Documents found in van link Chicago man to robbery, deputy shooting in 2021

CEDAR RAPIDS — Linn County Sheriff’s investigators confirmed Wednesday the Dodge van Stanley Donahue was driving when a Coggon store was robbed and a deputy was shot was registered to him. They also found other identifying documents in the van.

Sgt. Heather O’Brien, said she ran the license plate of the van that was crashed by Donahue before he jumped out and fled on foot after the robbery and shooting June 20, 2021. The vehicle was registered in Donahue’s name two days earlier, on June 18.

After obtaining a search warrant for the van, she and other investigators found eight cartons of cigarettes, cigars, phone chargers, Casey’s gift cards, a garbage bag with other items and personal belongings of the two Casey’s employees Donahue is accused of locking in a cooler during the robbery.

O’Brien said they also found Donahue’s van registration, tax return, keys in the ignition, a key fob and two Illinois license plates. One of the plates was issued for another vehicle owned by Donahue.

Donahue, 38, is charged with two counts of first-degree robbery, attempted murder of a peace officer, two counts of false imprisonment, willful injury, attempt to elude, disarming a peace officer, trafficking in stolen weapons and possession of a firearm as a felon.

According to testimony last Friday, Donahue, during the robbery, forced two store employees into a cooler and stole about $300 in cash and change, 89 packs of cigarettes, numerous car chargers, gift cards and a purse and wallet from the employees.

The prosecution will wrap up its case Thursday and the defense will start in the afternoon.

O’Brien and other investigators on Wednesday testified Halverson’s Glock 22 and a .4- caliber Sig Sauer, which was owned by Donahue and was used to shoot Halverson seven times, were found on the driver’s side floorboard of the van.

Deputies testified about the guns Tuesday and a criminalist from the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation said the shell casings and bullets found at the store and one slug removed from Halverson came from the Sig Sauer.

O’Brien showed the Sig Sauer to the jurors during her testimony.

On June 22, she and other deputies went back to the area where Donahue was arrested on Aldridge Road, near Highway 13 and Coggon. They searched three or four cornfields — where a canine had picked up a track on June 20, but lost it after alerting in an area where there was an indentation in the grass consistent with a human body. Drones were also used to search the area.

O’Brien said they did a line search and found a cellphone, loose change, an empty roll of quarters, a library card belonging to one of the Casey’s employees and other cards in one cornfield. They found a Subway rewards card partially buried under the dirt and then also found a movie gift card buried.

Sgt. Tim Payne testified about finding Donahue’s tan hiking boots and a hooded sweatshirt in the ditch along Aldridge Road during one of the searches. He saw some grass matted down, which caught his attention and made him look in the ditch.

Lt. Dave Beuter, who is part of the drone team, testified about their search for Donahue. They set up a perimeter of about five miles north of Highway 13 and two miles east of Aldridge Road. The drones also had thermal cameras attached but never found Donahue or another suspect during the searches.

Beuter, during this time, learned Donahue had a sister in the area. She lives in Ryan, which is north of Coggon. Delaware County deputies spoke with her and Donahue wasn’t at her home. Beuter also went to her house, but Donahue never showed up.

In other testimony, Cedar Rapids Police Officer Kraig Kruger testified about fingerprints. Sheriff’s deputies asked him to assist them identify prints they found on evidence. Cedar Rapids has more equipment and advanced training for print examination than the sheriff’s office.

Kruger said he only found one viable print on one of the cigarette cartons taken in the robbery, but it didn’t match Donahue’s known print. He also didn’t find another suspect as a match.

The prints taken from the magazine of the Sig Sauer produced one partial print, which matched Donahue’s left index finger, Kruger said. He noted 17 ridge characteristics that matched Donahue’s print. The 17 characteristics are more than double what is needed to make a quality identification.

On cross, Kruger said there were two prints on the magazine but one didn’t match Donahue or another known print when he ran the prints in the Iowa and FBI databases. Anyone convicted of a felony in Iowa and nationwide would have known prints in the databases.

Sheriff’s Sgt. Yon Abel testified about three men the defense has asked witnesses about. Witnesses have been asked if they have information about the men, who were listed on paperwork found in Donahue’s van. One was a previous owner of the van.

Abel said they all live in Chicago and were not in Linn County or Coggon in June 2021 or after.

Abel also testified about watching a video of a Black man who was reported by a Casey’s employee as suspicious earlier the same day as the robbery.

In previous testimony, a store manager said one of her employees reported that the man arrived at the store about 4 a.m. and wanted to come inside. She told him they were closed.

Abel said he watched surveillance video from the store and saw that man who was driving the same van owned by Donahue. He could see the license plate. He said the man wasn’t wearing any shoes, only socks. He had dried mud on his hands and clothing.

Abel also noticed he had a distinctive walk — he “waddled.” He walked with his feet shoulder width apart.

Abel will continue his testimony Thursday.

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