As week three of the Levi Chavez murder trial wound down prosecutors started playing up another possible motive for him to kill his wife Tera. Discover Lynn Murdaugh Goette Real Image & Current Location, Create Your Perfect Print With Blue And White Peel And Stick Wallpaper. In court today, she said the calls were work related, and Keener did not press her for specifics. Where does medical cannabis go from here? Tera Chavez. Powered by WordPress.com VIP. "Please tell them to hurry!" the 26-year-old can be heard saying in his 911 call, PEOPLE reported. rules the death self-inflicted The medical examiner ruled Tera's death a suicide. Levi Chavez alleged malicious prosecution, malicious abuse of process, defamation, and outrageous conduct, according to court documents. Breaking News: Levi Chavez found NOT GUILTY of all charges in the death of Tera Chavez in 2007. Serna will begin his cross-examination of Heather Chavez this afternoon. Levi Chavez was acquitted in that case, but many people are raising concerns about whether his presence in the next class of law students . He is serving a life sentence without the possibility of parole for 25 years. John Fetterman Wife: Who Is Gisele Barreto Fetterman. In August 2013, Chavez was acquitted of the murder charges. Heather Chavez also testified that she never met or spoke to Tera Chavez. The two had gotten engaged just two months after Tera Chavezs death and prosecutors asked questions about how quickly Levi Chavez had moved on. The sexual relationship? This time, Levi Chavez said he is the one who has been wronged. Although her parents said they were shocked at the news, they turned it around to a positive. The teenager and her baby continued to live at the Cordova family home for two years, her mother Theresa Cordova said. "There never was a case against Levi Chavez," Serna said. Chavez was tried in 2013 for murder and tampering with evidence in the death of his wife Tera Chavez. Published: 09:01 EST, 17 July 2013 | Updated: 09:01 EST, 17 July 2013. Levi started working for Heading Home in 2015. Her Albuquerque police officer husband found her and called 911. Strict, but in a good way, he said. Chavez told jurors that he found his wife dead from a gunshot wound and thought it was God's way of punishing him. The former officer, clenching a Rosary, immediately embraced his attorney, David Serna. The trial revealed a crumbling marriage that was. 2023 by Fashionuer. Be the first one to comment on this story. Meanwhile, in the courtroom, Chavez and family gathered to pray a "Hail Mary" until Serna grabbed Chavez by the arm to escort him through a crowded pathway of supporters and family members. Chavez could spend the rest of his life in prison if convicted on charges that he killed Tera Chavez, 26, in the couples home near Los Lunas and tried to make it look like a suicide. Tera Chavez moved to Virginia to be with her husband after graduating, as hed been posted there with the Coast Guard and the young woman was soon pregnant again with their second child, Alibi reported. Chavez called 911 to report the alleged suicide around 9 p.m. on Oct. 21, 2007. 'I don't feel like speaking for his future.'. Prosecutor Bryan McKay, who told jurors during closing arguments that Chavez used his department-issued gun to commit "cold-blooded, calculated, planned-out murder," declined to comment after the verdict. you were talking about yourself, and you were talking about possibly marrying him bc his name was chavez, and you wanted to go to homicide. "What did I tell you?" The call did not go to voicemail. Some extra notes, quotes, news and notes from the Lobos Friday night basketball game in Fort Collins, Colorado. Levi Chavez, 32, admitted to having a string of mistresses, searching a website on how to kill someone with martial arts moves and ignoring his wife's calls for help. Mr. Levi Chavez was born and raised in New Mexico and has a military and law enforcement background. In July 2013, after a month-long trial, the verdict from the jury came in: not guilty. M.E. For instance, detectives said that the night before the young mothers death, Levi Chavez was at his girlfriends house, according to PEOPLE. 