(Radio Iowa) – The Iowa Supreme Court has reversed a Court of Appeals decision that overturned a murder verdict in eastern Iowa. The Iowa Court of Appeals overturned the second-degree murder verdict against Johnny Blahnik Church in the stabbing death of Chris Bagley of Cedar Rapids in 2018. The Court of Appeals based its decision on a jury instruction that was given by the judge after the jury deliberated for several hours and was deadlocked at 11-1.

The Supreme Court ruled the facts and circumstances do not support the conclusion the district court’s verdict-urging instruction coerced or potentially coerced the jury’s verdict.

Church was sentenced in December 2021 to 57 years in prison.