Jury convicts Cedar Rapids man of second-degree murder in fatal stabbing of Chris Bagley

CEDAR RAPIDS — A Cedar Rapids man, who just served a federal sentence for drug trafficking, now faces up to 50 years in a state prison for hiring two “dangerous” men to assault Chris Bagley in December of 2018, knowing that act could lead to murder.

A Linn County jury, after deliberating for about a day and a half, found Andrew Shaw, 37, guilty of second-degree murder and acquitted him of solicitation to commit murder and conspiracy to commit a forcible felony in the fatal stabbing of Bagley, 31, of Walker. Prosecutors said Shaw hired Drew Wagner, 39, and Johnny Blahnik Church, formerly known as Drew Blahnik, 38, to carry out the killing.

“We’ll take it,” Stewart Bagley, surrounded by his wife, Christine, and the rest of the “Bagley Strong” family, said after the verdict was announced Monday afternoon. “I’m ecstatic. We were hoping for murder first, but he’s going away for 50 years with a mandatory 35. He’s done.”

Stewart said it was a “huge relief” after waiting six long years for four convictions of the men responsible for killing their son to get through the justice system. Every night, during the trial, he and his wife have gone home exhausted — mentally and physically, he said.

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“I feel we have justice. He (Chris) can rest in peace now,” Stewart said.

He also thanked the jury, First Assistant Linn County Attorney Monica Slaughter and Jennifer Erger, assistant prosecutor, as well as Linn County Sheriff’s Maj. Dave Beuter and everyone else who worked on the case.

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Lesser charge conviction

Slaughter said it was clear by the acquittal of the solicitation and conspiracy charges that the jury didn’t believe Shaw paid to have Bagley killed. Instead, the jury believed he paid for or set in motion the assault, knowing that the men involved and the assault itself were dangerous, which made it reasonably “foreseeable” that something “catastrophic” could happen. That is second-degree murder, she said.

Slaughter said the attorney’s office has been working for six years to get justice, which isn’t always fast, but through steady perseverance each defendant charged was convicted. Two pleaded to charges and the two others had juries that got to “critically evaluate” the evidence in Bagley’s death, she said.

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Following the verdict, Johnson County Public Defender Peter Persaud, Shaw’s lawyer, told The Gazette the prosecution’s theory has always been that Shaw hired and paid two men to kill Bagley, but the jury acquitted Shaw of soliciting a “hit” or in any way conspiring to have Bagley killed.

“They only found that Mr. Shaw aided and abetted a misdemeanor assault, which he somehow should have foreseen would result in Mr. Bagley’s death,” Persaud said. “We believe that Mr. Shaw will be vindicated on appeal.”

Wagner is serving 37 years for voluntary manslaughter and other charges, and Blahnik Church is serving 57 years for second-degree murder in this case and another assault. A third Cedar Rapids man, Paul Hoff, 46, also was convicted and sentenced to two years for obstructing prosecution, an aggravated misdemeanor. He also is serving a federal drug and firearms sentence.

Shaw must serve a mandatory sentence of 35 years before being eligible for parole. His sentencing date had not been set as of Monday afternoon.

Prosecution: Shaw wanted Bagley eliminated

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First Assistant Linn County Attorney Monica Slaughter, during her closing argument, said Bagley gave Shaw a motive to “get rid of him.” Bagley robbed and burglarized Shaw’s business, stealing money and drugs, and even assaulted him during one of the robberies.

Wagner and Blahnik Church had the opportunity and carried out the plan they made with Shaw to kill Bagley. Shaw wanted Bagley eliminated because he was interfering with his drug trafficking business, prosecutors said.

Shaw had fronted Bagley for drugs and over time started racking up a debt, Slaughter said. Bagley was using methamphetamine and his life started deteriorating. His wife kicked him out and he was living in Marion.

Hoff testified about one robbery he helped Bagley commit on Oct. 27, 2018 at Shaw’s business. After the two got Bagley’s tools, which Shaw was holding for a drug debt, Bagley also took a large plastic bag containing about $26,000 in cash and a black duffel bag with 200 THC cartridges.

During the robbery, they assaulted Shaw and he conceded and let them take what they wanted. Hoff and Bagley split the cash and THC cartridges and Hoff kept Shaw’s AR-15, which Shaw initially pointed at them.

Slaughter said both Wagner and Hoff testified, each giving different versions of how Bagley was fatally stabbed, and it was up to the jury to decide which version of events seemed credible.

Slaughter said Wagner seemed to have a good memory of things that didn't implicate him, but Hoff always told the same story. Hoff’s story did not change through his federal proffer, grand jury testimony, testimony at Blahnik Church’s trial and his testimony in this trial, she said.

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According to testimony, Bagley had 17 stab and cutting wounds to his neck, shoulder, torso and leg. The various wounds went through soft tissue muscles and penetrated his upper airway, larynx, jugular vein, heart, left lung, stomach, diaphragm, spleen and abdomen, Dr. Kelly Kruse, an associate Iowa state medical examiner, testified.

Slaughter said two inmates — who were not identified by name over safety concerns — testified about Shaw’s comments about Bagley while they were in jail with him in Linn and Iowa counties. Their testimony corroborated others’ testimony.

One of the inmates who shared an Iowa County Jail cell or pod with Shaw in March 2020, said Shaw told him “it was the best money he ever spent.” The comments from Shaw didn’t happen in one conversation. They happened over several during their time together in the jail.

This inmate also said Shaw told him Wagner got $10,000 for killing Bagley.

Shaw, in another comment to the inmate, said Bagley was buried in a yard and mentioned a skid loader was used to dig a hole for the body.

Shaw also told the inmate that Wagner lied about Bagley having a gun or a gun falling out of his clothes during the assault, so he and Blahnik Church could claim self-defense.

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Defense: Prosecution relied on testimony from convicted offenders

Persaud, during his closing, said the prosecution’s case hinged on a two-minute conversation that Wagner said happened between Blahnik Church and Shaw. Wagner wasn’t there for the entire conversation, but he said there was no agreement about killing Bagley.

Persaud also said they didn’t have a plan and it didn’t make sense. Blahnik Church and Wagner weren’t armed. Blahnik Church only had a Swiss army knife on him, and both Bagley and Hoff were known for carrying guns. It didn’t make sense that they would go into the trailer with two meth users who had guns.

“This is the plan?” Persaud said.

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The prosecution’s case is built on a “house of cards,” Persaud said, relying on testimony from those dressed in “orange” — convicted offenders. They testified and cooperated to save themselves, he said.

Wagner got a plea deal to avoid a first-degree murder conviction and Hoff wouldn’t talk until he got a deal from federal prosecutors, Persaud said. He pleaded to a misdemeanor and was sentenced to just 10 days in jail and time served.

Persaud said there was no proof that Shaw paid anyone to assault or kill Bagley.

On rebuttal, Slaughter said the defense repeatedly mentioned the two minutes, but what about 12 minutes — that’s how long it took for Wagner and Blahnik Church to park, enter the trailer, start an altercation, stab Bagley, load up his body and leave, according to a surveillance video.

“That is a planned murder,” she said.

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Trish Mehaffey covers state and federal courts for The Gazette

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