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. Chavez has been charged with first-degree murder and tampering with evidence. Email addresses are used solely for verification and to speed the verification process for repeat questioners. Albuquerque Police Contact. Prosecutors put 36 witnesses on the stand. Its a good thing hes not a cop now, because he has no business being a cop, Serna said Monday. (Greg Sorber/Journal), Defense attorney David Serna speaks to reporters outside the Sandoval County Courthouse on Tuesday, July 16, 2013, after his client Levi Chavez was found not guilty of murdering his wife Tera Chavez in October 2007. Levi Chavez Was Found Not Guilty of His Wifes Death in 2013 & Later Filed a 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. Prosecutors alleged that he killed Tera around 1 a.m. on Oct. 21, 2007 a Sunday by creeping up on her while she was likely asleep in bed inside the couples home near Los Lunas, shoving his APD-issued Glock 9 mm pistol into the back of her mouth and pulling the trigger once. Mark A. Radosevich, a well-known figure in New Mexico law enforcement since the early 1970s, testified as a firearms expert for prosecutors. Market data provided by Factset. (Adolphe Pierre-Louis /Journal), Former APD officer Levi Chavez reacts to being found not guilty of murder on Tuesday, July 16, 2013. He also told her she should have more information., I listened, Heather Chavez said about the interview. Mary Chavez is 73 years old and was born on 12/22/1947. 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. Albuquerque Chief of Police Harold Medina. Keener pressed Heather Chavez on a statement she made during her deposition that her sexual relationship with Levi Chavez began in a car. 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. Trying to figure out where the medical cannabis program stands now is up for debate one side saying the program is expected to University of New Mexico Hospital launching health care listening Hospital CEO Kate Becker says 'we really want to hear from our community about what their health needs are' in order to prioritize resources. Titleist Golf Bags 2021, Where does medical cannabis go from here? << /Lang /MarkInfo << /Marked true >> /Outlines 6 0 R /PageLayout /OneColumn /Pages 5 0 R /StructTreeRoot 9 0 R /Type /Catalog >> He continued his education, attending the Police School of Staff and Command with Northwestern University. He had to watch his parents pass away and they never had closure so they never knew what happened to Carla. Synopsis: In 2005 an unknown person killed 26 year old Victoria Chavez and buried her in a mesa located adjacent to 118th Street SW in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Police believe Carla likely knew her attacker. Georgetown University Diploma, Dr. Heather A Pratt-chavez is a Pediatric Medicine Specialist in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Chavez said he hadnt, and Hall asked whether he knew that cellphone records showed his phone in Los Lunas on Friday Oct. 19. Their exhibits also included Teras diary and two notes a handwriting expert said she had written which the defense characterized as suicide notes and prosecutors described as evidence that Tera was ready to move on from her relationship with Levi Chavez all of which were found in the couples home. Debra Romero, also a police officer in the department, admitted to having an affair with Levi Chavez. In 2007, Medina was promoted to the Lieutenant rank and remained there for 2 years. "She asked me if I would leave Samantha for her, and I told her no". SHE HADNT CONTACTED ANYBODY. << /Linearized 1 /L 38845 /H [ 955 163 ] /O 76 /E 36564 /N 1 /T 38217 >> Former Albuquerque Police Officer Levi Chavez enters court on June 13, 2013 in Bernalillo, N.M. Dean Hanson/The Albuquerque Journal/AP Photo, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. Among them is likely to be Russell Perea, the former APD officer who was sharing a police vehicle with Levi Chavez on the weekend Tera Chavez died. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) - The attorney general and the Albuquerque Police Department are cracking down on serial shoplifters and organized retail crime. State District Judge George P. Eichwald instructed the two to Quit arguing back and forth like kids.. t|!iej@,RUAp*tG;^ppxu\>q 1T}|{U\x lX2pdRHB zg_h";*uJYUXd\.~|}wWI]'l+F Q~18OMU. 