Drew Blahnik sentenced to 57 years in prison for killing Chris Bagley

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (KCRG) -Drew Blahnik has been sentenced to 57 years in prison for stabbing Chris Bagley to death in 2018. Bagley went missing that December and investigators found his body more than two months later buried in a yard in southeast Cedar Rapids.

When given the chance today in court, Blahnik made it a point not to apologize for killing Chris Bagley in 2018, continuing to claim self defense.

”I would like to apologize for everything that happened after I killed Chris,” he told Bagley’s family before claiming Chris pulled a gun on him first.

A jury convicted Blahnik of Second Degree Murder, Obstructing Prosecution and Abuse of a Corpse in July.

Bagley’s loved ones wore t-shirts with his picture on them in court Friday. Several of them gave statements asking Judge Christopher Bruns to impose the maximum sentence of 57 years for the three counts. Blahnik must serve the year consecutively.

During her statement, Bagley’s wife Courtney held up pictures of their kids, telling Blahnik the only way they can visit their father is at the cemetery. Bagley’s father Stewart spoke with his sons ashes and photo on hand, only addressing Blahnik, as a coward.

”He has no remorse. Because of the coward, this is all I have left of Chris. Pictures, pictures, a cross with his ashes in it, and this small thing of ashes. That’s all I have left of my son because of you,” Stewart Bagley said.

Bagley’s family believes Blahnik and Drew Wagner set out to kill Chris on an order from a known drug dealer named Andy Shaw.

”It took you and your partner in crime 12 minutes to go into that trailer, stab my son 13 times, murdering him, load his body in the bed of a truck and leave Paul Hoff’s trailer. Then you buried him to hide what you did,” Christine Bagley said during her statement.

Wagner has been sentenced to 47 years for his role in the crime. Shaw has not been charged in this case, but is serving federal time on drug related charges.

Blahnik must serve at least 70% of his murder sentence to be eligible for parole. His sentencing Friday came just a few days after the the three year anniversary of Bagley’s death.

Copyright 2021 KCRG. All rights reserved.