'I'm very embarrassed about it,' Chavez said, then later added. A Comprehensive Review of Edubirdies Academic Writing Service. He. According to reports, an Albuquerque, New Mexico police officer Levi Chaves was suspected of shooting and murdering his 26-year-old wife, Tera Chavez, with his issued service gun after investigators reportedly presumed that he attempted to cover up the crime as a suicide. Serna told Chavez. Part of the Daily Mail, The Mail on Sunday & Metro Media Group, Plunged into the limelight: Camilla 'wants her five teenage grandchildren to take centre stage at Charles's coronation alongside the King's Royal heirs - performing a role previously given to Duchesses as the new Queen is anointed with holy oil', Newspaper comic strip Dilbert gets canceled after its creator is branded racist for warning white people to 'get the f**k away' from black people - before doubling down on his beliefs. Levi Chavez Was Charged With His Wife's Murder Years Later & His New Wife & Mistresses Testified As mentioned, Levi Chavez was charged with her murder in April 2011, but it took another. BREAKING: Former APD officer Levi Chavez back in jail: A Valencia County judge has sent Levi Chavez back to jail after a hearing on Wednesday. July 17, 2013 / 10:40 AM In an indictment filed in April 2011 that charges Levi Chavez with first-degree murder and evidence tampering, prosecutors say he killed Tera in the couples home near Los Lunas on Oct. 19, 20 or 21, 2007. But on direct examination by Bryan McKay, senior trial attorney for the 13th Judicial District Attorneys Office, Garley testified that she also went to the home the Chavezes had shared at 11 Ash Place on the weekend of Nov. 11 and 12, 2007. The city of Albuquerque already has paid Tera's family $230,000 to settle claims against it and its police department in the civil case. If the scores of text messages, call logs, pictures of Teras children and photos of her kitties were going to be admitted as evidence, Serna argued, so, too, should the naked pictures and videos. Please review our privacy policy here: https://heavy.com/privacy-policy/, Copyright 2023 Heavy, Inc. All rights reserved. [3], The night prior to the death of his wife Tera, Levi had spent the night at his girlfriend's house. In August 2013, Chavez was acquitted of the murder charges. Prosecutors allege that Levi Chavez shot Tera Chavez, 26, once in the mouth with his APD-issued Glock 9 mm pistol and tried to make it look like a suicide. On Jan. 15, 2008, Heather Chavez gave an interview to then-Detective Aaron Jones, who was investigating Teras death for the Valencia County Sheriffs Office. Tera Chavezs parents say the entire legal process has been difficult because they want to continue to be in their grandchildrens lives but they also want Teras kids to know she didnt commit suicide. Her husband Levi Chavez, a police officer with the Albuquerque Police Department, was the one who called 911 and told them shed committed suicide. 2013 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. Im not guilty. AP Photo/Albuquerque Journal, Adolphe Pierre-Louis, Colombia wants to deport "cocaine hippos" to stop them from multiplying, Alex Murdaugh found guilty of murders of wife and son. According to her testimony, Heather Chavez was in Chicago with her parents the weekend Tera died. Serna said his client was a victim of an overly aggressive former detective and 'lies' from local media outlets, although none reported Serna ever requesting for a retraction or correction from any stories since 2007. Levi Chavez, a 26-year-old officer with the Albuquerque, New Mexico Police Department, at nine o'clock on the night of October 21, 2007, called 911 to report that his wife had committed suicide with his department-issued Glock 9 pistol. By that time, though, their marriage was already crumbling apart as Levi was having affairs with several women, many of whom he worked with on the police force. The case made national headlines in 2013 as more details came to light . And really, these female cops, Regina Sanchez, Heather whatever her name is, and SRO officer horrible Debra Romero have the audacity to say "I didn't know" Serna on Thursday spent two and a half hours cross-examining Citizen. "If we had a smoking gun, I would say it was the unseated magazine," said Arthur Ortiz, a longtime New Mexico lawman,. While there isn't an official wife, the second of Hugo Chavez's four children, 29 year-old Maria Gabriela, plays the role of First Lady of the . Audrina Patridge Niece: What Happened To Sadie Raine Loza? Following the verdict, emotional family members of Tera Chavez were quickly escorted out of Sandoval District Court, the result of an edict from state District Judge George Eichwald who sought to ease tensions between the two families. Aug 19, 2008 . Now that so many years have gone by, lets take a look at where he currently is, shall we? He told the operator she killed herself and that he hadnt said anything because He thought she needed time.. Heather Chavezs statement in court today was that the couple only kissed in the car. We are no longer accepting comments on this article. Levi Chavez is a former police officer in Albuquerque, New Mexico, who was charged with the 2007 death of his 26-year-old wife, Tera Chavez. Upon announcing the verdict, the family of Levi Chavez, including his current wife Albuquerque detective Heather Chavez, let out gasps and wept. / CBS News. Over the next several months, detectives began digging into Levi Chavezs story and the investigation eventually deemed her death a homicide. One key talking point during the investigation into Tera Chavezs death and the murder trial was how quickly Levi Chavez appeared to have moved on. action 7 . Im innocent. 