The sexual relationship? According to the prosecution, she was on the verge of filing a complaint against him for fraudulent activity. She was an indoor girl, kind of girly. Chavez discovered his wife dead, with a gunshot wound to the mouth upon returning home on October 22, 2007. For weeks, the murder trial captivated parts of central New Mexico as residents were fixated in barber shops, diners and grocery stores. The pair met when they were just teenagers starting high school, and soon, they got into a serious relationship. During the gap, Keener asked, You have no idea where the cellphone of Mr. Chavez was?. 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. However, nearly four years after Tera took her last breath, Levi was charged with first-degree premeditated murder and tampering with evidence. 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. Some of the affairs were with female APD officers.[4]. I knew Id be acquitted. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. 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. Nov 21, 2007. View the profiles of people named Levi Chavez. Her father, Joseph Cordova, said she loved flowers and drew some all over the house. 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. Please review our privacy policy here: https://heavy.com/privacy-policy/, Copyright 2023 Heavy, Inc. All rights reserved. Her husband Levi is suspected soon after because of suspicious circumstantial evidence, but there is no confession, eyewitness or 'smoking gun' forensic evidence. 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. There is no confirmation on whether she is still a part of the Albuquerque Police Department. 'This was a made up pile of lies from the beginning and it took the jury approximately 10 hours to find that out.'. 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. Serna on Thursday spent two and a half hours cross-examining Citizen. or debate this issue live on our message boards. 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. Chavez found his estranged wife Tera dead of a gunshot wound in the living room of their home in 2007. 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. 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. 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. On redirect examination, Assistant District Attorney Anne Keener asked only one question. 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. 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. 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. 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. In July 2013, Levi Chavez was found not guilty of first-degree murder. 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. Chavez was acquitted of the first-degree murder charge and told reporters outside the courtroom, Im not surprised at all. Her relationship with Chavez started when he was still married to Marisabel. During his trial, he was found not guilty of first-degree murder and was acquitted of the charges. 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. 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. 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. ", First published on July 17, 2013 / 10:40 AM. But I didnt see them, she said, adding later that she also didnt see any items that looked like they had belonged to Tera. The former officer, clenching a Rosary, immediately embraced his attorney, David Serna. 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! I told you guys that from the beginning. Jorge was born on August 28, 1961 in Santiago Atitlan, Guatemala. 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. On July 5, 2008, half of the desire she expressed in the text came true. He told reporters that he wasnt surprised at all and that throughout the whole process, he knew he would be cleared. His profile states: Mr. Levi Chavez was born and raised in New Mexico and has a military and law enforcement background. Detective Jones, who suspected that Levi Chavez had murdered his wife eighteen to twenty hours before he . 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. Levi Chavez was charged with the murder of his wife, Tera, but he has maintained his innocence and said she committed 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. when did the romantic relationship start? 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. 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. During his testimony last week, Chavez frequently broke down and had to take breaks when he recounted his ill treatment of his late wife throughout their marriage. 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. 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. The trial revealed a crumbling marriage that was. 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. Alicia Castro is the former Argentine Ambassador to Venezuela and current Argentine Ambassador in the United Kingdom. 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. 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. 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. Later on, when Tera passed away, he claimed that the only reason he hadnt left his wife was because of their two children. Her Albuquerque police officer husband found her and called 911. 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. WE ALSO LEARNED FRIDAY THAT HEATHER-WENT TO TERA CHAVEZ'S FUNERAL. 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. 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. 'There never was a case against Levi Chavez,'Serna said. COVID-19 has impacted how we provide prioritized street outreach, emergency housing, and permanent supportive housing services to people experiencing homelessness. Upon announcing the verdict, the family of Levi Chavez, including his current wife Albuquerque detective Heather Chavez, let out gasps and wept. Upon announcing the verdict, the family of Levi Chavez, including his current wife Albuquerque detective Heather Chavez, let out gasps and wept. 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. A Bernalillo County deputy was reportedly not injured after their vehicle rolled in a two-vehicle, Trying to figure out where the medical cannabis program stands now is up for debate, Hospital CEO Kate Becker says 'we really want to hear from our community about what. All Rights Reserved. Weitere Informationen ber die Verwendung Ihrer personenbezogenen Daten finden Sie in unserer Datenschutzerklrung und unserer Cookie-Richtlinie. In 2000, they tied the knot and moved to Virginia, where Levi was working as a Coast Guard. In July 2013, after a month-long trial, the verdict from the jury came in: not guilty. Levi Chavez and Tera Chavez. She didnt leave them., When she was just 15 years old, Tera met Levi Chavez and became pregnant with his child, Alibi reported. Breaking News: Levi Chavez found NOT GUILTY of all charges in the death of Tera Chavez in 2007. They also werent allowed to watch video of that deposition. But the prosecutors had alleged that he . Be the first one to comment on this story. They married in July 2008, just a few days after Hindis divorce from another Albuquerque police officer was finalized. Prosecutors had sought to keep from jurors what Serna described in explicit detail as sexual photographs and videos Tera had taken of herself and sent to Levi. And did you have intimate relations at 11 ash place in 07? 