Thats also where she was working on Oct. 8, 2007, the first time she met Levi Chavez face-to-face, according to her testimony. Former police officer acquitted of wife's murder | Local News The problem here was that his girlfriend couldnt remember exactly when Levi came to her place or when he left. Be the first one to comment on this story. She was quiet. The two met twice thereafter to have sex before Levi Chavez called 911 to say his wife had shot herself in the head. 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. 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. Levi Chavez sues detective over murder investigation - KRQE Dated Nov. 14, 2007, it was from a fellow APD officer whose name, at the time, was Heather Hindi. On July 5, 2008, half of the desire she expressed in the text came true. However, the case took a shocking turn after some disturbing facts came to the surface. or debate this issue live on our message boards. 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. Please logout and login again. Dr. Weitere Informationen ber die Verwendung Ihrer personenbezogenen Daten finden Sie in unserer Datenschutzerklrung und unserer Cookie-Richtlinie. Levi Chavez. We raised Andrea as a family., The young couple married in 2000 even though their relationship was already facing some problems, her brothers said. Levi Chavez's current wife testifies - Albuquerque Journal State District Judge George P. Eichwald instructed the two to Quit arguing back and forth like kids.. Annalise died after being pushed off the roof in December 2009. Levi Chavez - Wikiwand Obituary | Levi Chavez | Rogers Mortuary Inc. Homeowner finds gruesome animal skeleton hidden behind cupboard for 30 years - so can you guess what it is? Ex-police officer acquitted of murder of wife | AP News BERNALILLO, N.M. 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. 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. Chavez of course denies the incident. Later on, when Tera passed away, he claimed that the only reason he hadnt left his wife was because of their two children. 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Her twin brother described her as a strong woman and a loving mother. July 31, 2015 - Former APD officer Levi Chavez has been admitted to the UNM Law School. 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. Comparing Online Sportsbook Welcome Bonuses. Now her parents speak to News 13. You could pretty much put her through the wringer, and shed still love you like it never happened. After a few years there, they moved back to Los Lunas, and Levi got a job as a police officer with the Albuquerque Police Department. Their additional three locations remain open. 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. [1] [2] Levi was initially charged with murdering his wife with his police issued Glock and making it appear as a suicide. Guitarist Ottmar Liebert bringing his unique blend of music Ottmar Liebert and his band Luna Negra will perform with the New Mexico Philharmonic at Popejoy Hall on Saturday, March 11. For weeks, the murder trial captivated parts of central New Mexico as residents were fixated in barber shops, diners and grocery stores. 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. 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. They also werent allowed to watch video of that deposition. Play it now! 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 city of Albuquerque already has paid Tera's family $230,000 to settle claims against it and its police department in the civil case. Reportedly, he is married to APD Detective Heather, who was also present throughout the trial. Tera Chavezs mother, Theresa Cordova, said her daughter was an artist, according to a feature on Chavezs life in Alibi. I didnt do anything wrong, KOAT reported. Powered by WordPress.com VIP. Cleared of Wife's Murder, Cop Sues Sheriff - Courthouse News Service Detective Jones, who suspected that Levi Chavez had murdered his wife eighteen to twenty hours before he . Chavez called 911 to report the alleged suicide around 9 p.m. on Oct. 21, 2007. During his trial, he was found not guilty of first-degree murder and was acquitted of the charges. Please review our privacy policy here: https://heavy.com/privacy-policy/, Copyright 2023 Heavy, Inc. All rights reserved. Heather Chavez said that, despite the appearance given in the text she sent Levi about taking his last name and more than 400 calls between the two from Oct. 8, 2007 to Dec. 12 of that year they did not begin a sexual relationship until late November or early December.. Dateline Unforgettable Does Tera Chavez Case: What To Know | Crime News I told you guys that from the beginning. 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. Hindi said on the stand that shed never met Tera Chavez, but she went to her funeral and helped move her things out of the family home after her death, footage from the trial shows. Chavez discovered his wife dead, with a gunshot wound to the mouth upon returning home on October 22, 2007. In his profile, it says: During the investigations into Tera Chavezs murder and during Levi Chavezs trial, one key talking point was how quickly he appeared to move on. Tera Chavez Death: Why Parents Believe Death Was Not A Suicide | Crime News Read a reflection on the importance of community partners from our WEHC Emergency Housing Director Levi Chavez. There is no confirmation on whether she is still a part of the Albuquerque Police Department. 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. 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. EXPOSE': The Murder and Cover-up of a Small Town Girl; Tera Chavez 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. THE TEXTS DIDN'T STOP THERE ANOTHER, ABOUT A MONTH LATER, FROM HEATHER TO LEVI SAYING HE WAS HER REASON TO EXIST. 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. [1] A month after Tera Chavezs death, her husband was placed on leave at the Albuquerque Police Department as the investigation into her death continued, KOAT reported. 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. Tera Chavez had been looking for a business space to rent for her salon and had an appointment to meet a landlord just two days after the day she died, Alibi wrote. 'I'm very embarrassed about it,' Chavez said, then later added. Where is he today? / CBS News. Serna said he doubted that Chavez would want to return to the state's largest police department. 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.. 