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2023, Hearst Television Inc. on behalf of KOAT-TV. Still -- nearly three decades later -- no arrests. (Greg Sorber/Journal). Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. It was the third time since the trial began on June 10 that Serna had asked for a ruling from Eichwald to throw the case out. He was accused of using his APD issued gun in 2007 to kill her and then staging it to look like a suicide. Prosecutors allege that he shot his wife, Tera Chavez, through the mouth on either Oct. 19, 20 or 21, 2007, in the couples home near Los Lunas and tried to make her death look like a suicide. Somebody dumped the Internet history.. The DNA belonged to both Tera and Levi Chavez, according to Williams. 72 0 obj McKay and Keener admitted more than 220 exhibits into evidence, including the Glock handgun and more than 100 crime scene photographs. 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. Prosecutors put 36 witnesses on the stand. endobj Levi Chavezs attorney, David Serna, will begin his cross-examination of Brookreson on Monday. Heather Chavez also testified that she never met or spoke to Tera Chavez. The jury learned Friday that underneath the mattress on which Tera. The defense claims Tera Chavez killed herself because she was depressed about her marriage. The following article appeared on page A1 of the Tuesday, June 2, 2013 edition of the Albuquerque Journal. Mary Chavez lives in Albuquerque, NM; previous city include Peralta NM. In March 2020, Nob Hill mainstay Zinc Wine Bar & Bistro closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Levi Chavez maintained his innocence throughout the trial, and he maintains his innocence even today. OVER THE YEARS DETECTIVES INTERVIEWED A LOT OF PEOPLE, STILL NEARLY THREE DECADES LATER, NO ARRESTS. 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. The Albuquerque City Council voted 8-0 on March 15, 2021 to confirm Medinas appointment as Chief of the Albuquerque Police Department. Prosecutors argued over the word unfounded, noting that authorities had scheduled a grand jury to hear evidence in the alleged insurance fraud case, but Farrellys boss pulled the plug on that presentation at the last minute in 2010. << /Linearized 1 /L 38845 /H [ 955 163 ] /O 76 /E 36564 /N 1 /T 38217 >> He had to watch his parents pass away and they never had closure so they never knew what happened to Carla. %PDF-1.7 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. To provide or request additional information, please contact: - Det. 74 0 obj Levi Chavez refuted Slamas claims when he testified. Romero said she was under the impression they were separated and going through a divorce. Debra Romero, also a police officer in the department, admitted to having an affair with Levi Chavez. And to release the magazine from its seated position, five pounds of pressure must be applied to a release button located on the left side of the handle near the trigger guard, he said. State District Judge George P. Eichwald instructed the two to Quit arguing back and forth like kids.. Prosecutors Bryan McKay and Anne Keener declined to comment, as did the Tera Chavezs family, except for one comment from Jopseph Cordova, Tera father. In August 2013, Chavez was acquitted of the murder charges. Box 1293 One Civic Plaza Room 7057 Albuquerque New Mexico 87103. There was no solid evidence one way or the other., During the interview, the woman got emotional. Legal Statement. During the next 19 months through the use of community poling principles he created partnerships with community stakeholders, and increased internal communication and cooperation. (Adolphe Pierre-Louis /Journal), Former APD officer Levi Chavez clutches a rosary before being found not guilty of murder on Tuesday, July 16, 2013. June 26, 2013— -- A former Albuquerque, N.M., police officer is on trial, accused of killing his 26-year-old wife with his department-issued handgun and trying to make her death look like a suicide because, prosecutors say, she was about to report him for insurance fraud. 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. 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. Serna also has worked feverishly to discredit Jones, describing the former detective as a conspiracy theorist, an unethical investigator and a man who has twice been fired from law enforcement agencies. The exchange led to several objections from Serna, and eventually a full-blown shouting match between Serna and Keener. Also, a new bullet was in the Glocks firing chamber when law enforcement arrived at the Chavezes home. "She was upset. Heather A Pratt-chavez - 1437355773 Profile Details Heather A Pratt-chavez is a physician based out of Albuquerque, New Mexico and her medical specialization is Pediatrics . The latest breaking updates, delivered straight to your email inbox. Legal Statement. OFFICERS FOUND HER BODY INSIDE. "Can you touch her? Upon announcing the verdict, the family of Levi Chavez, including his current wife Albuquerque detective Heather Chavez, let out gasps and wept. "What did I tell you?" John enjoyed horseback riding with his sons and best friend and cousin On March 16, 2012 we broke the story (READ IT HERE) about how APD's current Deputy Chief Allen Banks was caught lying while under a sworn oath to tell the truth when he was testifying in the labor hearing involving former APD officer Russell Perea. 