APD places officer indicted in wife's '07 murder on leave
April 08, 2011
an apd officer isn't in jail tonight -- even after a grand jury indicted him for the murder of his wife. in fact-- his lawyer told us tonight-- levi chavez is at home with his new wife and two kids. heather mills is here with why officer levi chavez is still a free man-- and still on the force--- it's tonight's big story. levi chavez may not be on the force for much longer---- the chief of police says chavez has been put on paid administrative leave-- and could be fired within 10 days. since 2007 -- levi chavez has been on and off administrative leave.. working at the city's anil shelter. now he's once again on administrative leave-- until his hearing with chief ray schultz where chavez could be fired. and chavez is not in jail tonight because the valencia county d-a didn't want him arrested. "i believe, uh, i think he's gonna turn himself in but i'm not exactly sure how that's gonna work" just months ago, the family of tera chavez received a 230-thousand dollar wrongful death settlement in civil court. they claim chavez pulled a suicide clause out their life insurance policy just weeks before tera was found dead. the it also accused apd of destroying evidence in the case.. something chief schultz says did not happen. "there were mistakes made, but the mistakes made on the original evening of this event were made wholly and solely by the valencia county sherifff's departments." the city says they paid the settlement for economic reasons, not an admission of guilt. meanwhile the d-a is not releasing information on the case.. but chavez's attorney is confident his cleint's name will be cleared. "we have a host of witnesses, from all across the country, and from outside the country who are leading expes, in their field, who the grand jury did not hear from, and when that truth comes out we expect the answer will be clear." chavez is scheduled to be arraigned in court in about two weeks if convicted, chavez faces up to 30 years in prison and the death penalty has not been ruled out.
