Trial for Cedar Rapids man charged with killing Chris Bagley delayed again

CEDAR RAPIDS — The murder trial for a Cedar Rapids man accused of hiring two men to kill Chris Bagley in 2018 has been reset again because of scheduling conflicts for the prosecution.

The trial for Andrew Thomas Shaw, 36, was reset last month to Feb. 4 because his lawyers needed more time to prepare for trial but that date conflicted with the prosecution’s caseload of other murder trials.

Sixth Judicial District David Cox, in his order, said he would reset the trial to June 10, as the prosecution requested.

Shaw has waived his speedy trial right

Shaw is charged with first-degree murder, solicitation to commit murder and conspiracy to commit forcible felony. He was charged a year ago — last October- in the fatal stabbing of Chris Bagley, 31, of Walker, after being released from a federal prison sentence for trafficking marijuana in Cedar Rapids.

Shaw is accused of aiding and abetting Drew Wagner, 39, and Johnny Blahnik Church, 37, formerly known as Drew Blahnik, — both convicted in Bagley’s fatal stabbing — between Oct. 1, 2018, and Feb. 20, 2019, according to the complaint.

The complaint stated Shaw hired the two men to kill Bagley and paid them for the crime.

Shaw remains in jail on $2 million bail pending trial.

Blahnik Church is serving 57 years in prison for Bagley’s killing and also is serving time for assaulting another inmate while he was in the Linn County Jail.

Wagner, who pleaded to voluntary manslaughter, assault while participating in a felony, conspiracy to commit a forcible felony, abuse of a corpse and obstruction of prosecution, was sentenced to 47 years.

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