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. Master Police Officer 1C at City of Albuquerque. 77 0 obj ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. Police officers will often tell you theres no such thing as a routine call when youre patrolling the streets. Serna will begin putting defense witnesses on the stand today. She would not have been able to release the magazine herself. It appears that his wife, now known as Heather Chavez, is a detective with the Farmington Police Department. He has pled not guilty. He cried as he described finding Tera dead in the couples home and said he is a changed man who, after her death, spoke to priests in an effort to leave his philandering ways behind. 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. The official website for the City of Albuquerque. She left the courtroom in tears and came back in eight minutes later, still dabbing at her eyes with a tissue. Subscribe now to access decluttered news, chosen by you. Jones showed Heather Chavez crime scene photos from Teras death scene and told her people were worried about her. the Albuquerque Police Department. 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. 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. There is no confirmation on whether she is still a part of the Albuquerque Police Department. He strongly follows the principles of community oriented policing and has begun implementing Community Engagement, Partnerships with Business Coalitions, Youth and Elderly Outreach within the Albuquerque Police Department. Mothers Against Drunk Driving honored him with an individual Heros Award for his work in preventing underage drinking in 2007. This comes as the number of cases continues to rise and the offenses more and more violent. Not among them was APD officer Steve Hindi, to whom Heather was married at the time. 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. He believes in principles that are focused on community and law enforcement partnerships, problem solving, and transforming the department to help create a strong bond of trust with the community. 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. [1] [2] Levi was initially charged with murdering his wife with his police issued Glock and making it appear as a suicide. Keener pressed Heather Chavez on a statement she made during her deposition that her sexual relationship with Levi Chavez began in a car. The call did not go to voicemail. She had multiple defense wounds, and had put up a fight. Currently, the Maxwell Museum is displaying 'Conversing with the Land: Native North American Baskets of the Maxwell Museum Collections,' through Jan. 10, 2024. Upon returning to Albuquerque, she attended Tera's funeral, she testified, as did many other. Chavez was accused of killing his wife in October 2007 and making it look like a suicide. On Jan. 15, 2008, Heather Chavez gave an interview to then-Detective Jones of VCSO. function gtag(){dataLayer.push(arguments);} 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. This included partnerships with the schools, teachers and laws enforcement with a focused presentation of alcohol awareness to students. Stores across the Metro are now employing armed private security guards with limited use of force as asset protection. Dr. Chavez works in Albuquerque, NM and 1 other location and specializes in Obstetrics & Gynecology. Mmmm detective Chavez with homicide, the text read. endobj I didnt speak with her.. Wheeler is the husband of Chavez's maid of honor, Samantha Wheeler. Albuquerque. Serna admitted 29 exhibits into evidence, including an OMI photograph of Teras tongue removed from her body that showed a round burn mark near the back of the tongue. Chavez said he hadnt, and Hall asked whether he knew that cellphone records showed his phone in Los Lunas on Friday Oct. 19. She said some jurors even cried during deliberations. Because we are targeting the worst of the worst we are finding and building other criminal cases, Attorney General Hector Balderas said. "I don't feel like speaking for his future.". The Levi Chavez case wont end with todays verdict. 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, the disgraced former officer insisted that he did not kill his wife. Chavez was found not guilty of murdering his wife Tera. 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. You can cut the tension with a knife in here, Eichwald said. View Heather Hindi's record in Albuquerque, NM including current phone number, address, relatives, background check report, and property record with Whitepages. ) Alter Last Name Full Name Persons Count Share ; Chaves: Heather Chaves: 10: 19.36%: Garcia: Heather Garcia: 545: 6.34%: Martinez: . When a shot is fired, provided the magazine is locked in place (also called seated), the semiautomatic pistol then automatically pulls another bullet from the magazine and loads it into the guns chamber. During testimony on Friday, she said she was referring to herself in the text. