Chavez still faces a wrongful death lawsuit from the family of Tera Chavez. Manage the news you want to see, read exclusive content and explore other subscriber benefits. 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. Payton Gendron: Why Payton Gendron Got Arrested? 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. or debate this issue live on our message boards. It looks like Chavez is now working for a nonprofit that provides emergency and permanent housing to homeless individuals. 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. [1] [2] Levi was initially charged with murdering his wife with his police issued Glock and making it appear as a suicide. Jones showed Heather Chavez crime scene photos from Teras death scene and told her people were worried about her. 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. In August 2013, Chavez was acquitted of the murder charges. I knew Id be acquitted. Social Media Influencer Set on Fire & Killed by Ex-Husband, Family Says. Copyright 2022 by Fashionuer. THE DEFENSE REVEALED TERA CALLED AT LEAST EIGHT NUMBERS ON THAT LIST-- INCLUDING HEATHER IN SEPTEMBER 2007. Homeowner finds gruesome animal skeleton hidden behind cupboard for 30 years - so can you guess what it is? 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. 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. 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. Throughout the trial, Levi Chavez steadfastly asserted his innocence and continues to do so. Heather Chavez said she hadnt remembered those calls when she gave a deposition in a civil wrongful death lawsuit filed by Teras family against Levi. 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. Levi and Tera Chavez were high school sweethearts who married young and were raising two children together. 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. The trial revealed a crumbling marriage that was. Serna on Thursday spent two and a half hours cross-examining Citizen. 2023 by Fashionuer. He told the operator she killed herself and that he hadnt said anything because He thought she needed time.. Some of the evidence in the civil case, like testimony from an insurance investigator about the fake theft allegations, was barred in murder trial. Levi Chavez Found 43 people in New Mexico, Arizona and 24 other states. 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. He is suing the detective who first launched the investigation into the 2007 death of Levi's wife, Tera Chavez. 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. pic.twitter.com/O5xOecrgtD, HeadingHomeNM (@HeadingHomeNM) June 1, 2020. THE WOMEN NEVER DID MEET. 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. Episode Website More Episodes 2019 NBC News Top Podcasts In True Crime See All Reportedly, he is married to APD Detective Heather, who was also present throughout the trial. Based on the information provided on their website, Levi is now serving as the Emergency Housing Director at their Westside Emergency Housing Center. She said she knew Tera had died and Levi Chavez told her the couples two children were home that weekend. Nov 21, 2007. Audrina Patridge Niece: What Happened To Sadie Raine Loza? Dr. 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.' Aug 19, 2008 . Some of the affairs were with female APD officers.[4]. 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. Her twin brother described her as a strong woman and a loving mother. [1] [2] Levi was initially charged with murdering his wife with his police issued Glock and making it appear as a suicide. In March 2020, Nob Hill mainstay Zinc Wine Bar & Bistro closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. "Please tell them to hurry!" the 26-year-old can be heard saying in his 911 call, PEOPLE reported. She knew every single secret about me no matter what. Chavez also had a younger brother, Aaron. 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. The two had gotten engaged just two months after Tera Chavezs death and prosecutors asked questions about how quickly Levi Chavez had moved on. Published: 09:01 EST, 17 July 2013 | Updated: 09:01 EST, 17 July 2013. Levi Chavez, an Albuquerque police officer, called 911 on the morning of October 22, 2007, to report that hed come home to find his wife dead of a gunshot wound from his service weapon. She had a twin brother, named Josh, who said, She was my lifeline. 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. This time, Levi Chavez said he is the one who has been wronged. Jorge was born on August 28, 1961 in Santiago Atitlan, Guatemala. 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. 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. She was quiet. I didnt do anything wrong.. Levi Chavez has maintained that his wife's death was an act of suicide. Following the not-guilty verdict, Chavez fileda federal lawsuit against Aaron Jones, a detective with the Valencia County Sheriffs Department at the time of Teras death. I didnt speak with her.. News of his admittance to the university was met with some concern from alumni and other students, New Mexico PBS reported. Where does medical cannabis go from here? Later on, when Tera passed away, he claimed that the only reason he hadnt left his wife was because of their two children. 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. After more than 10 hours of deliberations, a jury acquitted Levi Chavez . But the prosecutors had alleged that he . 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. Levi Chavez came back the following week and did exactly that. Chavez called 911 to report the alleged suicide around 9 p.m. on Oct. 21, 2007. The other half of Heather Chavezs wish never came to pass. Tera Chavezs mother, Theresa Cordova, said her daughter was an artist, according to a feature on Chavezs life in Alibi. Levi started working for Heading Home in 2015. 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. It appears that his wife, now known as Heather Chavez, is a detective with the Farmington Police Department. 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. 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. Some of the evidence in the civil case, like testimony from an insurance investigator about the fake theft allegations, was barred in murder trial. For Tera Chavez, Levi was her high school sweetheart, husband, and the entire world. Keener pressed Heather Chavez on a statement she made during her deposition that her sexual relationship began in a car. Dated Nov. 14, 2007, it was from a fellow APD officer whose name, at the time, was Heather Hindi. Serna will begin his cross-examination of Heather Chavez this afternoon. 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. According to several local coverages, the news of his admission to the university inspired mixed reactions from alumni and other students. 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. 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! 