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. Levi Chavez called 911 around 9 p.m. that day, Oct. 21, 2007, to say his wife had shot herself in the head. stream That was the whole thing that made me upset. She graduated with honors from University Of New Mexico School Of Medicine in 2007. 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 unfaithfulness began early in the couples 10-year relationship, around the time Tera became pregnant with the couples first child shortly before her 16th birthday. endobj I told you guys that from the beginning., After an intense walk out of the courthouse surrounded by cameras, reporters and family, Levi Chavez arrived at his car. ", Get all the stories you need-to-know from the most powerful name in news delivered first thing every morning to your inbox. He also told her she should have more information., I listened, Heather Chavez said about the interview. Radosevich said it would, but added several times that releasing the magazine required a deliberate, intentional action. Now they are calling on Albuquerque P "I'm going to go to church, pray my Rosary and thank my Virgin Mary," Chavez said as he was crowded by reporters. So Eichwald ruled that Farrellys testimony would be too prejudicial toward Levi Chavez. This proactive approach brought compliance rates in the Albuquerque area up to 95%. Box 1293 One Civic Plaza Room 7057 Albuquerque New Mexico 87103. Serna told Chavez. 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. Nobody answered, so she called police.Officers showed up and found Carla's body inside. Mary Chavez is 73 years old and was born on 12/22/1947. Wheeler is the husband of Chavez's maid of honor, Samantha Wheeler. He also focused on providing prevention and intervention education strategies to the local Albuquerque high school students. 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. https://www.cabq.gov/police/our-department, https://www.cabq.gov/police/images/chief-harold-medina_6798-8x10.jpg, Documents Related to APD Settlement Agreement, Documents Related to APD's Settlement Agreement, McClendon v. City of Albuquerque Settlement, Legal Notice: Destruction of Unclaimed Property, Sexual Assault Evidence Kit Backlog Reduction Project. The following article appeared on page A1 of the Tuesday, June 2, 2013 edition of the Albuquerque Journal. For weeks, the murder trial captivated parts of central New Mexico as residents were fixated in barber shops, diners and grocery stores. Bernalillo County deputy involved in rollover crash in Northeast Albuquerque, Where does medical cannabis go from here? All rights reserved. She had multiple defense wounds, and had put up a fight. Heather Chavezs statement in court today was that the couple only kissed in the car. NANCY: CARLA HAD PUT UP A FIGHT. Your email is safe with us, we dont spam. Upon announcing the verdict, the family of Levi Chavez, including his current wife Albuquerque detective Heather Chavez, let out gasps and wept. ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. - Isaiah Matthew Chavez, 29, of Albuquerque, New Mexico has been charged in a criminal complaint with possession of a firearm and ammunition by a person under indictment. 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. Its really hard to get your pulse on shoplifting numbers because a lot of companies dont even report things to the police, Chief Medina said. What should I do if I am stopped by a police officer? 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. In 2014, Medina retired from the Albuquerque Police Department and shortly thereafter became the Chief of Police for the Pueblo of Laguna. Chavez's 911 call to report his wife's death was played in court. Heather's current home is located at Albuquerque, NM. 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. The Levi Chavez case wont end with todays verdict. View the Department Summary Sworn Personnel (as of July 29, 2022). NANCY: POLICE BELIEVE SOMEONE DOES KNOW WHO KILLED CARLA. Critics, supporters offer differing opinions on program's future in New Mexico, Zinc Wine Bar & Bistro to reopen after three years. In the fall of 2009, he transferred to the Property Crimes Division. Reportedly, he is married to APD Detective Heather, who was also present throughout the trial. 