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. Romero described the relationship between Levis family and Teras family as nonexistent., We traveled in different circles, she said. Reportedly, he is married to APD Detective Heather, who was also present throughout the trial. 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.. On Oct. 28, 1992, a Farmington woman was brutally murdered. No lucktill we finally figured out how to get it from the police department! Who Wrote She's Like The Swallow, Others, including Radosevich, have testified that, based on less-than-ideal crime scene photographs, the magazine appeared to have possibly been unseated.. 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. City of Albuquerque goes to court to shut down City says the property puts the community at risk, but owner says it's unfair to blame businesses for Albuquerque crime and homelessness, Bernalillo County deputy involved in rollover crash in Northeast Albuquerque, University of New Mexico Hospital launching health care listening tour, Support for families: Nonprofit that helps people who are homeless gets mattress donation, Where does medical cannabis go from here? Thats the past, Heather Chavez said in court Friday. King had been an academy classmate of Police Chief Ray Schultz, who, in a tearful press conference after the killings, called it one of the saddest days in the history of the Albuquerque Police Department. Inside the department, former officers say, the deaths were a turning point: Officer safety became the order of the day. 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. "Justice was not served," Joseph Cordova, the father of Tera Chavez, said after listening to the verdict with his wife. (Dean Hanson/Journal) 1:48 p.m. BERNALILLOTwenty-four days after Levi Chavez called. Self Service Car Washes Near Me, He also told her she should have more information., I listened, Heather Chavez said about the interview. Im innocent. SHE HADNT CONTACTED ANYBODY. There is no confirmation on whether she is still a part of the Albuquerque Police Department. Another, Athena Padilla was arrested on March 9, was charged with 10 shoplifting incidents with a value close to $19,000. Prosecutors allege that he killed Tera in the couple's Los Lunas home on either Oct. 19, 20 or 21, 2007 and tried to make. Radosevich spent most of his time on the stand Monday answering questions from Senior Trial Attorney Bryan McKay about what has become one of the trials most important and contested points: Whether Tera Chavez could have, as the defense contends, shot herself in October 2007 with her husbands service pistol. . She used words such as lonely, scared and isolated.. Prosecutors, he said, had not presented enough evidence for any reasonable finder of fact to convict his client. Attorney Brad Hall, who represents Teras family in the civil suit, asked whether Levi Chavez had loaned his cellphone to anyone. Chavez has never been charged with any wrongdoing. That was the whole thing that made me upset. Carla Helmer hadn't shown up for work at a Farmington convenience store for three days. State District Judge George P. Eichwald essentially gutted that theory when he barred Farrellys testimony after a motion from Serna. In the winter of 2014, after serving 20 years of being a sworn officer, Medina retired from the Albuquerque Police Department as a Commander. He was honored as the Uniformed Officer of the month as a patrol officer three times. ITS A HEAVY WEIGHT TO CARRY. Two major arrests have recently been made: one being Isaiah Martinez who is accused of organizing a mass theft of multiple sunglass huts across the city, with a value of $53,000 dollars back in October 2021. They included: members of Teras family, her friends, a longtime New Mexico medical examiner, two veteran lawmen who testified as expert witnesses, APD officers who went to the Chavezes home after the 911 call, several of Levi Chavezs paramours including two who were fellow APD officers and his current wife, whom he began seeing almost immediately after Teras death. At issue is testimony that the magazine in the pistol was unseated after Teras body was found and what that means to the case. Dated Nov. 14, 2007, it was from a fellow APD officer whose name, at the time, was Heather Hindi. "She asked me if I would leave Samantha for her, and I told her no". The number of how many incidents across Albuquerque is hard to track says Chief Medina. the 911 dispatcher asked. I've been in contact with him. 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. At one point on Monday, Serna took the gun, which was not loaded, turned it upside down and pointed it toward himself. For weeks, the murder trial captivated parts of central New Mexico as residents were fixated in barber shops, diners and grocery stores. Heather Chavez, Albuquerque Police Department, NM, (505) 768-2404, Dash Dash World Controls, Tera's family said he did it to. Her boss at the time was worried so she went to Carlas house and knocked on her door.