Weitere Informationen ber die Verwendung Ihrer personenbezogenen Daten finden Sie in unserer Datenschutzerklrung und unserer Cookie-Richtlinie. 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. 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. Levi also asserted that when Tera apparently killed herself, he was away, spending the weekend at one of his girlfriends apartment. / CBS News. In August 2013, Chavez was acquitted of the murder charges. Under often-contentious cross-examination by Assistant District Attorney Anne Keener that bordered on combative, Heather Chavez conceded that October 2007 wasnt the first time she had ever spoken to Levi 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. Levi Chavez. They allege the former officer killed his wife to keep her from disclosing an alleged staged theft of a truck for insurance money. 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'. Currently, the Maxwell Museum is displaying 'Conversing with the Land: Native North American Baskets of the Maxwell Museum Collections,' through Jan. 10, 2024. INVESTIGATION - Death of APD Officer's Wife Investigated INVESTIGATION - Death of APD Officer's Wife Investigated. BUT HEATHER INSISTS THE WOMEN NEVER SPOKE. 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. But I didnt see them, she said, adding later that she also didnt see any items that looked like they had belonged to Tera. Joseph Cordova, Teras father, told the outlet, The culture which we grew up in, his family was from law enforcement. The latest breaking updates, delivered straight to your email inbox. 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. This individual treats the department as his own private brothel, and while he runs amok, nobody does anything or says anything. state calls heather chavez : IT DIDN'T TAKE LONG FOR THE PROSECUTION TO JUMP RIGHT INTO THE PERSONAL DETAILS OF APD DETECTIVE HEATHER HINDI'S BLOSSOMING RELATIONSHIP WITH RECENT WIDOWER LEVI CHAVEZ IN 2007.' 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. "This was a made up pile of lies from the beginning and it took the jury approximately 10 hours to find that out. She testified this morning that she is currently assigned to the APD Crimes Against Children Unit. Upon announcing the verdict, the family of Levi Chavez, including his current wife Albuquerque detective Heather Chavez, let out gasps and wept. New Mexico and ABQ News, Sports, Business and more, By Jeff Proctor / Journal Staff Writer Japanese models have always been admired for their skills as well as their beauty. 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. The records show roughly the same pattern for Oct. 20: Levi Chavezs cellphone was on the West Side during the hours of the swing shift, then in the Heights shortly thereafter. The police re-opened their investigation in March of 2010 and charged Levi with her death on April 20, 2011. Serna told Chavez. Klicken Sie auf Alle ablehnen, wenn Sie nicht mchten, dass wir und unsere Partner Cookies und personenbezogene Daten fr diese zustzlichen Zwecke verwenden. 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. According to her testimony, Heather Chavez was in Chicago with her parents the weekend Tera died. Then, on April 7, 2011, the police officer was charged with Tera Chavezs murder, arrested and fired from his job with the police department, KOAT wrote. For weeks, the murder trial captivated parts of central New Mexico as residents were fixated in barber shops, diners and grocery stores. I knew Id be acquitted. 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. 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. 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. On redirect examination, Assistant District Attorney Anne Keener asked only one question. 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. Your login session has expired. According to reports, he is now the husband of APD Detective Heather. 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. "What did I tell you?" Serna told Chavez. 'What did I tell you?' Bei der Nutzung unserer Websites und Apps verwenden wir, unsere Websites und Apps fr Sie bereitzustellen, Nutzer zu authentifizieren, Sicherheitsmanahmen anzuwenden und Spam und Missbrauch zu verhindern, und, Ihre Nutzung unserer Websites und Apps zu messen, personalisierte Werbung und Inhalte auf der Grundlage von Interessenprofilen anzuzeigen, die Effektivitt von personalisierten Anzeigen und Inhalten zu messen, sowie, unsere Produkte und Dienstleistungen zu entwickeln und zu verbessern. Serna on Thursday spent two and a half hours cross-examining Citizen. Chavez discovered his wife dead, with a gunshot wound to the mouth upon returning home on October 22, 2007. 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. Be the first one to comment on this story. Jones showed Heather Chavez crime scene photos from Teras death scene and told her people were worried about her. READ NEXT: Social Media Influencer Set on Fire & Killed by Ex-Husband, Family Says. 'Guilt doesn't even begin to describe it.'. [2] July 17, 2013 / 10:40 AM Heres what you need to know about Tera Chavezs death: Levi Chavez said he came home on October 22, 2007, and found his wife dead from a gunshot wound from his service weapon, PEOPLE wrote. In October of 2007, Tera, a mother of two, allegedly shot and killed herself at the couple's home while their children were at a family member's house. On the night of Oct. 21, 2007, the lives of one couple from Los Lunas, New Mexico were changed forever. Levi had spent the night at his current girlfriend's house. Where does medical cannabis go from here? Alicia Castro is the former Argentine Ambassador to Venezuela and current Argentine Ambassador in the United Kingdom. Thats also where she was working on Oct. 8, 2007, the first time she met Levi Chavez face-to-face, according to her testimony. "I don't feel like speaking for his future.". Her twin brother described her as a strong woman and a loving mother. 