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. Some extra notes, quotes, news and notes from the Lobos Friday night basketball game in Fort Collins, Colorado. Thats also where she was working on Oct. 8, 2007, the first time she met Levi Chavez, according to her testimony. He has pled not guilty. << /Lang /MarkInfo << /Marked true >> /Outlines 6 0 R /PageLayout /OneColumn /Pages 5 0 R /StructTreeRoot 9 0 R /Type /Catalog >> BERNALILLO The magazine that held the bullets for Levi Chavezs APD-issued Glock 9 mm pistol took center stage in a Sandoval County courtroom Monday morning as the former officers murder trial rolled into its fourth week of testimony. (Adolphe Pierre-Louis/Journal), Former APD officer Levi Chavez, right, gets a hug from his attorney David Serna after the jury in the murder trial against him returned a verdict of not guilty on Tuesday, July 16, 2013. They have also lived in Taos, NM and New York, NY. APDs mission is to build relationships through community policing that will lead to reduced crime and increased safety. (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 || []; Heather Chavez, Levi Chavez's current wife, testifies during his murder trial on Friday, June 28, 2013. News Break provides latest and breaking Albuquerque, NM local news, weather forecast, crime and safety reports, traffic updates, event notices, sports, entertainment, local life and other items of interest in the community and nearby Chavez's affidavit is now part of a civil rights lawsuit filed by Mary Hawkes' family against the City of Albuquerque and the local police department, according to New Mexico In Join Facebook to connect with Heather Chavez and others you may know. Heather Chavez said she was helping move Tera Chavez's items out of the Los Lunas home in the weeks after the funeral. Although he testified that someone had altered things on its hard drive, he was confident that one of the searches he uncovered had, indeed, occurred a White Pages search that turned up the home address for Aaron Jones, the lead detective investigating Teras death for the Valencia County Sheriffs Office. yG9e=I0IA pj1"J 2023 The City of Albuquerque. Chavez was charged with first-degree murder and evidence tampering in an April 2011 indictment. But, the disgraced former officer insisted that he did not kill his wife. 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. Chavez was accused of killing Tera in October 2007 and making it look like a suicide. endobj Serna called seven other witnesses to testify. She basically said she wanted someone to love her," Nick Wheeler testified last Friday. Published: Saturday, June 29th, 2013 at 12:05AMUpdated: Saturday, June 29th, 2013 at 12:41AM. Dr. Chavez is affiliated with Lovelace Medical Center. ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.(KRQE) The attorney general and the Albuquerque Police Department are cracking down on serial shoplifters and organized retail crime. Ex-wife Heather Hindi left him for alleged wife-killer Levi Chavez. The civil case will proceed as soon as state District Judge Ted Baca sets a date. Tera Chavez died on 22nd October 2007 at Los Lunas, New Mexico, United States, she was 26 years old during her time of death and according to the report she died from a gunshot wound from her husband's service weapon. NANCY: HER BOSS KNOCKED ON THE DOOR AND CALLED POLICE. 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. The exchange led to several objections from Serna, and eventually a full-blown shouting match between Serna and Keener. Mary Chavez lives in Albuquerque, NM; previous city include Peralta NM. (Greg Sorber/Journal), Former Valencia County Detective Aaron Jones talks to the media on Tuesday, July 16, 2013, after Levi Chavez was found not guilty of murdering his wife Tera Chavez. Heather A Pratt-chavez is a Pediatric Medicine Specialist in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Perea, a former APD officer, was sharing a police vehicle with Levi Chavez on Oct. 19 and 20. Email. Serna objected to the question, and Eichwald sustained the objection. Albuquerque Community Connect Camera Registry and Integration. July 16, 2013: Levi Chavez, right, a former Albuquerque police officer, gets a hug from his wife, Heather Chavez, after being cleared of charges he murdered his estranged wife, Tera Chavez, in in 2007. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. Chavez was accused of killing his wife in October 2007 and making it look like a suicide. 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. Also on Tuesday the state called DNA expert Alanna Williams, who testified that she couldn't tell who fired the gun that killed Tera Chavez because there were two sets of DNA on the gun's handle. Heather is related to Philip P Pratt and Judith A Pratt as well as 3 additional people. In 2007, Medina was promoted to the Lieutenant rank and remained there for 2 years. "She received multiple stab wounds." Serna has sought to poke holes in those assessments. 11/21/2022 12:47 AM. Jurors nine women and three men received the case shortly after 5 p.m. Friday following closing arguments by defense attorney David Serna and prosecutors Anne Keener and Bryan McKay. 