Cedar Rapids man testifies about holding Chris Bagley down while another man stabbed him

CEDAR RAPIDS — A Cedar Rapids man, already convicted for his part in the fatal stabbing of Chris Bagley in 2018, testified Monday how he held Bagley in a wrestling hold while another man stabbed him.

Drew Wagner, who resumed his testimony from Friday, said he thought Johnny Blahnik Church — formerly known as Drew Blahnik — was just going to beat up Bagley, but he also admitted to overhearing a conversation between, Blahnik Church and Andrew Shaw, who is on trial this week for first-degree murder, about killing Bagley.

Wagner said Shaw wanted Bagley dead as revenge for Bagley robbing him of marijuana, cash and tools over several months. During the conversation, Shaw offered to pay Blahnik Church $10,000 to kill Bagley, but Blahnik Church scoffed at that amount, saying that would only cover an assault of Bagley, Wagner said.

Wagner, whose testimony seemed confusing or meandering at times, providing more than information than was asked by a prosecutor, repeatedly said he didn’t know whether Blahnik Church was serious about killing Bagley.

However, when he and Blahnik Church arrived at the mobile home of Paul Hoff, where they learned Bagley was during the early morning hours of Dec. 14, 2018, Blahnik Church grabbed a large knife off Hoff’s bar and stabbed Bagley multiple times, Wagner said.

Shaw, 37, of Cedar Rapids, is charged with first-degree murder, solicitation to commit murder and conspiracy to commit a forcible felony. He is accused of hiring Blahnik Church, 38, of Marion and Wagner, 39, to kill Bagley, according to a criminal complaint.

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Bagley was fatally stabbed 13 times by Blahnik Church. Wagner aided him by holding Bagley during the brutal attack, according to testimony.

Blahnik Church is serving 57 years for second-degree murder in this case and another assault. Hoff, 46, was sentenced to two years for obstruction of prosecution in Bagley’s murder.

Wagner pleaded to voluntary manslaughter and two other charges in Bagley’s fatal stabbing and is serving 47 years for Bagley’s death and two other unrelated charges.

The prosecution may wrap up its case Friday and the defense likely will start next Monday.

Fatal stabbing

When they arrived at Hoff’s mobile home, Wagner said he took Hoff to another room to warn him Blahnik Church was going to give Bagley a beating. Before he and Blahnik Church arrived, Blahnik Church told Wagner he would “take care of it” and would signal with a laugh when he and Hoff could come back in the living room.

When Wagner heard that laugh, he emerged from the room to hear Bagley and Blahnik Church talking about robbing one of Wagner’s friends. Wagner said he got upset and started arguing with Bagley, telling him it was a stupid plan.

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Bagley pushed Wagner, who was about 100 pounds heavier than Bagley, and Wagner told him if he touched him again he would knock him out. Bagley then pushed him harder and Wagner grabbed him and tossed him across the room.

Wagner then charged Bagley and the two started wrestling. They were face-to-face and Wagner was holding Bagley underneath his arms in a “wrestling hold.”

Wagner then told Blahnik Church to “do what you’re going to do.” Blahnik Church, standing behind Wagner, started stabbing Bagley. In the frenzy, he accidentally cut Wagner’s thumb.

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Wagner recalled hearing Blahnik Church scream as he was stabbing Bagley. He then saw Bagley on the floor with blood all over him. Wagner said he recognized the large knife Blahnik Church used because it had been sitting on Hoff’s bar. It did not belong to Blahnik Church.

Hoff told Wagner that Bagley was dead — “there’s no coming back from that.”

Wagner testified that he thought it was quiet in the room, but he was actually screaming and yelling, saying they needed to help Bagley. He testified Blahnik Church had an “insane look” on his face and told Wagner he needed to stop yelling if he wanted “to make it out of here.”

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The next minute, Hoff and Blahnik Church were talking about getting breakfast at Perkins, Wagner said. He recalled that Hoff went into another room and brought out plastic and started rolling up the body. Blahnik Church told Wagner to drive his pickup truck around to the mobile home’s back window.

Blahnik Church was outside and Hoff was inside the mobile home as they lifted Bagley’s body through the window and into the truck. Wagner was also asked to help them, which he eventually did.

As Wagner and Blahnik Church were driving back to Wagner’s house, Blahnik Church said Bagley shouldn’t have stolen from Shaw — his attempt to justify it, Wagner said.

Pay out

Later, Wagner testified that he talked to Shaw at his shop and told him Bagley was dead. Shaw seemed shocked, but smiled at times during their discussion. Shaw was concerned because he had argued in messages with Bagley the night before.

In previous testimony, one of messages from Shaw to Bagley said “people go missing every day.”

Shaw asked Wagner to deliver a toolbox or bag to Blahnik Church. It contained pounds of marijuana, a vacuum sealed bag of cash, which Wagner estimated as $10,000, and THC vape cartridges. Shaw told Wagner to tell Blahnik Church he would have the rest for him later.

Wagner said Blahnik Church initially told him he was taking Wagner’s truck and Bagley’s body with him to Wisconsin for an “acting conference” and would dispose of the body in Wisconsin. About a week later, Wagner arrived home to find Blahnik Church and Hoff burying Bagley’s body next to Wagner’s garage.

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Wagner was upset that Blahnik Church would do this to him, but Blahnik Church said Hoff wanted to kill Wagner and had said Wagner needed to “have skin in the game.” Blahnik Church fatally stabbed Bagley, the murder was committed in Hoff’s mobile home, so the body would be concealed in Wagner’s yard, at least until spring, Blahnik Church said.

Wagner said Blahnik Church also received a white Suburban from Shaw. Shaw told Wagner he owed Blahnik Church the vehicle and $20,000.

Wagner will continue his testimony Tuesday.

Trish Mehaffey covers state and federal courts for The Gazette

Comments: (319) 398-8318; trish.mehaffey@thegazette.com