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. July 31, 2015 - Former APD officer Levi Chavez has been admitted to the UNM Law School. 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. Aug 19, 2008 . We are no longer accepting comments on this article. Valencia County sheriffs initially ruled the death as a suicide due to the "close proximity of the gun to the body. Facebook I did. In 2000, they tied the knot and moved to Virginia, where Levi was working as a Coast Guard. 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. ABOUT A MONTH AFTER THAT LEVI BOUGHT HER A DIAMOND RING. During the gap, Keener asked, You have no idea where the cellphone of Mr. Chavez was?. 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. Under the name Heading Home, this organization has connections in New Mexico, according to its website. 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. 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. August 7, 2015. Now her parents speak to News 13. Episode Website More Episodes 2019 NBC News Top Podcasts In True Crime See All 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. In 2018, the case was dismissed due to missing information and incorrect information that was cited as reasons to dismiss the case. 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.. or debate this issue live on our message boards. The case made national news when Officer Chavez's sexual history became known, including affairs with fellow police officers, and that he spent the night before his wife was killed with his current girlfriend. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. Mmmm detective Chavez with homicide, the text read. "Please tell them to hurry!" the 26-year-old can be heard saying in his 911 call, PEOPLE reported. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. 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. 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 Chavez was charged with the murder of his wife, Tera, but he has maintained his innocence and said she committed suicide. 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. 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. At first, her death was believed to be a suicide, but an investigation turned up some information about Levi Chavezs life that made them look deeper into the case. According to the prosecution, she was on the verge of filing a complaint against him for fraudulent activity. 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. 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. Levi was born on October 9, 1925 in Ojo Feliz, New Mexico to Jose and Hilaria Chavez. Police officers, pathologists, the women Levi had relationships with, and Tera's family all testified throughout the 6-week-long court case. Facebook The case made national headlines in 2013 as more details came to light about the case and about Levi Chavez' personal life. 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. 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. M.E. 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. Their additional three locations remain open. 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Email addresses are used solely for verification and to speed the verification process for repeat questioners. 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. 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. No comments have so far been submitted. All Rights Reserved. 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. 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. Her room was the best room in the house to walk into because it smelled so good.. 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. In court today, she said the calls were work related, and Keener did not press her for specifics. Former APD officer Levi Chavez is accused of killing his wife Tera. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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.. Freed: Levi Chavez, right, a former Albuquerque police officer, gets a hug from his wife Heather Chavez after being acquitted of his first wife's murder, Relief: Chavez hugs his attorney David Serna in Sandoval District Court in Bernalillo, New Mexico on Tuesday. Accused: Prosecutors have depicted Levi Chavez as a philanderer whose marriage was crumbling, and say he killed his wife after she found out he had staged the theft of his pickup truck to collect the insurance proceeds. 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 the Husband of Tera, and he was a police officer with the Albuquerque Police Department. 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. Chavez told jurors that he found his wife dead from a gunshot wound and thought it was God's way of punishing him. 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. Serna said he doubted that Chavez would want to return to the state's largest police department. Annalise died after being pushed off the roof in December 2009. In December 2013, it was made public that Chavez had relinquished his police officer certification. Her father, Joseph Cordova, said she loved flowers and drew some all over the house. During his trial, he was found not guilty of first-degree murder and was acquitted of the charges. For instance, detectives said that the night before the young mothers death, Levi Chavez was at his girlfriends house, according to PEOPLE. ", As the murder case gained more attention from the media and public, Chavez and the Albuquerque Police Department became the targets of heavy scrutiny. [3], The night prior to the death of his wife Tera, Levi had spent the night at his girlfriend's house. 