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. He had to watch his parents pass away and they never had closure so they never knew what happened to Carla. Also in court on Friday, jurors heard a heavily redacted recording of the deposition Levi Chavez gave in the civil case. % OVER THE YEARS DETECTIVES INTERVIEWED A LOT OF PEOPLE, STILL NEARLY THREE DECADES LATER, NO ARRESTS. (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. Over the years, detectives. "You know the whole thing was so disgusting and such a disgrace. But Keener pointed to more phone records that showed a call from Teras phone to Heathers on Sept. 29, 2007. Where does medical cannabis go from here? In August 2013, Chavez was acquitted of the murder charges. On cross-examination by Serna, Radosevich testified that he also observed what appeared to be blood stains on the magazine that likely couldnt have gotten there had the magazine been seated. Curently, hes in the media headlines as Dateline NBC explored on The decade of the 1970s began for the department with the retirement of Chief Paul Shaver, the city's longest-serving police chief. 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. 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. 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. 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. Brookreson testified there also were several Web searches for Jones. During these 19 months, property crimes saw double-digit reductions in many areas. 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. In December of 2017, Medina was appointed to Deputy Chief for the Albuquerque Police Department and currently oversees the Field Services Bureau. 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. There was no solid evidence one way or the other., During the interview, the woman got emotional. 72 0 obj Mothers Against Drunk Driving honored him with an individual Heros Award for his work in preventing underage drinking in 2007. Deputies arrest man in attempted robbery that led to Bernalillo County deputies arrested a man Bernalillo County deputies arrested a man in an armed robbery-turned-gunfight that left his alleged accomplice dead last year in Southwest Albuquerque. Chavez has been charged with first-degree murder and tampering with evidence. 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. Dr. Heather A Pratt-chavez is a Pediatric Medicine Specialist in Albuquerque, New Mexico. 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. Still -- nearly three decades later -- no arrests. 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. Market data provided by Factset. He strongly believes in working with the community to educate and have an understanding of community-oriented policing. Levi Chavez is the Husband of Tera, and he was a police officer with the Albuquerque Police Department. Many of the other defense exhibits were photographs, as well. Chavez was found not guilty of murdering his wife Tera. Harold Medina received a Bachelors degree with a double major in Biology and Criminology through the college of Arts and Science from the University of New Mexico in 1994. << /Type /XRef /Length 87 /Filter /FlateDecode /DecodeParms << /Columns 4 /Predictor 12 >> /W [ 1 2 1 ] /Index [ 72 37 ] /Root 74 0 R /Size 109 /Prev 38218 /ID [] >> Former APD officer Levi Chavez gets a hug from his wife Heather Chavez after being found not guilty of murder on Tuesday, July 16, 2013. 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. The city of Albuquerque already has paid Teras family $230,000 to settle claims against itself and APD in the civil case. Theres nothing I would like to have them work other types of overtime rather than standing at a retail store, said Chief Medina. They deliberated all day Monday and began again at about 1 p.m. today. Email addresses are used solely for verification and to speed the verification process for repeat questioners. Wealthy and poor, black and white, young and old we all have constitutional rights. 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. Published: Tuesday, July 16th, 2013 at 3:53PMUpdated: Tuesday, July 16th, 2013 at 11:21PM, #foogallery-gallery-0 .fg-image { Im not guilty. The defense claims Tera Chavez killed herself because she was depressed about her marriage. endobj Manage the news you want to see, read exclusive content and explore other subscriber benefits. Judge Eichwald ultimately allowed the question, to which Radosevich answered: At the time (Jones) recovered it, yes, Jones said the magazine was unseated. They say Chavez was having an affair with Albuquerque police officer Nick Wheeler in the months before her death. On Jan. 15, 2008, Heather Chavez gave an interview to then-Detective Jones of VCSO. "There never was a case against Levi Chavez," Serna said. In March 2020, Nob Hill mainstay Zinc Wine Bar & Bistro closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Detectives say Chavez wanted his wife dead because she threatened to reveal he staged the theft of a truck so he can collect insurance money. Levi Chavez came back the following week and did exactly that. A forensic pathologist testified earlier in the trial that Tera died almost immediately after one shot was fired into her mouth. 