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. YouTubeLevi Chavezs second wife Heather testifying during the trial. 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. Strict, but in a good way, he said. 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.. 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. The two met twice thereafter to have sex before Levi Chavez called 911 to say his wife had shot herself in the head. 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. Levi Chavez Found 43 people in New Mexico, Arizona and 24 other states. But Keener pointed to more phone records that showed a call from Teras phone to Heathers on Sept. 29, 2007. Levi also asserted that when Tera apparently killed herself, he was away, spending the weekend at one of his girlfriends apartment. 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." 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. 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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Thats also where she was working on Oct. 8, 2007, the first time she met Levi Chavez face-to-face, according to her testimony. She testified this morning that she is currently assigned to the APD Crimes Against Children Unit. One day, [the kids] are going to be of age, and theyre going to want to know, her father told Alibi. Powered by. 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. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. 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. 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 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. 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.. did you ever go to the address on ash place? Josh Mankiewicz reports. We raised Andrea as a family., The young couple married in 2000 even though their relationship was already facing some problems, her brothers said. Facebook ACTION 7 NEWS REPORTER LAUREN ZAKALIK IS LIVE OUTSIDE COURT TO EXPLAIN. 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. You could pretty much put her through the wringer, and shed still love you like it never happened. 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Levi Chavez claimed he returned to their Los Lunas, New Mexico, home on Oct. 22, 2007, to find his wife's dead body in bed after taking a bullet right into the 26-year-old's mouth. View contact information: phones, addresses, emails and networks. Former APD officer Levi Chavez is accused of killing his wife Tera. 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. "Please tell them to hurry!" the 26-year-old can be heard saying. "He's got several plans in the works," Serna said. Chavez told jurors that he found his wife dead from a gunshot wound and thought it was God's way of punishing him. She was quiet. Throughout the trial, Levi Chavez steadfastly asserted his innocence and continues to do so. 'What did I tell you?' 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. Levi Chavez testified during his trial that he had a series of mistresses but reiterated that he did not kill his wife. This individual treats the department as his own private brothel, and while he runs amok, nobody does anything or says anything. "I'm going to go to church, pray my Rosary and thank my Virgin Mary," Chavez said as he was crowded by reporters. Japanese models have always been admired for their skills as well as their beauty. Chavez still faces a wrongful death lawsuit from the family of Tera Chavez. Levi Chavez alleged malicious prosecution, malicious abuse of process, defamation, and outrageous conduct, according to court documents. Mmmm detective Chavez with homicide, the text read. 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. 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. or debate this issue live on our message boards. The lawsuit against Jones was dismissed in 2018. 'Justice was not served,' Joseph Cordova, the father of Tera Chavez, said after listening to the verdict with his wife. Under the name Heading Home, this organization has connections in New Mexico, according to its website. Levi Chavez has maintained that his wife's death was an act of suicide. Hearst Television participates in various affiliate marketing programs, which means we may get paid commissions on editorially chosen products purchased through our links to retailer sites. BUT HEATHER INSISTS THE WOMEN NEVER SPOKE. Levi was initially charged with murdering his wife with his police issued Glock and making it appear as a suicide. She said she knew Tera had died and Levi Chavez told her the couples two children were home that weekend. Dr. 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. Reportedly, he is married to APD Detective Heather, who was also present throughout the trial. THE WOMEN NEVER DID MEET. "What did I tell you?" Serna told Chavez. Her family said they knew there was trouble in the relationship and they had heard Levi Chavez was cheating on his wife, Alibi reported. Do not sell or share my personal information. He finally went on trial for the allegations brought against him in 2013, a full two years after the charges were first brought. 'I'm very embarrassed about it,' Chavez said, then later added. Audrina Patridge Niece: What Happened To Sadie Raine Loza? No comments have so far been submitted. Im not guilty. Levi Chavez was acquitted in that case, but many people are raising concerns about whether his presence in the next class of law students . action 7 . Chavez alleged malicious prosecution, malicious abuse of process, defamation, and outrageous conduct, court documents show. Homeowner finds gruesome animal skeleton hidden behind cupboard for 30 years - so can you guess what it is? 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. Current CACU detective, and Levi's wife, Heather Chavez, was married to another officer in 2007. 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. 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. "If we had a smoking gun, I would say it was the unseated magazine," said Arthur Ortiz, a longtime New Mexico lawman,.