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'. / CBS News. 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. IN THE WEEKS AFTER THE FUNERAL SHE WAS HELPING MOVE TERA'S ITEMS OUT OFTHE LOS LUNAS HOME ANDMORE. In July 2013, Levi Chavez was found not guilty of first-degree murder. 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Upon announcing the verdict, the family of Levi Chavez, including his current wife Albuquerque detective Heather Chavez, let out gasps and wept. 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. Levi found Tera shot dead in their. . 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. Breaking News: Levi Chavez found NOT GUILTY of all charges in the death of Tera Chavez in 2007. He has full custody of his two children, according to Tera's parents Joseph and Theresa Cordova. 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. 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. It appears that his wife, now known as Heather Chavez, is a detective with the Farmington Police Department. 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. Levi was engaged to Heather Hindi two months after Tera died and married a few months later, according to PEOPLE. And really, these female cops, Regina Sanchez, Heather whatever her name is, and SRO officer horrible Debra Romero have the audacity to say "I didn't know" 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. Upon announcing the verdict, the family of Levi Chavez, including his current wife Albuquerque detective Heather Chavez, let out gasps and wept. action 7 . Please enter valid email address to continue. Levi's Obituary On July 9, 2021, we lost our father, Levi Chavez, Levi passed away at the awesome age of 95. Based on the information provided on their website, Levi is now serving as the Emergency Housing Director at their Westside Emergency Housing Center. Do not sell or share my personal information. 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. She grew up in Los Lunas, a small village south of Alburquerque. [1] [2] Levi was initially charged with murdering his wife with his police issued Glock and making it appear as a suicide. Jorge was born on August 28, 1961 in Santiago Atitlan, Guatemala. It appears that his wife, now known as Heather Chavez, is a detective with the Farmington Police Department. They also said hed had other affairs, including with some of the neighbors and other Albuquerque police officers. 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. 'There never was a case against Levi Chavez,'Serna said. Heavy reached out to the university for more information about his admittance but did not immediately hear back. Dated Nov. 14, 2007, it was from a fellow APD officer whose name, at the time, was Heather Hindi. 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. KRQE News 13 has learned former Albuquerque Police officer Levi Chavez, who was fired after he was charged with the murder of his wife, could soon be working closely with the city as part of a non- Levi Chavez maintained his innocence throughout the trial, and he maintains his innocence even today. 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. I told you guys that from the beginning. 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, 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 . 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. Shed never leave them of her own will. All Rights Reserved. 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. 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. 'I don't feel like speaking for his future.'. Levi was born on October 9, 1925 in Ojo Feliz, New Mexico to Jose and Hilaria Chavez. 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. The sexual relationship? Levi Chavez is a former Albuquerque, NM Police Officer who was charged with the 2007 death of his 26yearold wife, Tera Chavez. In the trial's final days, Chavez took the stand and acknowledged having a string of mistresses, searching a website on how to kill someone with martial arts moves, and ignoring his wife's calls for help. According to reports, he is now the husband of APD Detective Heather. Facebook 'I took her for granted.'. Facebook gives people the power to. Upon announcing the verdict, the family of Levi Chavez, including his current wife Albuquerque detective Heather Chavez, let out gasps and wept. THE WOMEN NEVER DID MEET. The former officer, clenching a Rosary, immediately embraced his attorney, David Serna. Powered by. They also werent allowed to watch video of that deposition. Check arrest records, resumes and CV, photos and videos, news, social media profiles, publications, places of employment, work history and public records . "There never was a case against Levi Chavez," Serna said. 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. July 31, 2015 - Former APD officer Levi Chavez has been admitted to the UNM Law School. 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. Valencia County sheriffs initially ruled the death as a suicide due to the "close proximity of the gun to the body. Serna said he doubted that Chavez would want return to the state's largest police department. THE DEFENSE REVEALED TERA CALLED AT LEAST EIGHT NUMBERS ON THAT LIST-- INCLUDING HEATHER IN SEPTEMBER 2007. 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. Now that so many years have gone by, lets take a look at where he currently is, shall we? [1] [2] Levi was initially charged with murdering his wife with his police issued Glock and making it appear as a suicide. 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. Dateline: Unforgettable's upcoming episode, in a re-broadcast, will cover the story of Tera Chavez's tragic death while also narrating the heated and controversial trial of her cop husband, Levi Chavez. Play it now! The lawsuit against Jones was dismissed in 2018. Mmmm detective Chavez with homicide, the text read. They allege the former officer killed his wife to keep her from disclosing an alleged staged theft of a truck for insurance money. The police re-opened their investigation in March of 2010 and charged Levi with her death on April 20, 2011. The interview between Levi Chavez and former Valencia County Sheriff's Detective Aaron Jones was recorded shortly after deputies found Tera Chavez at the couple's home, dead from a gunshot . In August 2013, Chavez was acquitted of the murder charges. New Mexico, 2007: Tera Chavez, a police officer's wife, is found shot dead in the mouth of an apparent suicide. They married in July 2008, just a few days after Hindis divorce from another Albuquerque police officer was finalized. 