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. 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. Social Media Influencer Set on Fire & Killed by Ex-Husband, Family Says. 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." 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. LIVE IN SANDOVAL COUNTY LZ KOAT ACTION 7 NEWS.. COUNT ON KOAT-DOT-COM FOR. Josh Mankiewicz reports Friday, November . Current CACU detective, and Levi's wife, Heather Chavez, was married to another officer in 2007. But the prosecutors had alleged that he . They also said hed had other affairs, including with some of the neighbors and other Albuquerque police officers. 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. The murder trial of Chavezs wife lasted over two years, according to KOAT. Levi Chavez Found 43 people in New Mexico, Arizona and 24 other states. Her mother said she wants the kids to know, Shed never leave them. 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. Would love your thoughts, please comment. 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. She attended Teras funeral, according to her testimony, as did many other APD officers. A Comprehensive Review of Edubirdies Academic Writing Service. Do not sell or share my personal information. 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. This time, Levi Chavez said he is the one who has been wronged. 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. View contact information: phones, addresses, emails and networks. The trial revealed a crumbling marriage that was. The two exchanged seven telephone calls on May 12 of that year, according to cellphone records that investigators found under a mattress Tera Chavezs body was lying on. 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 . Not among them was APD officer Steve Hindi, to whom Heather was married at the time. A summary is at Levi Chavez, Ex-Police Officer, Not Guilty Of Murdering Wife. 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. Chavez called 911 to report the alleged suicide around 9 p.m. on Oct. 21, 2007. did you ever go to the address on ash place? 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. Instead, only the audio position of the recording was played in court. Serna said he doubted that Chavez would want return to the state's largest police department. YouTubeLevi Chavezs second wife Heather testifying during the trial. The pair met when they were just teenagers starting high school, and soon, they got into a serious relationship. After Garleys testimony, Serna and Keener argued for more than 45 minutes outside the presence of the jury about which of the cellphone data examined by an FBI analyst should be shown to the jury. Levi was engaged to Heather Hindi two months after Tera died and married a few months later, according to PEOPLE. 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. Subscribe now to access decluttered news, chosen by you. After more than 10 hours of deliberations, a jury acquitted Levi Chavez . The trial for a man accused of killing his wife while he was an Albuquerque cop and then trying to cover it up started Monday. He finally went on trial for the allegations brought against him in 2013, a full two years after the charges were first brought. ", First published on July 17, 2013 / 10:40 AM. WE ALSO LEARNED FRIDAY THAT HEATHER-WENT TO TERA CHAVEZ'S FUNERAL. 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 investigation took many years, with a search warrant served at Levi Chavezs home in August 2009, by which time the case was deemed a homicide. 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. 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. There is no confirmation on whether she is still a part of the Albuquerque Police Department. Chavez still faces a wrongful death lawsuit from the family of Tera Chavez. But the disgraced former. Comparing Online Sportsbook Welcome Bonuses. Levi Chavez maintained his innocence throughout the trial, and he maintains his innocence even today. Chavez alleged malicious prosecution, malicious abuse of process, defamation, and outrageous conduct, court documents show. View the profiles of people named Levi Chavez. 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. Play it now! Chavez was acquitted of the first-degree murder charge and told reporters outside the courtroom, Im not surprised at all. Levi Chavez Now: Where Is Tera Chavezs Husband Today? 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. Wenn Sie Ihre Auswahl anpassen mchten, klicken Sie auf Datenschutzeinstellungen verwalten. He has full custody of his two children, according to Teras parents Joseph and Theresa Cordova. State District Judge George P. Eichwald instructed the two to Quit arguing back and forth like kids.. One day, [the kids] are going to be of age, and theyre going to want to know, her father told Alibi. Levi found Tera shot dead in their. 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. Chavez found his estranged wife Tera dead of a gunshot wound in the living room of their home in 2007. She was quiet. ROYALE, LESS THAN ONE MONTH AFTER TERA CHAVEZ DIED-THEN A-P-D DETECTIVE HEATHER HINDI WAS ALREADY TEXTING LEVI ABOUT HER NAME BECOMING HEATHER CHAVEZ INDICATING SHE WANTED TO MARRY HIM. Read More: Where Are Tera Chavezs Parents Now? 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. 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. Thats the past, Heather Chavez said in court today. So where is Levi Chavez now? Heather Chavez also testified that she never met or spoke to Tera Chavez.