'Justice was not served,' Joseph Cordova, the father of Tera Chavez, said after listening to the verdict with his wife. Tera Chavez died on 22nd October 2007 at Los Lunas, New Mexico, United States, she was 26 years old during her time of death and according to the report she died from a gunshot wound from her husband's service weapon. Her mother said she wants the kids to know, Shed never leave them. View contact information: phones, addresses, emails and networks. After the two reviewed numerous pages of Verizon records showing calls made to and from both Teras and Levis cellphones, as well as cellphone tower records, Serna declared that the records supported his clients story about where he had been the weekend of Teras death. Some of the affairs were with female APD officers.[4]. After investigations revealed secrets involving an unhappy marriage, tangled love affairs, and a web of lies, it was Levi who came under the microscope for Teras alleged murder and the subsequent cover-up. It appears that his wife, now known as Heather Chavez, is a detective with the Farmington Police Department. Email addresses are used solely for verification and to speed the verification process for repeat questioners. The murder trial of Chavezs wife lasted over two years, according to KOAT. She testified this morning that she is currently assigned to the APD Crimes Against Children Unit. However, Chavez said his wife's death later helped him reform his philandering ways and he later married another police officer two months after his wife's death. After more than 10 hours of deliberations, a jury acquitted Levi Chavez, 32, of murdering of his wife, 26-year-old Tera Chavez, in 2007 and trying to make the hairdresser's death look like a suicide. 'He's got several plans in the works,' Serna said. She attended Teras funeral, according to her testimony, as did many other APD officers. Chavez claimed that his wife committed suicide because of his many affairs. Join Facebook to connect with Levi Chavez and others you may know. (AP) BERNALILLO, New Mexico - The monthlong criminal trial and all its salacious stories of law officer affairs and a blundering investigation are over, but a civil trial looms for a former Albuquerque policeman acquitted of killing his depressed wife with his department-issued gun. But, the disgraced former officer insisted that he did not kill his wife. Serna said he doubted that Chavez would want return to the state's largest police department. The Dateline NBC episode 'The Officer's Wife' investigates the 2007 death of 26-year-old Tera Chavez, wife of Albuquerque police officer Levi Chavez. The Officer's Wife When police officer Levi Chavez finds his wife, Tera, shot to death in their home, an investigation into her murder begins as buried secrets are revealed. ABOUT A MONTH AFTER THAT LEVI BOUGHT HER A DIAMOND RING. Chavez is a former Albuquerque Police Department officer, accused of killing his wife at their Los Lunas home in 2007. The morning of October 22, 2007, he allegedly returned to the couple's home in Los Lunas, New Mexico, where he discovered the body of his wife. Social Media Influencer Set on Fire & Killed by Ex-Husband, Family Says. Published: Friday, June 28th, 2013 at 12:05AMUpdated: Friday, June 28th, 2013 at 2:03PM. INVESTIGATION - ABQjournal Metro: Death Now Called Suspicious INVESTIGATION - ABQjournal Metro: Death Now Called Suspicious. Emergency Housing Director, Westside Emergency Housing Center. In August 2013, Chavez was acquitted of the murder charges. Investigators eventually deemed her death to be suspicious and Levi Chavez became the primary suspect, especially after he remarried less than seven months following his first wifes death. That wouldve been after she moved out of the home she shared with Steve Hindi, according to her testimony. It looks like Chavez is now working for a nonprofit that provides emergency and permanent housing to homeless individuals. In December 2013, it was made public that Chavez had relinquished his police officer certification. Levi Chavez, an Albuquerque police officer, called 911 on the morning of October 22, 2007, to report that he'd come home to find his wife dead of a gunshot wound from his service weapon. READ NEXT: Social Media Influencer Set on Fire & Killed by Ex-Husband, Family Says. THEY WERE MARRIED JULY 2008, DAYS AFTER SHE FINALIZED HER DIVORCE WITH ANOTHER APD OFFICER. 