Evidence found in Donahue’s van included deputy’s gun, another pistol

CEDAR RAPIDS — Linn County Sheriff’s deputies testified Tuesday about evidence — two guns and stolen items — found in a minivan belonging to a Chicago man who shot a deputy during the robbery of a Casey’s store in Coggon on June 20, 2021.

A criminalist with the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation crime lab also testified about DNA found on items and clothing, but all results were too weak, a mixture, or too complex to develop a match to Stanley Donahue, who is on trial this week for shooting a Linn County deputy and robbing the Casey’s.

However, the other criminalist did determine all the shell casings and bullets found at the store, including one bullet found in the body of Deputy William Halverson, who was shot seven times by Donahue, were all fired from a .40 caliber pistol found in Donahue’s van that he crashed while fleeing from authorities after the shooting.

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 more than $230 in cash, 89 packs of cigarettes, numerous car chargers, gift cards and personal belongings of the employees.

Sgt. David Omar testified he went to where Donahue crashed the minivan, which had Illinois license plates, after leading deputies on a pursuit. He looked inside the van and saw two handguns on the driver’s side floorboard and Omar recognized one as being a service Glock that deputies, such as Halverson, are issued.

According to Halverson’s testimony Friday and Monday, Donahue took Halverson’s Glock out of his holster after he was shot.

The other gun was a Sig Sauer .40 caliber pistol, which is a smaller gun, Omar said. He also found a plastic bag and garbage bag with items — cash, change, cigarettes — taken from the store and personal items belonging to employees.

The cash and change found on Donahue and in his van totaled around $300, Linn County Sheriff’s Detective Shawn Ireland said. Ireland was responsible for collecting and processing the evidence taken from the store and found in Donahue’s van and his pockets when he was arrested June 21, 2021.

Some of the items — change from registers and employee’s personal belongings — were also found in a cornfield, near the location where Donahue was found walking along Aldridge Road, near Coggon, when he was arrested, Ireland said.

Photos of the evidence were identified by Ireland and shown to the jurors during his testimony.

There also were photos shown of Halverson’s clothing, which had blood and bullet holes from the seven shots to his leg and torso. Included in those photos was Halverson’s protective vest which also had bullet holes and one slug embedded in the vest and his duty belt and holster that was torn when Donahue removed it.

Ireland also processed Donahue’s pants and black T-shirt, his hooded sweatshirt and brown Timberland boots found in a ditch near the cornfield. All items had dirt and mud on them.

The fingerprints found on the guns were sent to Cedar Rapids Police to test and compare because they have more equipment and expertise. The swabs for DNA and shell casings and bullets were sent to the state crime lab for testing, Ireland said.

Victor Murillo, a DCI criminalist who tested the firearms evidence, said the 10 shell casings found at the scene all had the same type of unique markings — meaning they were “probably” fired from the same gun, but he had to physically compare them under a microscope. He performed that comparison, and determined they came from Donahue’s Sig Sauer.

Tara Scott, the other DCI criminalist, testified two blood drops found on the floor at Casey’s, didn’t belong to Halverson or Donahue. The DNA profile that was developed matched Casey’s employee Jacob Christianson, who was working when the robbery occurred.

The two small drops of blood were found on the other side of the store from where the shooting happened, Ireland said.

There were some hairs found in Donahue’s Timberland boots but no DNA profile could be developed, Scott testified. They probably didn’t have enough skin cells attached to hair, she said.

She also couldn’t develop any DNA profiles from the inside collar of Donahue’s hooded sweatshirt or on the Sig Sauer’s grip, slide and trigger. Results were too weak. The grip swab had a mixture of two individuals’ DNA but it was still too weak for a profile.

Scott also tested a disposable face mask found in the minivan, which showed a mixture from two people — male and female — but due to the complexity, no match could be made.

The swab taken from the area below the van’s steering column was also tested but there was no blood found and a profile couldn’t be developed.

The prosecution will continue its case Wednesday. The defense may start its case Thursday.

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