In July 2013, after a month-long trial, the verdict from the jury came in: not guilty. 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. Tera Chavezs mother, Theresa Cordova, said her daughter was an artist, according to a feature on Chavezs life in Alibi. Some extra notes, quotes, news and notes from the Lobos Friday night basketball game in Fort Collins, Colorado. 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. The sexual relationship? 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. But I didnt see them, she said, adding later that she also didnt see any items that looked like they had belonged to Tera. ACTION 7 NEWS REPORTER LAUREN ZAKALIK IS LIVE OUTSIDE COURT TO EXPLAIN. Im not guilty. Subscribe now to access decluttered news, chosen by you. Copyright 2022 by Fashionuer. According to their website, Levi holds the title of Emergency Housing Director at their Westside Emergency Housing Center. did you ever go to the address on ash place? 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. "I don't feel like speaking for his future.". 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. "Please tell them to hurry!" the 26-year-old can be heard saying in his 911 call, PEOPLE reported. Play it now! Josh Mankiewicz reports Friday, November . Farm Heroes Saga, the #4 Game on iTunes. I told you guys that from the beginning. Her Albuquerque police officer husband found her and called 911. INVESTIGATION - Death of APD Officer's Wife Investigated INVESTIGATION - Death of APD Officer's Wife Investigated. Where does medical cannabis go from here? Thats the past, Heather Chavez said in court today. 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. We are no longer accepting comments on this article. 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. Powered by WordPress.com VIP. THE WOMEN NEVER DID MEET. The two had gotten engaged just two months after Tera Chavezs death and prosecutors asked questions about how quickly Levi Chavez had moved on. 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. New Mexico and ABQ News, Sports, Business and more, By Jeff Proctor / Journal Staff Writer The OTHER side of the law: Former Albuquerque police officer Levi Chavez seen here in his mugshot after allegedly murdering his wife. Please review our privacy policy here: https://heavy.com/privacy-policy/, Copyright 2023 Heavy, Inc. All rights reserved. Tera Chavez was just 26 years old when she was found dead of a gunshot wound 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. 2013 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. Breaking News: Levi Chavez found NOT GUILTY of all charges in the death of Tera Chavez in 2007. Katrina Garley testified that she met Levi Chavez when he walked into the Verizon cellphone store in Los Lunas to buy a phone in early October 2007. The tawdry details spilled in the trial and the questions it raised about the practices of the Albuquerque Police Department have further tarnished the agency, which is under investigation by the U.S. Justice Department over a series of police shootings. Currently, the Maxwell Museum is displaying 'Conversing with the Land: Native North American Baskets of the Maxwell Museum Collections,' through Jan. 10, 2024. In August 2013, Chavez was acquitted of the murder charges. 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. Serna on Thursday spent two and a half hours cross-examining Citizen. Please enter valid email address to continue. However, the case took a shocking turn after some disturbing facts came to the surface. In 2000, they tied the knot and moved to Virginia, where Levi was working as a Coast Guard. Their additional three locations remain open. 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'. 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. Her twin brother described her as a strong woman and a loving mother. 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. ", First published on July 17, 2013 / 10:40 AM. Levi Chavez alleged malicious prosecution, malicious abuse of process, defamation, and outrageous conduct, according to court documents. By abqjournal. Homeowner finds gruesome animal skeleton hidden behind cupboard for 30 years - so can you guess what it is? According to several local coverages, the news of his admission to the university inspired mixed reactions from alumni and other students. 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. Klicken Sie auf Alle ablehnen, wenn Sie nicht mchten, dass wir und unsere Partner Cookies und personenbezogene Daten fr diese zustzlichen Zwecke verwenden. 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 A. Levi Chavez, an ex-New Mexico police officer, was acquitted Tuesday in the 2007 murder of his estranged wife, but could still face a wrongful death civil lawsuit. 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. Keener pressed Heather Chavez on a statement she made during her deposition that her sexual relationship began in a car. I knew Id be acquitted. He told reporters that he wasnt surprised at all and that throughout the whole process, he knew he would be cleared. Earlier Thursday, the fourth of Levi Chavezs many paramours to testify in the murder trial took the stand. The lawsuit against Jones was dismissed in 2018. Her relationship with Chavez started when he was still married to Marisabel. The call did not go to voicemail. 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. webvtt in day 14 of the levi chavez trial, his current wife, a-p-d officer heather chavez takes the stand. After more than 10 hours of deliberations, a jury acquitted Levi Chavez . His profile states: Mr. Levi Chavez was born and raised in New Mexico and has a military and law enforcement background. 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. Heather Chavez also testified that she never met or spoke to Tera Chavez. 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. Levi found Tera shot dead in their. As mentioned, Levi Chavez was charged with her murder in April 2011, but it took another two years for the case to go to court due to a series of motion hearings, civil trials and a change of venue for the trial, KOAT reported. Levi Chavez maintained his innocence throughout the trial, and he maintains his innocence even today. Chavezs bio states that hes the emergency housing director at the Westside Emergency Housing Center. 