'Guilt doesn't even begin to describe it.'. The other half of Heather Chavezs wish never came to pass. In 2000, they tied the knot and moved to Virginia, where Levi was working as a Coast Guard. Then, there is also the matter of Tera telling her friends that she thought her husband was involved in an insurance scam and was stealing money. It appears that his wife, now known as Heather Chavez, is a detective with the Farmington Police Department. Cinemaholic reports that Chavez was accepted at the University of New Mexico Law School and began studying for his degree in 2016, where he specialized in criminal law. I wasnt worried.. Breaking News: Levi Chavez found NOT GUILTY of all charges in the death of Tera Chavez in 2007. Prosecutor Bryan McKay, who told jurors during closing arguments that Chavez used his department-issued gun to commit 'cold-blooded, calculated, planned-out murder,' declined to comment after the verdict. Levi Chavez is a former Albuquerque, NM Police Officer who was charged with the 2007 death of his 26yearold wife, Tera Chavez. Chavez was placed on leave at the police department where he worked and eventually, on April 7, 2011, he was arrested and charged with his wifes murder, KOAT reported. Levi Chavez, an Albuquerque police officer, called 911 on the morning of October 22, 2007, to report that he'd come home to find his wife dead of a gunshot wound from his service weapon. Thats the past, Heather Chavez said in court today. Levi Chavez, an Albuquerque police officer, called 911 on the morning of October 22, 2007, to report that hed come home to find his wife dead of a gunshot wound from his service weapon. No comments have so far been submitted. One day, [the kids] are going to be of age, and theyre going to want to know, her father told Alibi. In the trial's final days, Chavez took the stand and acknowledged having a string of mistresses, searching a website on how to kill someone with martial arts moves, and ignoring his wife's calls for help. On the 911 call, Levi Chavez can be heard crying and saying Please tell them to hurry! Her death was ruled a suicide by the medical examiner, but investigators began thinking it might have been a homicide and the cause of death was changed to undetermined, PEOPLE reported. In July 2013, Levi Chavez was found not guilty of first-degree murder. Current CACU detective, and Levi's wife, Heather Chavez, was married to another officer in 2007. "What did I tell you?" Serna told Chavez. After more than 10 hours of deliberations, a jury acquitted Levi Chavez, 32, of murdering of his wife, 26-year-old Tera Chavez, in 2007 and trying to make the hairdresser's death look like. Her family said they knew there was trouble in the relationship and they had heard Levi Chavez was cheating on his wife, Alibi reported. A former cop was acquitted on Tuesday of killing his depressed wife with his department-issued gun after a month-long trial that has revealed secrets of affairs and alleged corruption within an Albuquerque police force. The pair met when they were just teenagers starting high school, and soon, they got into a serious relationship. For Tera Chavez, Levi was her high school sweetheart, husband, and the entire world. Subscribe now to access decluttered news, chosen by you. Her husband Levi is suspected soon after because of suspicious circumstantial evidence, but there is no confession, eyewitness or 'smoking gun' forensic evidence. [2] Farm Heroes Saga, the #4 Game on iTunes. But, the disgraced former officer insisted that he did not kill his wife. Levi Chavez eventually filed a federal lawsuit against Aaron Jones, who was a detective with the Valencia County Sheriffs Department at the time of Teras death and was one of the first on the scene. He had come to the CACU office to schedule a time to shadow Heather, according to her testimony, meaning she would show him the ropes of detective work in the unit. Fashionuer.com participates in many affiliate marketing programs & sponsored content which means we get paid commissions on products purchased through our links to retail websites. THE TEXTS DIDN'T STOP THERE ANOTHER, ABOUT A MONTH LATER, FROM HEATHER TO LEVI SAYING HE WAS HER REASON TO EXIST. 