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. Contact. In considering everything, I do not believe that the magazine was seated at the time this weapon was recovered, he said. 76 0 obj News . >> IT HAS BEEN A VERY LONG TIME. He told the 911 operator, Please tell them to hurry! and said shed committed suicide, PEOPLE reported. 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. Police believe Carla likely knew her attacker. or redistributed. "I can't look at her. At one point on Monday, Serna took the gun, which was not loaded, turned it upside down and pointed it toward himself. Heather Chavez is 46 years old and was born on 06/04/1976. ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. Police officers will often tell you theres no such thing as a routine call when youre patrolling the streets. She was unsuccessful, but Levi later showed up at her home in Los Lunas shortly after 8 p.m. Romero testified that by then, she had learned that Tera didnt go to work at Style America that day, and that she hadnt called in sick, as she had the day before. Nobody answered, so she called police.Officers showed up and found Carla's body inside. FARMINGTON POLICE ARE STILL FOLLOWING LEADS AND ARE ASKING PEOPLE WITH LEGITIMATE TIPS TO CONTACT THE FARMINGTON POLICE HOTLINE OR CRIME STOPPERS. Heather Chavez's Phone Number and Email. 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 . Testimony and argument in the trial lasted five weeks. Read More. (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. More from KRQE NEWS 13 - Breaking News, Albuquerque News, New Mexico News, Weather, and Videos, What Biden might try next if his student loan forgiveness, Bile acids and gut microbes could potentially treat, Should we bring back the dodo? His philosophy was to help improve public trust and community partnerships. Heather Chavez, Albuquerque Police Department, NM, (505) 768-2404, Heather E Hindi, age 44, Albuquerque, NM 87120 View Full Report Known Cities: Albuquerque NM, 87120, Albuquerque NM 87107, Albuquerque NM 87102 Possible Relatives: Anna M Chavez, Christopher R Chavez, David R She practices in Albuquerque, New Mexico and has the professional credentials of MD . Levi M. Chavez, II, Esq. New Mexico weavers keeping tradition alive, 1 injured in Bernalillo County deputy-involved crash, Mortgage rates have little reason to fall in March. Prosecutors allege that he killed Tera in the couples Los Lunas home on either Oct. 19, 20 or 21, 2007 and tried to make her death look like a suicide. Published: Tuesday, July 2nd, 2013 at 12:05AMUpdated: Tuesday, July 2nd, 2013 at 2:08PM. SHE HADNT CONTACTED ANYBODY. 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 said she never knew about her sons infidelity only that he and Tera were having problems., Your email is safe with us, we dont spam, Romero testified that she had regrets about guilting and coercing her son to remain married to Tera even though the two shouldve been divorced many years ago.. The juror said the decision was difficult but unanimous. During his career, he was a patrol officer for 9 years. LeviChavezLaw . Download the Albuquerque Police Department's Organizational Chart. He had to watch his parents pass away and they never had closure so they never knew what happened to Carla. "What did I tell you?" The other half of Heather Chavezs wish a move to the APD homicide unit never came to pass. The number of how many incidents across Albuquerque is hard to track says Chief Medina. Other stores are installing LOT-COP Security Camera Towers to aid in this deterrence effort. The former officer, clenching a Rosary, immediately embraced his attorney, David Serna. As McKay began to ask Radosevich whether Jones had passed along the information about the magazine not being secured into the butt of the pistol, Serna twice lodged objections, claiming such testimony from Radosevich would be hearsay. The evidence tampering charge stemmed from prosecutors allegation that Chavez then placed the gun and a shell casing near Teras body to make it appear that she had shot herself. The 311 service is a single telephone number for all non-emergency City of Albuquerque inquiries and services. Romero said she was under the impression they were separated and going through a divorce. The official website for the City of Albuquerque. 73 0 obj 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. The DNA belonged to both Tera and Levi Chavez, according to Williams. According to her testimony, Heather Chavez was in Chicago with her parents the weekend Tera died. Others, including Radosevich, have testified that, based on less-than-ideal crime scene photographs, the magazine appeared to have possibly been unseated.. I couldve been a better parent and recommended that it was in the best interest that they not be together, she said. Former APD officer Levi Chavez gets a hug from his wife Heather Chavez after being found not guilty of murder on Tuesday, July 16, 2013.