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. 'He's got several plans in the works,' Serna said. Not among them was APD officer Steve Hindi, to whom Heather was married at the time. Levi Chavez, 32, was accused of killing his hairdresser wife with his police-issued handgun and making it look like a suicide amid a crumbling marriage that included a love triangle at her hair . Please review our privacy policy here: https://heavy.com/privacy-policy/, Copyright 2023 Heavy, Inc. All rights reserved. Theyve long been appreciated for their Sign up for our daily newsletter and get the best of fashionuer in your in-box. 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. "If we had a smoking gun, I would say it was the unseated magazine," said Arthur Ortiz, a longtime New Mexico lawman,. Previous Post Jones was one of the first officers on the scene and a lead detective on the case. Levi was ultimately cleared of all charges. The latest breaking updates, delivered straight to your email inbox. But I didnt see them, she said, adding later that she also didnt see any items that looked like they had belonged to Tera. 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. [1] 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. 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.. 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'. Levi also asserted that when Tera apparently killed herself, he was away, spending the weekend at one of his girlfriends apartment. On July 5, 2008, half of the desire she expressed in the text came true. 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. 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. Josh Mankiewicz reports. "What did I tell you?" Serna told Chavez. 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. 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. Serna told Chavez. 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. Bernalillo County deputy involved in rollover crash in Northeast Albuquerque, Where does medical cannabis go from here? The former officer, clenching a Rosary, immediately embraced his attorney, David Serna. 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. Your email is safe with us, we dont spam. "Justice was not served," Joseph Cordova, the father of Tera Chavez, said after listening to the verdict with his wife. August 7, 2015. View contact information: phones, addresses, emails and networks. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. Tera Chavezs parents say the entire legal process has been difficult because they want to continue to be in their grandchildrens lives but they also want Teras kids to know she didnt commit suicide. 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. 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. Her Albuquerque police officer husband found her and called 911. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. The lawsuit against Jones was dismissed in 2018. Earlier Thursday, the fourth of Levi Chavezs many paramours to testify in the murder trial took the stand. 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. The OTHER side of the law: Former Albuquerque police officer Levi Chavez seen here in his mugshot after allegedly murdering his wife. 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. They also said hed had other affairs, including with some of the neighbors and other Albuquerque police officers. INVESTIGATION - ABQjournal Metro: Death Now Called Suspicious INVESTIGATION - ABQjournal Metro: Death Now Called Suspicious. 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. She attended Teras funeral, according to her testimony, as did many other APD officers. (AP) BERNALILLO, New Mexico - The monthlong criminal trial and all its salacious stories of law officer affairs and a blundering investigation are over, but a civil trial looms for a former Albuquerque policeman acquitted of killing his depressed wife with his department-issued gun. She loved strong., READ NEXT: Social Media Influencer Set on Fire & Killed by Ex-Husband, Family Says, Tera Chavezs Death: Levi Chavez Was Charged With Murdering His Wife, Please review our privacy policy here: https://heavy.com/privacy-policy/, Copyright 2023 Heavy, Inc. All rights reserved. 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. "What did I tell you?" Comparing Online Sportsbook Welcome Bonuses. 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. 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. COVID-19 has impacted how we provide prioritized street outreach, emergency housing, and permanent supportive housing services to people experiencing homelessness. 2013 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. With the departure of our son, Jorge Levi Chavez, to eternity, I write that he was not a son from the womb but from the. Levi Chavez has full custody of his two children, according to Teras parents Joseph and Theresa Cordova, Alibi reported. I wasnt worried.. The official synopsis of the episode says. "He's got several plans in the works," Serna said. 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. ABOUT A MONTH AFTER THAT LEVI BOUGHT HER A DIAMOND RING. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, Current CACU detective, and Levi's wife, Heather Chavez, was married to another officer in 2007. Powered by. She was my secret-bank. At first,. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. In December 2013, it was made public that Chavez had relinquished his police officer certification. 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. or debate this issue live on our message boards. Upon announcing the verdict, the family of Levi Chavez, including his current wife Albuquerque detective Heather Chavez, let out gasps and wept. July 17, 2013 / 10:40 AM State District Judge George P. Eichwald instructed the two to Quit arguing back and forth like kids.. 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. 2023 Cinemaholic Inc. All rights reserved. 'What did I tell you?' Powered by WordPress.com VIP. Check arrest records, resumes and CV, photos and videos, news, social media profiles, publications, places of employment, work history and public records . THE TEXTS DIDN'T STOP THERE ANOTHER, ABOUT A MONTH LATER, FROM HEATHER TO LEVI SAYING HE WAS HER REASON TO EXIST. Reportedly, he is married to APD Detective Heather, who was also present throughout the trial. 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 . Read More: Where Are Tera Chavezs Parents Now? Currently, the Maxwell Museum is displaying 'Conversing with the Land: Native North American Baskets of the Maxwell Museum Collections,' through Jan. 10, 2024. Woke professor who opposes charter schools sent her sons to Manhattan's $60,000-a-year Dalton Prep: Denies hypocrisy and blames ex-husband, Defense says evidence is consistent with suicide, Cops at Albuquerque Police Department accused of tampering with evidence.
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