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Andrew Shaw told police he wanted Chris Bagley beaten up, not killed
Shaw denied hiring Drew Wagner and Johnny Blahnik Church to kill Bagley in December 2018
Aug. 14, 2025 7:09 pm, Updated: Aug. 18, 2025 2:59 pm
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CEDAR RAPIDS — Andrew Shaw, during his first interview with investigators, denied hiring two men to kill Chris Bagley in 2018 and minimized his relationship with the two men.
Shaw, charged with first-degree murder, admitted to asking a few people to assault Bagley, who assaulted and robbed him, but he never asked Drew Wagner or Johnny Blahnik Church — formerly known as Drew Blahnik — to do it.
He didn’t know much about what happened to Bagley, only what he had heard from other people, Shaw said during a video recorded interview on March 26, 2019, with Linn County Sheriff’s Maj. Dave Beuter and the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation.
The video was played during Shaw’s trial Thursday in Linn County District Court.
Shaw said he heard Wagner and Blahnik Church went to Paul Hoff’s mobile home and Bagley started something by pushing Wagner. He also heard Bagley reached for a gun and Blahnik Church grabbed a knife.
Beuter told Shaw there was a rumor that Shaw hired someone to take care of Bagley.
Shaw said he didn’t pay anybody. He just told a few people, if they saw Bagley to beat him up. Bagley started the rumor about the “hit,” Shaw said.
In addition to first-degree murder, Shaw, 37, of Cedar Rapids, also is charged with 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.
Both Wagner and Blahnik Church were convicted in this case, along with Hoff, 46, who owned the mobile home where Bagley was killed.
During the interview, Shaw said he didn’t know why Bagley robbed him but he wasn’t the only one.
“Chris has robbed a lot of people,” Shaw told the investigators. “He robbed Wagner — broke into his house.”
He again said he never told Wagner or Blahnik Church to do anything to Bagley and didn’t pay them for anything.
Shaw admitted he had a Snapchat conversation with Bagley, where Bagley tried to extort him and he told Bagley “people go missing everyday.” But he was just trying to “scare” Bagley and wasn’t serious, he told Beuter.
Following the video, Beuter identified aerial photos taken Dec. 15, 2018, a day after Bagley was killed, that showed the skid loader in Wagner’s yard had been backed up and faced the area where Bagley’s body was found. The next day, there was lumber over the area, which authorities found on top of the burial site, and the skid loader was moved away from the area.
Beuter said Shaw admitted that Wagner came to his shop after Bagley was killed and threw away some items. He also told Shaw the killing was in self-defense.
Shaw found hiding from police during search of business
Before the interview, law enforcement conducted a search on March 26, 2019, of Shaw’s former business, A Shaw Investments at 1186 Capitol Dr., and his home, both in Cedar Rapids, and he was arrested on federal marijuana-trafficking charges.
When authorities arrived to search his shop, they found Shaw hiding in a corner in the unit next door, Beuter said. He crawled up into the rafters and went into the next-door space to hide. He had a black backpack that contained about $19,000 in cash.
During the search, they found molds for gummies — that are injected with THC — on drying racks, boxes of gelatin mix for gummies, many boxes of unfilled THC vape cartridges, and packaging materials for marijuana products.
They also found more cash and a drug ledger, which detailed what Bagley had stolen from Shaw and what the items were worth. The items included sports memorabilia, tools, keys, wallet with money, computers and a Dodge Viper, along with damage to drywall.
Wagner also was listed in the ledger as “Drew Patrick Swayze Wagner,” who had stolen items, including sports memorabilia. It also had a list under the heading of “Criminal” that included selling cocaine, reselling guns and robbing people.
Interview with Hoff provided information that led to searches
Beuter also testified about searching Hoff’s mobile home at 7100 Mount Vernon Rd., in Cedar Rapids, where Bagley was last seen. Investigators searched the trailer three times because as they conducted interviews, they learned more information. The investigators knew Hoff was key to finding out what happened to Bagley.
After he was arrested for eluding police and found with guns and drugs in February 2019, Hoff wouldn’t talk to Beuter and asked to talk to his lawyer. Later, Hoff asked to be interviewed by a federal prosecutor, knowing he might get a lesser sentence if he cooperated and provided information in the Bagley case. No promises were made during the proffer interview, Beuter said.
With information Hoff provided, authorities searched Wagner’s home on Feb. 23, 2019, and later Blahnik Church’s Marion apartment.
During the search of Wagner’s home, they found many individual packages of THC cartridges; a tool bag with more cartridges; a marijuana scale with residue; leaf marijuana; a laptop; two cellphones; cash; packaged marijuana for distribution; and a vacuum sealer machine used to seal bags of drugs and money in drug trafficking.
The brands of the THC products were specific to Shaw’s drug connection in California, Beuter said. Shaw, during an interview with federal prosecutors, told them about his drug source.
Beuter said they also took photos of Wagner’s thumb injury, which Hoff told them happened during the attack of Bagley. Blahnik Church stabbed Wagner as Wagner was holding Bagley down during the stabbing.
During a search of Blahnik Church’s apartment, the same brand of THC vape cartridges specific to Shaw’s supplier also were found, along with a firearm, two knives and drug paraphernalia, Beuter said.
Both knives tested negative for Bagley’s blood, Beuter said.
During a third search of Hoff’s trailer on Feb. 23, 2019, following his proffer interview, investigators found several areas with possible blood stains. They were on the flooring, a cabinet, and the side of a dryer. The FBI tested those and found Bagley’s blood on the samples. They also found Wagner’s blood on one swab.
On Feb. 27, 2019, investigators staged officers at Wagner’s house because Wagner had finally told them where Bagley was buried. They started searching his yard on Feb. 28, but needed a skid loader to remove some of the ice and snow in an area to the east side of a detached garage. It was below freezing and there was a significant amount of snow on the ground.
Beuter said they rented a tent and a ground warmer from a funeral home to heat up the ground in order to be able to dig. There also was a large piece of plywood with garbage cans on top of it in the area and a canoe full of ice and snow on top of lumber, which had to be removed.
Nearby that area, there was a “slightly depressed” area that Beuter was able to start digging out. He testified he uncovered some fabric, which was cut open to reveal a leg.
Trish Mehaffey covers state and federal courts for The Gazette
Comments: (319) 398-8318; trish.mehaffey@thegazette.com
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