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. Facebook gives people the power to share and makes the world more open and connected. Other stores are installing LOT-COP Security Camera Towers to aid in this deterrence effort. Dozens of Albuquerque Academy students volunteered New Mexico Supreme Court: Juveniles who plead can appeal Ruling stems from the case of Christopher Rodriguez, who was sentenced as an adult to 14 years in prison for his role in the Changes to city of Albuquerque's Sun Van service raise New process allows anybody to self-certify New process allows anybody to self-certify they are disabled. ", Get all the stories you need-to-know from the most powerful name in news delivered first thing every morning to your inbox. 73 0 obj Prosecutors allege 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. On Tuesday, the court heard from police officer Regina Sanchez, who admitted to having an affair with Chavez in 2006. Can you bring your e-cigarette on a plane? He said in 2009 at the deposition that Thursday Oct. 18, 2007 was the last time he was there until Sunday night Oct. 21, when he says he discovered Teras body. Over the years, detectives interviewed a lot of people. "I don't feel like speaking for his future.". Also in court on Friday, jurors heard a heavily redacted recording of the deposition Levi Chavez gave in the civil case. 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. the 911 dispatcher asked. "He's got several plans in the works," Serna said. NANCY: HER BOSS KNOCKED ON THE DOOR AND CALLED POLICE. That was the whole thing that made me upset. << /Filter /FlateDecode /Length 902 >> Get Directions Google Map Contact Information Position: Office of the Chief Phone: 505-768-2200 Physical Address 400 Roma NW Albuquerque New Mexico 87102. Eichwald instructed the Cordova family to leave the courtroom first after the verdict was read and asked Chavez family to wait a few minutes before departing. He has pled not guilty. ) . Dr. Chavez is affiliated with Lovelace Medical Center. First on the witness stand was Rita Romero, Levi Chavezs mother, who often testified through sobs as she told defense attorney David Serna how much she loved her former daughter-in-law, Tera Chavez. ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) - The family of 33-year-old Erika Chavez, the Albuquerque woman who died in a car crash, said their lives will never be the same. Chief Medina says the department has a partnership with some stores across the city to help but supports stores going the private security route instead. I dont see how thats possible, Levi Chavez said. According to testimony earlier in the trial, he was exchanging text messages 24 days after the 911 call with another APD officer about the two getting married. The defense contends the 26-year-old hair stylist took her own life because she was despondent over the couples failing marriage and Levi Chavezs many extramarital affairs. (a.addEventListener("DOMContentLoaded",n,!1),e.addEventListener("load",n,!1)):(e.attachEvent("onload",n),a.attachEvent("onreadystatechange",function(){"complete"===a.readyState&&t.readyCallback()})),(n=t.source||{}).concatemoji?c(n.concatemoji):n.wpemoji&&n.twemoji&&(c(n.twemoji),c(n.wpemoji)))}(window,document,window._wpemojiSettings); window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; (Adolphe Pierre-Louis/Journal), Levi Chavez, center, leaves the Sandoval County Courthouse on Tuesday, July 16, 2013, after he was found not guilty of murdering his wife Tera Chavez in October 2007 and making it look like a suicide. Pedro Taylor Football, 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. >> IT HAS BEEN A VERY LONG TIME. Upon returning to Albuquerque, she attended Teras funeral, she testified, as did many other APD officers. Critics, supporters offer differing opinions on program's future in New Mexico, Zinc Wine Bar & Bistro to reopen after three years. stream Decommissioned Nuclear Power Plant Scotland, Blastocyst culture and Blastocyst embryo transfer, Fertility consultation and fertility treatment planning. Her boss at the time was worried so she went to Carlas house and knocked on her door. Albuquerque. >> SHE RECEIVED MULTIPLE STAB WOUNDS. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Assistant District Attorney Anne Keener, on cross-examination, asked Romero to confirm that she had left her marriage to Levi Chavez Sr. because of cheating, gambling and the debt he left her in. And why is it on my car? The Levi Chavez case wont end with todays verdict. Chavez still faces a wrongful death lawsuit from the family of Tera Chavez. %PDF-1.7 << /Annots 92 0 R /Contents [ 77 0 R 78 0 R 79 0 R 80 0 R 81 0 R 82 0 R 83 0 R 84 0 R ] /CropBox [ 0.0 0.0 612.0 792.0 ] /Group 108 0 R /MediaBox [ 0.0 0.0 612.0 792.0 ] /Parent 5 0 R /Resources << /ColorSpace << /CS0 95 0 R /CS1 96 0 R >> /ExtGState << /GS0 97 0 R >> /Font << /TT0 99 0 R /TT1 101 0 R /TT2 103 0 R /TT3 105 0 R >> /XObject << /Im0 88 0 R /Im1 89 0 R /Im2 90 0 R >> >> /Rotate 0 /StructParents 0 /Tabs /S /Type /Page >> gtag('js', new Date()); Tera Chavez was just 26 years old when she was found dead of a