'He took one more breath and that's it': Mother describes Ex-marine father murdered wife and 17-month-old son before Pennsylvania woman gets life for stabbing her fianc to Isabel Oakeshott receives 'menacing' message from Matt Hancock, Dozens stuck in car park as staff refuses to open gate for woman, Incredible footage of Ukrainian soldiers fighting Russians in Bakhmut, Pro-Ukrainian drone lands on Russian spy planes exposing location, 'Buster is next!' It was hailed as a new era when designers finally recognised 'real women' but they have once again been sidelined by stick-thin models, Taking the Mickey! Now her parents speak to News 13. However, after several suspicions, connections, and autopsy reports were drawn, investigators and the victim's family accused the officer of allegedly shooting and murdering Tera Chavez in the bed of their Los Lunas home. Levi has undergraduate degrees from UNM and CNM, as well as a law degree from the UNM School of Law. Through witness testimony, the public learned that Chavez had been having a number of affairs while married to Tera Chavez. Would love your thoughts, please comment. A former Albuquerque police officer has been acquitted of murder in the death of his wife after a trial that contained a series of salacious revelations about his extramarital affairs with. 2023, Hearst Television Inc. on behalf of KOAT-TV. They werent told that tens of instances in which Levi Chavezs attorneys asserted his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination had been excised from the deposition. Much of the trial centered on allegations that Albuquerque police officers who responded to the Chavez home in nearby Los Lunas removed and even flushed key evidence down a toilet. Levi Chavez maintained his innocence throughout the trial, and he maintains his innocence even today. Josh Mankiewicz reports. Levi Chavez is a former police officer in Albuquerque, New Mexico, who was charged with the 2007 death of his 26-year-old wife, Tera Chavez. WE ALSO LEARNED FRIDAY THAT HEATHER-WENT TO TERA CHAVEZ'S FUNERAL. He was acquitted of her murder on Tuesday, The less-than-perfect crime: Tera Chavez was killed when her husband allegedly shot her in the mouth and tried to make it look like a suicide. Her relationship with Chavez started when he was still married to Marisabel. You could pretty much put her through the wringer, and shed still love you like it never happened. Levi Chavez is a former police officer in Albuquerque, New Mexico, who was charged with the 2007 death of his 26-year-old wife, Tera Chavez. BERNALILLOTwenty-four days after Levi Chavez called 911 to say his wife had shot herself in the head, a text message popped up on his cellphone suggesting that a new marriage wasnt far off. Annalise died after being pushed off the roof in December 2009. This type of work affords great meaning to his life, as he and his team provide emergency housing to hundreds of our communitys most vulnerable individuals each night. 'This was a made up pile of lies from the beginning and it took the jury approximately 10 hours to find that out.'. Levi Chavez came back the following week and did exactly that. According to reports, an Albuquerque, New Mexico police officer Levi Chaves was suspected of shooting and murdering his 26-year-old wife, Tera Chavez, with his issued service gun after. He was accused of murdering his wife by the victim's family and one of the detectives working the case and was ultimately acquitted of all charges in 2013 after being found not guilty by a jury. The official synopsis of the episode says. The Officer's Wife Dateline NBC True Crime Requires subscription and macOS 11.4 or higher When police officer Levi Chavez finds his wife, Tera, shot to death in their home, an investigation into her murder begins as buried secrets are revealed. Heavy reached out to UNM for additional information about Chavezs admission status; however, we did not receive a response by press time. LIVE IN SANDOVAL COUNTY LZ KOAT ACTION 7 NEWS.. COUNT ON KOAT-DOT-COM FOR. Within two months of her death, he was engaged to a former colleague at the Albuquerque Police Department, Heather Hindi, and they were married a few months later, PEOPLE wrote. Bernalillo County deputy involved in rollover crash in Northeast A Bernalillo County deputy was reportedly A Bernalillo County deputy was reportedly not injured after their vehicle rolled in a two-vehicle crash Saturday morning in Northeast Albuquerque. So where is Levi Chavez now? Levi Chavez was charged with the murder of his wife, Tera, but he has maintained his innocence and said she committed suicide. 2023 Cinemaholic Inc. All rights reserved. In the 6-week-long court hearing, there were testimonies from police officers, pathologists, the women Levi had affairs with, as well as Teras family. . "I don't feel like speaking for his future.". Serna told Chavez. Levi Chavez, right, a former Albuquerque police officer, gets a congratulatory hug from his attorney David Serna on Tuesday, July 16, 2013, in Bernalillo, N.M., after a jury acquitted him of murder and tampering with evidence charges in the 2007 death of his estranged wife, Tera Chavez. Facebook Japanese models have always been admired for their skills as well as their beauty. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. Also in court this morning, jurors heard a heavily redacted recording of the deposition Levi Chavez gave in the civil case. Indeed, the records appeared to show that Levi Chavezs cellphone was in Valencia County early on Oct. 19 and that he was on Albuquerques West Side, where he was working a swing shift for APD, later that day. Acquitted: Levi Chavez, center, a former Albuquerque police officer, leaves the court after his month-long trial, Grief: Theresa and Joseph Cordova, parents of Tera Chavez, leave the Sandoval County Judicial Complex, saying 'justice has not been served'. Detective Aaron Jones with the Valencia County Sheriffs Office said he found Tera Chavezs diary, which detailed her despair and, in more recent times, her hopes for the future and her decision to leave her husband. Upon announcing the verdict, the family of Levi Chavez, including his current wife Albuquerque detective Heather Chavez, let out gasps and wept. This week I spotted my very sweet friend's husband on a dating app and what I did next will leave most of you outraged, writes JANA HOCKING, Billionaire financier Thomas H. 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Levi Chavez was working at the Albuquerque Animal Welfare Department when he was arrested in 2011, but it wasnt until two years later, in 2013, that he stood trial for the charges against him. The exchange led to several objections from Levi Chavezs lawyer, David Serna, and eventually devolved into a full-blown shouting match between Serna and Keener. I told you guys that from the beginning. Witnesses also described a workplace where interoffice romance was rampant and said both Levi and Tera Chavez had affairs with members of the police force. A summary is at Levi Chavez, Ex-Police Officer, Not Guilty Of Murdering Wife. Levi found Tera shot dead in their. However, things began turning around for the mother of two when she began making plans to leave her husband and open a salon of her own, her family said. The latest breaking updates, delivered straight to your email inbox. Her husband, Albuquerque Police Department officer Levi Chavez, was the one who discovered her body and called 911, claiming that it looked like his wife had shot herself with his department-issued weapon. State District Judge George Eichwald ruled that one nude photograph would be available only to the jury that it wouldnt be shown in open court and that the lawyers could ask questions of witnesses about the videos without getting into the details.. The lawsuit against Jones was dismissed in 2018. They married in July 2008, just a few days after Hindis divorce from another Albuquerque police officer was finalized. They also said hed had other affairs, including with some of the neighbors and other Albuquerque police officers. However, as Dateline NBC explored on its episode The Officers Wife, investigators had questions about her death, especially as the gun used was Levi Chavezs department-issued firearm. Levi started working for Heading Home in 2015. Chavez found his estranged wife Tera dead of a gunshot wound in the living room of their home in 2007. Levi Chavez has full custody of his two children, according to Teras parents Joseph and Theresa Cordova, Alibi reported. For weeks, the murder trial captivated parts of central New Mexico as residents were fixated in barber shops, diners and grocery stores. Chavez was eventually charged with first-degree murder and obstructing justice, responding to which he entered a not guilty plea and, to date, asserts his innocence. View the profiles of people named Levi Chavez. The former police officer, graduating with a law degree, serves in a non-profit company known as Heading Home and assists the organization in its fight against homelessness in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Powered by. At first,. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. Upon returning home in mid-November not even a month after Tera's murder, that officer saw a car parked around the corner from his house. BERNALILLOTwenty-four days after Levi Chavez called 911 to say his wife had shot herself in the head, a text message popped up on his cellphone suggesting that a new marriage wasn't far off.. Check arrest records, resumes and CV, photos and videos, news, social media profiles, publications, places of employment, work history and public records .