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. 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. May 1, 2008. The lawsuit against Jones was dismissed in 2018. 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 told you guys that from the beginning. Your login session has expired. It appears that his wife, now known as Heather Chavez, is a detective with the Farmington Police Department. 'There never was a case against Levi Chavez,'Serna said. 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. 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. 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. Theyve long been appreciated for their Sign up for our daily newsletter and get the best of fashionuer in your in-box. She was quiet. But the prosecutors had alleged that he . Published: 09:01 EST, 17 July 2013 | Updated: 09:01 EST, 17 July 2013. But on that night in October, Levi, a police officer with the Albuquerque Police Department, called 911 to report that he'd found his wife dead in their home. 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. The former officer, clenching a Rosary, immediately embraced his attorney, David Serna. 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. Levi has undergraduate degrees from UNM and CNM, as well as a law degree from the UNM School of Law. The former officer, clenching a Rosary, immediately embraced his attorney, David Serna. 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. Asked if he would try to get his old job back with the Albuquerque Police Department, Chavez blurted out a date but declined to say what that date meant. A few years later, the family of four moved back to New Mexico, where Levi Chavez became a police officer with the Alburquerque Police Department and Tera Chavez started going to barber college. 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. The murder trial eventually took place in the summer of 2013 and lasted a total of 21 days of testimony and two days of deliberation, KOAT wrote. 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. 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 DEFENSE REVEALED TERA CALLED AT LEAST EIGHT NUMBERS ON THAT LIST-- INCLUDING HEATHER IN SEPTEMBER 2007. 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. ABOUT A MONTH AFTER THAT LEVI BOUGHT HER A DIAMOND RING. IN THE WEEKS AFTER THE FUNERAL SHE WAS HELPING MOVE TERA'S ITEMS OUT OFTHE LOS LUNAS HOME ANDMORE. detailing just how quickly their relationship developed once tera chavez died. At the age of just 15, Tera became pregnant with their first child, Andrea, and although she stayed with her parents raising the baby for the next few years, Levi was with her whenever possible. Her husband Levi Chavez, a police officer with the Albuquerque Police Department, was the one who called 911 and told them shed committed suicide. Levi Chavez came back the following week and did exactly that. "What did I tell you?" 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. The problem here was that his girlfriend couldnt remember exactly when Levi came to her place or when he left. rules the death self-inflicted The medical examiner ruled Tera's death a suicide. The morning of 22 October 2007, he returned to the couple's home in Los Lunas, NM where he . 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. 'This was a made up pile of lies from the beginning and it took the jury approximately 10 hours to find that out.'. Her husband Levi is suspected soon after because of suspicious circumstantial evidence, but there is no confession, eyewitness or 'smoking gun' forensic evidence. YouTubeLevi Chavezs second wife Heather testifying during the trial. M.E. Dr. Chavez works in Albuquerque, NM and 1 other location and specializes in Obstetrics & Gynecology. 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. In December 2013, it was made public that Chavez had relinquished his police officer certification. Do not sell or share my personal information. Levi Chavez maintained his innocence throughout the trial, and he maintains his innocence even today. The Valencia County District Attorney stated Chavez violated the . COVID-19 has impacted how we provide prioritized street outreach, emergency housing, and permanent supportive housing services to people experiencing homelessness. Detective Jones, who suspected that Levi Chavez had murdered his wife eighteen to twenty hours before he . Levi was born on October 9, 1925 in Ojo Feliz, New Mexico to Jose and Hilaria Chavez. During his trial, he was found not guilty of first-degree murder and was acquitted of the charges. Powered by. On the morning of Oct. 22, 2007, Levi said he came home in Los Lunas and found his wife dead in bed from a gunshot to her mouth. I didnt answer the call, Heather Chavez said. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. Social Media Influencer Set on Fire & Killed by Ex-Husband, Family Says. The former officer, clenching a Rosary, immediately embraced his attorney, David Serna. 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. Bernalillo County deputy involved in rollover crash in Northeast Albuquerque, Where does medical cannabis go from here? Levi was engaged to Heather Hindi two months after Tera died and married a few months later, according to PEOPLE. The police re-opened their investigation in March of 2010 and charged Levi with her death on April 20, 2011. 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. Weitere Informationen ber die Verwendung Ihrer personenbezogenen Daten finden Sie in unserer Datenschutzerklrung und unserer Cookie-Richtlinie. The entire world around Levi Chavez came trembling down when one fine October morning in 2007, he returned to his New Mexico home to find his wife Tera Chavez dead after taking a bullet to the mouth. Wenn Sie Ihre Auswahl anpassen mchten, klicken Sie auf Datenschutzeinstellungen verwalten. Jones was one of the first officers on the scene and a lead detective on the case. Current wife insists she never spoke with Tera Chavez Recommended Stories CinemaBlend Viral TikTok Shows Off Moment JLo's Face Filter Fails And Some Of Her Wrinkles Are Exposed Jennifer Lopez. After Chavez left the store, Garley sent him a text message on his newly purchased phone to tell him he had nice eyes, she said from the witness stand. Upon announcing the verdict, the family of Levi Chavez, including his current wife Albuquerque detective Heather Chavez, let out gasps and wept. But, the disgraced former officer insisted that he did not kill his wife. 