gunshot wound on October 22, 2007. A Bernalillo County deputy was reportedly not injured after their vehicle rolled in a two-vehicle, Hospital CEO Kate Becker says 'we really want to hear from our community about what, Dozens of Albuquerque Academy students volunteered to help unload and deliver the furnishings. Box 1293 One Civic Plaza Room 7057 Albuquerque New Mexico 87103. BERNALILLO Two of Levi Chavezs alibi witnesses gave testimony in one case emotional and in the other combative in front of a packed courtroom this morning as control of the former Albuquerque police officers murder trial shifted to the defense. Thats the past, Heather Chavez said in court Friday. Detective Heather Chavez with the Farmington police said.Police believe Carla likely knew her attacker. The city of Albuquerque already has paid Teras family $230,000 to settle claims against itself and APD in the civil case. On July 5, 2008, half of the desire she expressed in the text came true. On cross-examination by David Serna, Heather Chavez said the two spoke on the phone that day because Levi had been dispatched to a child abuse call, and she was the on-call detective for Crimes Against Children. But Romero also testified that Tera was essentially lost during her numerous separations from Levi. New Mexico and ABQ News, Sports, Business and more, By Jeff Proctor / Journal Staff Writer NANCY: OCTOBER 28, 1992, CARLA HAD NOT SHOWN UP TO WORK AT THE CONVENIENCE STORE. Legal Statement. Instead, the jury was instructed that Farrelly had received an anonymous call from the Style America where Tera worked alleging insurance fraud by Levi Chavez, and that he conducted an investigation which concluded that the allegations were unfounded.. Chavez enrolled as a student at the University of California at Berkeley, studying writing and literature as part of the program in English literature offered there. Christian Chavez in Albuquerque, NM 20 results - Christian Chavez may also have lived outside of Albuquerque, such as Cuba, Bosque Farms and 2 other cities in New Mexico. !function(e,a,t){var n,r,o,i=a.createElement("canvas"),p=i.getContext&&i.getContext("2d");function s(e,t){var a=String.fromCharCode;p.clearRect(0,0,i.width,i.height),p.fillText(a.apply(this,e),0,0);e=i.toDataURL();return p.clearRect(0,0,i.width,i.height),p.fillText(a.apply(this,t),0,0),e===i.toDataURL()}function c(e){var t=a.createElement("script");t.src=e,t.defer=t.type="text/javascript",a.getElementsByTagName("head")[0].appendChild(t)}for(o=Array("flag","emoji"),t.supports={everything:!0,everythingExceptFlag:!0},r=0;r {"@context":"https://schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"http://heartbeatsivf.com/#website","url":"http://heartbeatsivf.com/","name":"Heartbeats IVF Goa","description":"","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":"http://heartbeatsivf.com/?s={search_term_string}","query-input":"required name=search_term_string"}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"http://heartbeatsivf.com/oljcuiqg/#webpage","url":"http://heartbeatsivf.com/oljcuiqg/","name":"heather chavez albuquerque police","isPartOf":{"@id":"http://heartbeatsivf.com/#website"},"datePublished":"2021-06-08T07:35:13+00:00","dateModified":"2021-06-08T07:35:13+00:00","author":{"@id":""},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["http://heartbeatsivf.com/oljcuiqg/"]}]}]} window._wpemojiSettings = {"baseUrl":"https:\/\/s.w.org\/images\/core\/emoji\/13.0.1\/72x72\/","ext":".png","svgUrl":"https:\/\/s.w.org\/images\/core\/emoji\/13.0.1\/svg\/","svgExt":".svg","source":{"concatemoji":"http:\/\/heartbeatsivf.com\/wp-includes\/js\/wp-emoji-release.min.js?ver=5.6.4"}}; (Adolphe Pierre-Louis/Journal), Tera Chavez's brother Aaron Cordova, left, her parents Theresa and Joseph Cordova, prosecutors Bryan McKay and Anne Keener, along with former Valencia County detective Aaron Jones, arrive at the Sandoval County District Court for the verdict in the murder trial of APD officer Levi Chavez on Tuesday, July 16, 2013. Please call the 118th Street Task Force at 1-877-765-8273 , (505) 768-2450 or Crime Stoppers at (505) 843-STOP with any information you may have concerning this crime. endobj Subscribe now to access decluttered news, chosen by you. Heather is related to Philip P Pratt and Judith A Pratt as well as 3 additional people. Romero says Chavez was with her for part of the weekend when his wife was shot. h***@cabq.gov. HE HAD TO WATCH HIS PARENTS PASSED AWAY. Get the Android Weather app from Google Play, MLB pitchers adjusting to quick pace of new pitch, Military prospects see NFL hopes rise after policy, Female minor league manager gets day as D-backs bench, Grosjean leads Andretti qualifying sweep for IndyCar, Bertuzzi sets up goal in Bruins 4-2 win over Rangers, New Mexico Gas Company leaders explain high winter gas bills, San Juan County sheriff who shot a dog tells his side of the story, New Mexico man sentenced for trafficking 45 lbs of meth from Mexico. All of the discussion about whether the magazine was seated began with Aaron Jones, who was the lead detective who investigated Teras death for the Valencia County Sheriffs Office. abq.policecomplaints.info. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. There was no solid evidence one way or the other., During the interview, the woman got emotional. Before reading the verdict Judge George P. Eichwald admonished the gallery, saying he had observed a lot of animosity. They say Chavez was having an affair with Albuquerque police officer Nick Wheeler in the months before her death. A forensic pathologist testified earlier in the trial that Tera died almost immediately after one shot was fired into her mouth. State District Judge George P. Eichwald essentially gutted that theory when he barred Farrellys testimony after a motion from Serna. Chavez was charged with first-degree murder and evidence tampering in an April 2011 indictment. Nobody thus far has had to pay for this crime," Chavez said.Police believe someone does know who killed Carla Felmer and Farmington police are still following leads in this case.Police are asking people with legitimate tips to contact the Farmington Police Department detective's hotline at 505-599-1068 or CrimeStoppers in Farmington at 334-tips. A female juror spoke with reporters about 45 minutes after the verdict was read in the courtroom. Your email is safe with us, we dont spam. Two years later, a jury acquitted him of the charge. 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. McKay and Keener admitted more than 220 exhibits into evidence, including the Glock handgun and more than 100 crime scene photographs. The number of how many incidents across Albuquerque is hard to track says Chief Medina. endobj This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, The exchange led to several objections from Serna, and eventually a full-blown shouting match between Serna and Keener. At one point on Monday, Serna took the gun, which was not loaded, turned it upside down and pointed it toward himself. BERNALILLO A deep dive into Levi Chavezs personal laptop computer turned up an Internet search from November 2006 for how to kill someone, social media profiles of various women with whom he was having affairs and visits to pornography websites, according to testimony in the former APD officers murder trial on Friday. FOR MORE INFORMATION YOU CAN GO TO M. It is a case that has haunted a Northern New Mexico community for nearly three decades.On Oct. 28, 1992, a Farmington woman was brutally murdered.Carla Helmer hadn't shown up for work at a Farmington convenience store for three days. "You know the whole thing was so disgusting and such a disgrace. For example: the prosecution was barred from calling to the stand Richard Farrelly, a state Insurance Fraud Bureau agent who investigated allegations that Levi Chavez and his cop buddies had staged the theft of Chavezs pickup truck as part of an insurance scam. }, When asked by reporters for his reaction after the verdict, Levi Chavez said Im not surprised. New Mexico and ABQ News, Sports, Business and more, By Jeff Proctor / Journal Staff Writer That leaves Levi Chavez as the sole defendant in the civil matter, which had been on hold since his indictment to allow the criminal case to reach a conclusion. Mothers Against Drunk Driving honored him with an individual Heros Award for his work in preventing underage drinking in 2007. ITS A HEAVY WEIGHT TO CARRY. Someone had to press that magazine release after (the Glock) was fired, he said. Saatva Mattress Review: Our Pick for the Best Overall Bed of 2023, We Found 12 Cute Planters and Flower Pots That Cost Less Than $25, Here's Where to Watch and Stream Marvel's 'Ant Man and the Wasp: Quantumania' Online. Levi Chavez called 911 around 9 p.m. that day, Oct. 21, 2007, to say his wife had shot herself in the head. Serna told Chavez. Somebody dumped the Internet history.. Heather Chavezs statement in court today was that the couple only kissed in the car. Working with the attorney general office working with [District Attorneys] and ensuring that we are building strong prosecution upping charges from what used to be a larceny slash aggravated assault to now charging them with robbery, said Attorney General Hector Balderas. Read More. Heather Chavez said she was helping move Tera Chavez's items out of the Los Lunas home in the weeks after the funeral. 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. He had to watch his parents pass away and they never had closure so they never knew what happened to Carla.