Search warrants provide details about Hogan’s alleged actions following Gaffney death

More than eight hours before Crystal Gaffney was found dead in Walker, Shaun Hogan allegedly told his ex-wife he had 'done something bad.”

Comments that Hogan, 36, of Waterloo allegedly made to his ex-wife and others in the hours after Gaffney's death are outlined in two search warrant affidavits filed July 11 in Black Hawk County, two days after the body of Gaffney, 29, was found lying on a gravel road.

The warrants filed by Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation Major Crime Unit special agent Michael Roehrkasse sought permission to search and seize property from the Waterloo home Hogan shared with his mother, the apartment where he was found the day after Gaffney's body was discovered along with two vehicles - one registered to Hogan and another registered to an apparent relative.

The accompanying affidavits provide a timeline of some of Hogan's alleged actions following Gaffney's death. He has been charged with first-degree murder in Linn County.

The Linn County Sheriff's Office was called to Linn-Buchanan Road at 6:30 a.m., July 9, for a report of an unresponsive woman lying in the road. Crystal Gaffney was pronounced dead at the scene and her body was taken to the State Medical Examiner's Office.

She wasn't officially identified until July 10, at which time authorities said she died of blunt force trauma and that Hogan had been charged with her murder.

Late in the day on July 9, an Amber Alert was issued for Gaffney's children, one of whom she shared with Hogan. The children later were dropped off at a residence in Waterloo.

Police said the children were unharmed.

According to the affidavits, at around 5 p.m. July 9, Hogan's ex-wife, Tamera McClaren, went to the Waterloo Police Department and told investigators she believed Hogan was responsible for Gaffney's death. McClaren reported to police that Hogan called her around 10 p.m., July 8, and said he had 'done something bad” and said Gaffney was not breathing.

He wanted to know what to do with Gaffney's children, according to the affidavit.

The affidavit says Hogan showed up at McClaren's Waterloo residence at 3:30 p.m. on July 9. Hogan had Gaffney's children with him and wanted to take the two sons he had with McClaren to his house for a sleepover, documents say. While at McClaren's residence, Hogan allegedly showed her a news article about Gaffney's death.

'This is her,” Hogan told his ex-wife, according to the affidavit.

McClaren told investigators Hogan later called her to say he needed to drop off his sons because of the 'situation” and that he needed to 'leave town,” according to the warrants. McClaren's sons apparently were dropped off by Hogan, his mother, Julie Lundy, and another woman, Deb Hogan, who owned the Pontiac Grand Am they were driving.

McClaren told investigators Hogan lived with his mother in the 400 block of Edwards St. in Waterloo, one of the residences searched by authorities.

Also on July 9, investigators spoke with Jennifer Wilson, who indicated her children spoke with Gaffney's children earlier in the day.

'Wilson stated Crystal's children told her children they witnessed their father stab and kill their mother the previous evening,” the affidavit states.

According to the affidavits, investigators spoke with Calvin Jones, who lives in the 3300 block of University Ave., on July 10, which is where and when Hogan was located.

Jones told investigators Hogan showed up at his apartment sometime between 9:30 p.m. and 10 p.m. on July 9 and slept there. The two men watched the 10 p.m. news and when a report indicated authorities were looking for Hogan, Hogan told Jones, 'I (expletive) up,” but would not elaborate, according to documents.

Hogan asked Jones for a ride out of the state and a change of clothes, according to the affidavit. He also allegedly removed the battery from his phone so police couldn't track his whereabouts.

According to the affidavit, Jones left his apartment between 9:30 a.m. and 10 a.m. while Hogan was still asleep.

'Jones stated Hogan has no money or transportation and should be inside the apartment,” the documents say.

Jones told authorities there was a knife, ax and machete inside his apartment on the floor, and that Hogan appeared jumpy. Authorities announced later that afternoon Hogan was being questioned. He later was transported to the Linn County Jail on the murder charge.

The warrants state authorities seized a crowbar and a claw hammer from Lundy's garage, as well as a laptop. They also took a golf club, an ax with a wooden handle, a machete, a New York Yankees hat, a wallet, a cellphone, a white T-shirt and white athletic shoes from the University Avenue apartment.

After Hogan's initial appearance on July 11, Gaffney's uncle, John Maynard, said his niece and Hogan had been in a relationship on and off for a year to a year and a half before her death.

Hogan remains in custody at the Linn County Jail on a $1 million bond. His next court appearance is scheduled for Monday. First-degree murder is a Class A felony punishable by life in prison.

l Comments: (319) 398-8238; lee.hermiston@sourcemedia.net