow her misadventures here on Medialine. I can't say I'm surprised.

She took quite a beating from her journalism colleagues, and, as in a lot of stories about peoples' failures, some of that beating seem to administered with more than a little glee. For someone who had fallen as far as she had, it couldn't have been easy to take.

Even in her death, the writer couldn't find a single, positive thing from her life to include in the story. Not one word.

I'm not judging anyone -- not the person who wrote the story or those who ridiculed her here on Medialine --because I understand journalism and because I know our buisness is populated by insecure people with massive egos. I guess I just wish we wouldn't leap so quickly to eat one of our own.

May her soul rest in peace.


Well said. Very sad, all the way around.

[!]

I guess I just wish we wouldn't leap so quickly to eat one of our own.
But it is all right to jump on others in similar circumstances?

[Keyeser]

Actually she was working in Lansing and resigned within the last week to 10 days. I saw nothing mentioning murder as well.

She hasn't worked in the business for a few years and where does it say she was murdered?

[Spike]

Great post, AS.

AS awesome post!!!!

Well said. Very sad, all the way around.

Another side accused us all of giving this woman "a beating" and doing so "with more than a little glee." Then he went on to say that people "ridiculed her here on Medialine" because you are "insecure people with massive egos" who he wishes "wouldn't leap so quickly to eat one of our own."

The only problem? NONE of that happened. There was no ridiculing. Nobody gave her a beating. Her troubles were reported here, but not "with more than a little glee."

So how is a bunch of slander "well said" or an "awesome post"?

[Another side]

I said her "colleagues" beat her up and that "our profession" is filled with people who are insecure and have ego problems.

I did, indeed, say she was "ridiculed" by people on Medialine and corrected that when you pointed it out. My mistake -- sorry.

[NotImpressed]

A little odd WLAJ makes no mention of her passing on their website. She anchored there until a week or so ago, their viewers saw her on a daily basis and they worked next to her day-in day-out for the past few years. And yet she doesn't merit any notice at all. Real caring place apparently.

I've worked next to people who had problems and even some that weren't portraying the station in a positive light. But I wouldn't ever argue for ignoring their passing under any circumstances.

[photogguy]

A little odd WLAJ makes no mention of her passing on their website. She anchored there until a week or so ago, their viewers saw her on a daily basis and they worked next to her day-in day-out for the past few years. And yet she doesn't merit any notice at all. Real caring place apparently.

You say that as if the station has viewers. Any viewers they do have are few and far between.

I, too, worked with Suzanne in northern Michigan just about twenty years ago. I was surprised when I heard about her problems, especially about her turning up dead.

[interloper]

Another side accused us all of giving this woman "a beating" and doing so "with more than a little glee." Then he went on to say that people "ridiculed her here on Medialine" because you are "insecure people with massive egos" who he wishes "wouldn't leap so quickly to eat one of our own."

The only problem? NONE of that happened. There was no ridiculing. Nobody gave her a beating. Her troubles were reported here, but not "with more than a little glee."

So how is a bunch of slander "well said" or an "awesome post"?

Great post Spike!

[Paper Trail]

Ex-WLAJ anchor's death not officially declared a suicide

Amber Hunt
Detroit Free Press (http://www.lansingstatejournal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2008802250347)


Suzanne Wangler, a former Detroit and Lansing television reporter, couldn't seem to pull her life together after her divorce a few years ago.

She was arrested for shoplifting. She became mired in debt. She lost custody of her children. And she was accused of bilking $150,000 from a man she dated.

Days after the last allegation hit the air as part of a television TV newscast on Detroit's WXYZ-TV (Channel 7), Wangler, 43, hanged herself in the bathroom of her Royal Oak home, said Carl Marlinga, her recently hired lawyer.

"Her world fell apart, and she was never able to pull it back together," Marlinga said Sunday, a day after one of her relatives found her body.

Wangler, who had worked as a reporter on WDIV-TV Local 4 in Detroit, resigned last week from an anchoring job at Lansing's WLAJ-TV (Channel 53), where she went by the name Suzanne Page.

Dr. Patrick Cho of the Oakland County Medical Examiner's Office conducted an autopsy Sunday and ruled the cause of death as hanging. He stopped short of officially declaring it a suicide, however, as Royal Oak police continue to investigate.

