And six days before Chavez called 911 in October 2007 to say his wife Tera Chavez had shot herself in the head, all of a sudden, there was a deletion of files, said officer Michael Brookreson, a digital forensic investigator for the Las Cruces Police Department. Guitarist Ottmar Liebert bringing his unique blend of music Ottmar Liebert and his band Luna Negra will perform with the New Mexico Philharmonic at Popejoy Hall on Saturday, March 11. In the fall of 2009, he transferred to the Property Crimes Division. The attorney general says these operations are partnerships with big box stores like Home Depot and Target. He was honored as the Uniformed Officer of the month as a patrol officer three times. 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. Instead, only the audio position of the recording was played in court. NANCY: POLICE BELIEVE SOMEONE DOES KNOW WHO KILLED CARLA. Detective Heather Chavez with the Farmington police said.Police believe Carla likely knew her attacker. APDs vision is an Albuquerque where citizens and the police department work together through mutual trust to build a thriving community. Heather Chavezs statement in court today was that the couple only kissed in the car. I couldve been a better parent and recommended that it was in the best interest that they not be together, she said. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. 11/21/2022 12:47 AM. But Romero also testified that Tera was essentially lost during her numerous separations from Levi. or redistributed. Levi Chavez maintained his innocence throughout the trial, and he maintains his innocence even today. 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. 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. On Oct. 21 of that year a Sunday Romero tried several times to call her son to set up a lunch date, according to her testimony. Chavez has been charged with first-degree murder and tampering with evidence. Manage the news you want to see, read exclusive content and explore other subscriber benefits. Pedro Taylor Football, Repeatedly throughout the trial and again on Thursday Serna has said Levi Chavez had last been in Los Lunas on Oct. 19. Upon his acquittal, Levi dedicated his life to fighting for the falsely accused. %PDF-1.7 On Jan. 15, 2008, Heather Chavez gave an interview to then-Detective Jones of VCSO. OVER THE YEARS DETECTIVES INTERVIEWED A LOT OF PEOPLE, STILL NEARLY THREE DECADES LATER, NO ARRESTS. 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. She would not have been able to release the magazine herself. He has pled not guilty. I dont see how thats possible, Levi Chavez said. There was a lot the jury didnt hear, too, because of bitter pretrial wrangling much of which shook out in favor of the defense. She said some jurors even cried during deliberations. 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. Perea, who initially asserted his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination, has been granted immunity for his testimony. Her boss at the time was worried so she went to Carlas house and knocked on her door. Serna, seeking on cross-examination to get details of Levi and Heathers life on the record, asked her to describe the blended family that includes Tera and Levis two children, Heathers child from a previous marriage and the couples 2-year-old son. Legal Statement. She still has a brother that lives here locally. She had multiple defense wounds, and had put up a fight. They werent told that tens of instances in which Levi Chavezs attorneys asserted his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination had been excised from the deposition. Chavez has never been charged with any wrongdoing. << /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 [] >> All the children are aware of who Tera was, Heather Chavez said, and they even celebrate her birthday. Two years later, a jury acquitted him of the charge. They say Chavez was having an affair with Albuquerque police officer Nick Wheeler in the months before her death. "He's got several plans in the works," Serna said. State District Judge George P. Eichwald essentially gutted that theory when he barred Farrellys testimony after a motion from Serna. ) . Heather Pratt-chavez is a pediatrician established in Albuquerque, New Mexico and her medical specialization is pediatrics with more than 14 years of experience. Alter Last Name Full Name Persons Count Share ; Chaves: Heather Chaves: 10: 19.36%: Garcia: Heather Garcia: 545: 6.34%: Martinez: . That witness, Rose Slama, also testified that she told Levi Chavez about his wifes allegations. They allege the former officer killed his wife to keep her from disclosing an alleged staged theft of a truck for insurance money. endobj View the sitemap for the City of Albuquerque website. (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 || []; h***@cabq.gov. One revelation did, however, come from the deposition: Levi Chavezs story has changed about the last time he was in Los Lunas before he called 911 to report his wifes death. Medina believes in strong customer service in order to create a program based on community policing. Master Police Officer 1C at City of Albuquerque. 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 female juror spoke with reporters about 45 minutes after the verdict was read in the courtroom. In 2007, Medina was promoted to the Lieutenant rank and remained there for 2 years. 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. Im not guilty. 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. About Heather Chavez Heather is a graduate of the University of California at Berkeleys English literature program and has worked as a newspaper reporter, editor and contributor to mystery and television blogs. Levi Chavez refuted Slamas claims when he testified. Manage the news you want to see, read exclusive content and explore other subscriber benefits. 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. Rebecca Sarker Sister Sunetra, (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. "I can't look at her. 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.. There is no confirmation on whether she is still a part 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. "What did I tell you?" 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. Someone had to press that magazine release after (the Glock) was fired, he said. Levi Chavez did, indeed, marry Heather Chavez (ne Hindi) in the summer of 2008. 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. They also werent allowed to watch video of that deposition. Below you will find a list of surnames similar to Heather Chavez that were found in public records. Twenty-four days after the 911 suicide call, which Levi Chavez made around 9 p.m. on Oct, 21, 2007, a text message popped up on his cellphone suggesting that a new marriage wasnt far off. Chavez has been charged with first-degree murder and tampering with evidence. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. Currently, the Maxwell Museum is displaying 'Conversing with the Land: Native North American Baskets of the Maxwell Museum Collections,' through Jan. 10, 2024. No lucktill we finally figured out how to get it from the police department! I've been in contact with him. NANCY: HER BOSS KNOCKED ON THE DOOR AND CALLED POLICE. (Dean Hanson/Journal) 1:48 p.m. BERNALILLOTwenty-four days after Levi Chavez called. Dash Dash World Controls, IVE BEEN IN CONTACT WITH HIM. endobj Levi Chavez was working as a police officer in October 2007 when he allegedly shot and killed Tera Chavez in the bed of their Los Lunas home with his police revolver. [1] [2] Levi was initially charged with murdering his wife with his police issued Glock and making it appear as a suicide. New Mexico State Police, Albuquerque Police Department, and Bernalillo County Sheriff's Office, and recently added representatives from the U.S. Drug . In August 2013, Chavez was acquitted of the murder charges. 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. Self Service Car Washes Near Me, The city of Albuquerque already has paid Teras family $230,000 to settle claims against itself and APD in the civil case. 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. De-extinction is a, Roundhouse Roundup: Paramilitary rules, youth parole, BCSO: Kids were living in dirty home containing drugs, Gun safety bill passes Senate, faces one more hurdle, Hobbs woman sentenced for stealing car with kids, Roswell PD: Woman steals, drives wrong-way to get, Case dismissed for teen accused of taking gun to, Whats happening around New Mexico Feb. 24 Mar. Facebook gives people the power to share and makes the world more open and connected. HE HAD TO WATCH HIS PARENTS PASSED AWAY. Published: Saturday, June 29th, 2013 at 12:05AMUpdated: Saturday, June 29th, 2013 at 12:41AM. Your email address will not be published. View the Department Summary Sworn Personnel (as of July 29, 2022). Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. Chavez has never been charged with any wrongdoing. He also told her she should have more information., I listened, Heather Chavez said about the interview.