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July 31, 2015 - Former APD officer Levi Chavez has been admitted to the UNM Law School. Levi and Tera Chavez were high school sweethearts who married young and were raising two children together. "This was a made up pile of lies from the beginning and it took the jury approximately 10 hours to find that out. 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. Now that so many years have gone by, lets take a look at where he currently is, shall we? And did you have intimate relations at 11 ash place in 07? 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. It took two years following Chavezs arrest for the trial to move forward due to delays from civil trials, motion hearings and the trial having to move venues, according to KOAT. [3], The night prior to the death of his wife Tera, Levi had spent the night at his girlfriend's house. Upon announcing the verdict, the family of Levi Chavez, including his current wife Albuquerque detective Heather Chavez, let out gasps and wept. Based on the information provided on their website, Levi is now serving as the Emergency Housing Director at their Westside Emergency Housing Center. Nov 21, 2007. In 2018, the case was dismissed due to missing information and incorrect information that was cited as reasons to dismiss the case. Tera Chavez. He told the operator she killed herself and that he hadnt said anything because He thought she needed time.. DETAILING JUST HOW QUICKLY THEIR RELATIONSHIP DEVELOPED ONCE TERA CHAVEZ DIED. The case made national headlines in 2013 as more details came to light . At first,. Tera, a four-year-old girl, died in August 2017 when her car seat was too full of pillows and blankets while she was strapped into it. Check arrest records, resumes and CV, photos and videos, news, social media profiles, publications, places of employment, work history and public records . 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. Also in court this morning, jurors heard a heavily redacted recording of the deposition Levi Chavez gave in the civil case. But the disgraced former. End of November, end of November, December BUT IT WAS EVEN EARLIER THAN THAT-- JUST THREE WEEKS AFTER LEVI'S WIFE TERA DIED HINDI SENT HIM A TEXT READING "MMM DETECTIVE CHAVEZ WITH HOMICIDE." action 7 . / CBS News. Levi Chavez's current wife takes the stand, Current wife insists she never spoke with Tera Chavez. I didnt speak with her.. 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. Police officer Levi Chavez called 911 in 2007 to report that hed come home to find his wife deceased of a headshot wound. Levi Chavez and Tera Chavez. 'I don't feel like speaking for his future.'. He told reporters, Im not surprised at all. 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! 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. pic.twitter.com/O5xOecrgtD, HeadingHomeNM (@HeadingHomeNM) June 1, 2020. Levi said. 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. Im innocent. 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. While Levi Chavez has maintained his innocence and that his wife committed suicide, her family has remained firm in their belief that she was killed, Alibi reported. Japanese models have always been admired for their skills as well as their beauty. The tawdry details spilled in the trial and the questions it raised about the practices of the Albuquerque Police Department have further tarnished the agency, which is under investigation by the U.S. Justice Department over a series of police shootings. Levi Chavez was acquitted in that case, but many people are raising concerns about whether his presence in the next class of law students . 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. After more than 10 hours of deliberations, a jury acquitted Chavez, 32, of murdering his depressed wife, 26-year-old Tera Chavez, in 2007 and trying to make the hairdresser's . 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. 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.. But, the disgraced former officer insisted that he did not kill his wife. The pair met when they were just teenagers starting high school, and soon, they got into a serious relationship. Yet, with no proof of the former, he couldnt be charged or arrested for fraud. Dated Nov. 14, 2007, it was from a fellow APD officer whose name, at the time, was Heather Hindi. 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. Murdaugh is heckled as he leaves court, Alex Murdaugh unanimously found GUILTY of murder of wife and son, Pavement where disabled woman gestured at cyclist before fatal crash, Missing hiker buried under snow forces arm out to wave to helicopter, Insane moment river of rocks falls onto Malibu Canyon in CA, Fleet-footed cop chases an offender riding a scooter, Two Russian tanks annihilated with bombs by Ukrainian armed forces, Isabel Oakeshott clashes with Nick Robinson over Hancock texts. INVESTIGATION - ABQjournal Metro: Death Now Called Suspicious INVESTIGATION - ABQjournal Metro: Death Now Called Suspicious. 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. Chavez was accused of killing his hairdresser wife, Tera, with his police-issued handgun and making it look like a suicide in October 2007. For instance, detectives said that the night before the young mothers death, Levi Chavez was at his girlfriends house, according to PEOPLE. 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. After gaining back his freedom, Levi Chavez decided that he wanted to change his career but still be in the justice system. The murder trial of Chavezs wife lasted over two years, according to KOAT. Following all this, the investigating officers on this case thought that they finally found a motive; Levi killed his wife because he didnt want to get caught engaging in illegal activities and wanted to pursue other relationships without worries.
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