Wangler's legal problems apparently began in November 2005 when, records show, she pushed a cart full of $600 in groceries out of a Berkley market and toward her parked sport utility vehicle. She fled without the groceries, but police tracked her down and charged her with retail fraud.

"She appeared to be struggling with some issues at the time," said Joseph Cross, who represented her in that case. "We attempted to expedite a resolution that would prevent her from having a criminal record."

Wangler entered a first-time offender's program with the hope the incident would quietly go away, Cross said. Instead, WDIV, her former employer, aired a report about the matter.

Wangler wanted to avoid a repeat, Marlinga said. She asked the former Macomb County prosecutor to try to keep WXYZ from airing a report about her latest problems because it would cost her the job in Lansing.

"They made a judgment that because she's a reporter, there's enough public interest to run the story," Marlinga said, "but you can't argue that Channel 7 necessarily caused this."

After the first report aired earlier this month, Wangler resigned, and the Oakland County Prosecutor's Office issued charges alleging that she'd embezzled $149,000 from a man she'd dated and financially advised.

By then, she'd lost custody of her children, her phone service was cut off, the temperature in her house was 32 degrees and her house was in foreclosure, according to WXYZ.

Marlinga said he's been in touch with Wangler's family, who couldn't be reached by the Free Press on Sunday.

"Everybody is distraught because it's so painful to watch this happen to a loved one," Marlinga said. "Emotionally, she just couldn't live with where life had left her."

Contact Amber Hunt of the Detroit Free Press at (586) 469-4682 or alhunt @freepress.com.

[Kelvin Hemholtz]

Interesting how there's not any big headline on WXYZ.com tonight either.

I go back and forth on their Investigator guy. I've watched some great stories he's done exposing things that the mayor has done with city money, etc. This one makes me wonder. An I-Team piece focusing on an anchor in Lansing who USED to work in Detroit? Really? I guess it's a "scandalous" story because the public is supposed to hold anchors in high esteem? Not living there, I'm not sure why it's any more important news-wise that it deserves an I-Team treatment? If it were a guy who works at the GM plant, it wouldn't be a big blow out I would guess.

I didn't see anything more than the Free Press article linked above so my question is - did she commit some fraud or crime on the PUBLIC.... or just allegedly against one guy?

I know she was accused of shoplifting which again technically IS crime against the PUBLIC - but not exactly in the same league as a payoff that cost the City of Detroit $9M to hush hush some text-message lovin' by the top city official... allegedly. THERE'S a guy with problems and HE blames the media instead.

I don't want to rush to say the report put her over the edge... apparently she could have already been that close. But I'm just wondering about how "big" her story really IS... or now, WAS.

Clearly not the first time this has happened... anybody else ever reported on a topic like this and have that person take such drastic measures?

[Produce man]

"Death is a hard thing to live with, Solo"--Rebel General Carlist Rieekan
http://www.theforce.net/swtc/Pix/dvd/zs/tesb/generalr.jpgTsk, tsk, Roy. It's "A death mark is a hard to thing to live with..."

[Another side]

Wangler's legal problems apparently began in November 2005 when, records show, she pushed a cart full of $600 in groceries out of a Berkley market and toward her parked sport utility vehicle. She fled without the groceries, but police tracked her down and charged her with retail fraud.

... Six hundred dollars ... in groceries? I raised five kids and even when all of them werre at home, I pushed a lot of full grocery carts through the check-out aisle and NEVER approached $600!

How big was that grocery cart?

[Fishwife]

Hey Another Side, I'm a bit late on this - but nice work for your original post back on page one. Well said. Very classy.

And this, was especially important to point out...

"Even in her death, the writer couldn't find a single, positive thing from her life to include in the story. Not one word."

Sad but true.

[marshk1]

I don't know who the folks were that worked with her in Cadiilac at TV 9 and 10 but I hope they announce their names. I left the biz about 14 months ago and am very happy after 25 years. However, I don't think Suzanne's "plague" was the business. I have my own thoughts. I remember a caring, professional, thoughtful journalist who obviously met tough times. I am trying to re-connect with anyone who worked with Suzanne. Her story is not one of repugnance. We need to reach out to our coleagues. Her face in the newsroom at dreary Cadillac was always a pleasure. Let's face it, if you worked there, you knew about the snakes that came into the editing room. The only editing room! It was a great place to get a great start in TV journalism and Suzanne took on every assignment without complaint. Please help me record this memory.