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. In all likelihood, Chavezs cellphone was turned off between 12:27 a.m. and 3:32 p.m. on Oct. 21, 2007, said Jody Citizen, a senior analyst for the Verizon Wireless companys legal department. That case is scheduled to be heard in state District Court in Bernalillo County and has been on hold while the criminal trial was held. Following a couple of years of preparation, he applied to be a lawyer and was accepted into the University of New Mexico Law School, entering class of 2016, where he apparently specialized in criminal law. Upon announcing the verdict, the family of Levi Chavez, including his current wife Albuquerque detective Heather Chavez, let out gasps and wept. The morning of 22 October 2007, he returned to the couple's home in Los Lunas, NM where he . Levi had spent the night at his current girlfriend's house. Levi Chavezs current wife takes the stand, Current wife insists she never spoke with Tera Chavez, WEBVTT IN DAY 14 OF THE LEVI CHAVEZ TRIAL, HIS CURRENT WIFE, A-P-D OFFICER HEATHER CHAVEZ TAKES THE STAND. 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. The former officer, clenching a Rosary, immediately embraced his attorney, David Serna. The records also show that following the end of the shift at midnight, the phone was in the far Northeast Heights, near the home of a fellow APD officer with whom Chavez was having an affair. 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. The trial revealed a crumbling marriage that was. 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. Chavez was accused of killing his hairdresser wife, Tera, with his police-issued handgun and making it look like a suicide in October 2007. BUT HEATHER INSISTS THE WOMEN NEVER SPOKE. The latest breaking updates, delivered straight to your email inbox. 'I took her for granted.'. IN THE WEEKS AFTER THE FUNERAL SHE WAS HELPING MOVE TERA'S ITEMS OUT OFTHE LOS LUNAS HOME ANDMORE. In 2018, the case was dismissed due to missing information and incorrect information that was cited as reasons to dismiss the case. But, in the end, after two days of deliberation, because of a lack of physical evidence linking him to Teras death, or something that even concretely proved that it was a homicide, Levi, who was facing life in prison, was acquitted of all charges. 2023 Cinemaholic Inc. All rights reserved. 'This was a made up pile of lies from the beginning and it took the jury approximately 10 hours to find that out.'. This individual treats the department as his own private brothel, and while he runs amok, nobody does anything or says anything. Aug 19, 2008 . "Justice was not served," Joseph Cordova, the father of Tera Chavez, said after listening to the verdict with his wife. However, nearly four years after Tera took her last breath, Levi was charged with first-degree premeditated murder and tampering with evidence. Levi Chavez was acquitted in that case, but many people are raising concerns about whether his presence in the next class of law students . 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. Powered by. BERNALILLO Its impossible to say based on cellphone records where Levi Chavez was for 15 hours near the end of the three-day period during which prosecutors say he killed his wife in 2007, according to a cellphone company analyst who testified Thursday in the former APD officers murder trial. 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. Levi also asserted that when Tera apparently killed herself, he was away, spending the weekend at one of his girlfriends apartment. 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, according to Cinemaholic. 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. detailing just how quickly their relationship developed once tera chavez died. 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. Facebook gives people the power to. Im innocent. 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. Copyright 2022 by Fashionuer. Three weeks after Teras death, Levi Chavez was having sex with another woman in the home near Los Lunas from which authorities had removed Tera Chavezs body, according to the mistresss testimony. She grew up in Los Lunas, a small village south of Alburquerque. 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. Tera Chavez was just 26 years old when she was found dead of a gunshot wound on October 22, 2007. Discover Lynn Murdaugh Goette Real Image & Current Location, Create Your Perfect Print With Blue And White Peel And Stick Wallpaper. What happened to Tera Chavez? Dateline Unforgettable to revisit cop's THEY WERE MARRIED JULY 2008, DAYS AFTER SHE FINALIZED HER DIVORCE WITH ANOTHER APD OFFICER. READ NEXT: Social Media Influencer Set on Fire & Killed by Ex-Husband, Family Says. His profile states: Mr. Levi Chavez was born and raised in New Mexico and has a military and law enforcement background. After being pronounced not guilty by a jury in 2013, Levi sought to become a lawyer after a couple of years of training and was admitted into the University of New Mexico Law School, where he reportedly concentrated on criminal law. 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. NM Ex-police officer acquitted of wife's murder We always thought, Hell take care of her.'. Now that he has graduated, instead of being a practicing attorney, Levi works at a non-profit organization called Heading Home, which spearheads the campaign to eradicate homelessness in Albuquerque, New Mexico. did you ever go to the address on ash place? ", First published on July 17, 2013 / 10:40 AM. 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. 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. Levi Chavez's current wife takes the stand, Current wife insists she never spoke with Tera Chavez. 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. 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. For weeks, the murder trial captivated parts of central New Mexico as residents were fixated in barber shops, diners and grocery stores. Season 2 Episode 2 of Dateline: Unforgettable is scheduled to air on Tuesday, June 14, 2022, at 8.00 pm ET on Oxygen, with Josh Mankiewicz reporting on the story. Levi said. 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. 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'. All Rights Reserved. . I did WE ALSO LEARNED TODAY THAT UNDERNEATH THE MATTRESS ON WHICH TERA CHAVEZ WAS FOUND DEAD WAS A CALL LOG FROM LEVI'S CELL PHONE. Your login session has expired. In August 2013, Chavez was acquitted of the murder charges. 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. Levi Chavez Profiles | Facebook Levi Chavez alleged malicious prosecution, malicious abuse of process, defamation, and outrageous conduct, according to court documents. As soon as this grand jury indictment came out, Levi was fired from the Albuquerque Police Department, from where he had been on administrative leave for over a year.
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