'To say I blamed myself is an understatement,' he said. Tera Chavez was found dead of a gunshot wound and while her death was initially ruled a suicide, her husband was eventually charged with her murder. 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. However, nearly four years after Tera took her last breath, Levi was charged with first-degree premeditated murder and tampering with evidence. 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. The problem here was that his girlfriend couldnt remember exactly when Levi came to her place or when he left. Levi started working for Heading Home in 2015. Join Facebook to connect with Levi Chavez and others you may know. It appears that his wife, now known as Heather Chavez, is a detective with the Farmington Police Department. Yet, with no proof of the former, he couldnt be charged or arrested for fraud. Im innocent. I didnt do anything wrong.. 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. Levi Chavez. 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. Please logout and login again. [3], The night prior to the death of his wife Tera, Levi had spent the night at his girlfriend's house. Chavez discovered his wife dead, with a gunshot wound to the mouth upon returning home on October 22, 2007. 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. I didnt do anything wrong, KOAT reported. 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. 2023, Hearst Television Inc. on behalf of KOAT-TV. Chavez found his estranged wife Tera dead of a gunshot wound in the living room of their home in 2007. ACTION 7 NEWS REPORTER LAUREN ZAKALIK IS LIVE OUTSIDE COURT TO EXPLAIN. Instead, only the audio position of the recording was played in court. That wouldve been after she moved out of the home she shared with Steve Hindi, according to her testimony. Published: 09:01 EST, 17 July 2013 | Updated: 09:01 EST, 17 July 2013. She was an indoor girl, kind of girly. Heavy reached out to UNM for additional information about Chavezs admission status; however, we did not receive a response by press time. Homeowner finds gruesome animal skeleton hidden behind cupboard for 30 years - so can you guess what it is? She didnt leave them., When she was just 15 years old, Tera met Levi Chavez and became pregnant with his child, Alibi reported. Im not guilty. View the profiles of people named Levi Chavez. Levi Chavez came back the following week and did exactly that. 'He's got several plans in the works,' Serna said. Powered by. Please review our privacy policy here: https://heavy.com/privacy-policy/, Copyright 2023 Heavy, Inc. All rights reserved. According to the prosecution, she was on the verge of filing a complaint against him for fraudulent activity. The Harwood Museum of Art's exhibition 'Outriders: Legacy of the Black Cowboy' explores this history through archival photographs and contemporary art. 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. 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. She loved hard. The court also heard that Hindi had been texting Levi Chavez just three weeks after his wifes death and suggesting that the two get married. 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. Chavez could spend the rest of his life in prison if convicted on charges that he killed Tera Chavez, 26, in the couples home near Los Lunas and tried to make it look like a suicide. Levi Chavez was acquitted in that case, but many people are raising concerns about whether his presence in the next class of law students . But I didnt see them, she said, adding later that she also didnt see any items that looked like they had belonged to Tera. Although the case initially looked like a suicide, investigators dug up evidence and theories that proved otherwise. Published: Friday, June 28th, 2013 at 12:05AMUpdated: Friday, June 28th, 2013 at 2:03PM. Discover Lynn Murdaugh Goette Real Image & Current Location, Create Your Perfect Print With Blue And White Peel And Stick Wallpaper. Nov 21, 2007. 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. 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.. State District Judge George P. Eichwald instructed the two to Quit arguing back and forth like kids.. detailing just how quickly their relationship developed once tera chavez died. 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.. Serna on Thursday spent two and a half hours cross-examining Citizen. 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. 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. Episode Website More Episodes 2019 NBC News Top Podcasts In True Crime See All Also in court this morning, jurors heard a heavily redacted recording of the deposition Levi Chavez gave in the civil case. Josh Mankiewicz reports Friday, November . Later on, when Tera passed away, he claimed that the only reason he hadnt left his wife was because of their two children. Emergency Housing Director, Westside Emergency Housing Center. Chavez of course denies the incident. 2023 by Fashionuer. On July 5, 2008, half of the desire she expressed in the text came true. Alicia Castro is the former Argentine Ambassador to Venezuela and current Argentine Ambassador in the United Kingdom. While there isn't an official wife, the second of Hugo Chavez's four children, 29 year-old Maria Gabriela, plays the role of First Lady of the . In December 2013, it was made public that Chavez had relinquished his police officer certification. However, the case took a shocking turn after some disturbing facts came to the surface. So where is Levi Chavez now? 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. Chavez was acquitted of the first-degree murder charge and told reporters outside the courtroom, Im not surprised at all. Would love your thoughts, please comment. 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. 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. The former officer, clenching a Rosary, immediately embraced his attorney, David Serna. 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. Chavez is a former Albuquerque Police Department officer, accused of killing his wife at their Los Lunas home in 2007. The donut shop has announced it has closed its South Valley and Northeast Heights locations. Subscribe now to access decluttered news, chosen by you. 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. 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. New Mexico and ABQ News, Sports, Business and more, By Jeff Proctor / Journal Staff Writer
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