NM - Tera Chavez, 26, found dead in her Los Lunas home, 22 Oct 2007 - #2

[NCB]

I read that this morning and it made me happy. I was so afraid that because of his age they would just drop it. I sure hope the DA doesn't decide to do just that....he's guilty as heck and needs to get his butt back in the Nash County Correctional Facility.

Agreed!! I had heard the Court of Appeals upheld the ruling granting him a new trial this morning, but I was concerned Durham County wouldn't pursue it due to his age, Deaver, expense, etc... Do you think he'll go with "The Owl Did It" defense??

 

[thefragile7393]

tanyamendis: When asked what's next #LeviChavez says there are a lot of good things in store. When asked about civil trial, Chavez says "bring it on!"

Don't be so cocky. Your life as you knew it is over. Ugh.
I feel bad for the Cordovas but especially her dad. His quiet anger and strength got to me. Reminds me of seeing Steven Alexander in the first penalty phase and hearing the quiet seething anger in his voice. And now...I wonder if they will ever see their grandkids again.

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[thefragile7393]

OT: Prosecutors plan to retry Durham novelist Mike Peterson in the 2001 death of his wife, sources tell WRAL News. The state Court of Appeals on Tuesday upheld a lower court's ruling that Peterson is entitled to a new trial because of false testimony by a prosecution witness in his 2003 trial.

Blergh.

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[NCEast]

Durham DA WILL Retry Mike Peterson!! This just in on WRAL's internet news.

Durham DA to retry Mike Peterson for murder

[
Durham, N.C. — Durham County prosecutors will retry Durham novelist Mike Peterson in the 2001 death of his wife, sources told WRAL News Tuesday.

The decision comes less that 12 hours after the state Court of Appeals issued a unanimous decision upholding a lower court's ruling that Peterson should get a new trial.

After almost a decade in prison, Peterson was granted a new trial in December 2011 when Superior Court Judge Orlando Hudson ruled that a key prosecution witness gave false and misleading testimony during Peterson's 2003 murder trial, depriving him of his right to a fair trial.

The one-time Durham mayoral candidate was released from jail and has been under house arrest since then awaiting that opportunity.

Durham County District Attorney Leon Stanback said Tuesday he was discussing with the Attorney General's Office how to proceed with the case. Options included a new trial, dismissing the case or reaching a plea agreement.

Because the Court of Appeals ruling was unanimous, it's unclear whether the state Supreme Court would consider further appeals by prosecutors. Any request for Supreme Court review must be made by Aug. 20.

"I was disappointed, but it was not totally unexpected," Stanback said of the ruling.

Kathleen Peterson was found dead in a pool of blood at the bottom of a staircase in the Petersons' upscale Durham home on Dec. 9, 2001. Prosecutors were never able to establish a clear motive and didn't find a murder weapon, and Mike Peterson has long denied any involvement in her death.

Hudson ruled that former State Bureau of Investigation blood analyst Duane Deaver misled jurors about his expertise and used questionable tests on evidence found in the Peterson home.

Deaver was fired by the SBI two years ago amid an independent review of suspect practices at the state crime lab.

The Attorney General's Office had argued that Hudson was wrong to throw out Peterson's conviction, saying other evidence presented during the 2003 would have been enough for jurors to find him guilty of murder.

The appeals court judges said, however, that the violations of Peterson's rights by Deaver's false testimony outweighed the state's argument.

"What is undeniable is that expert witness testimony played a determinative role in the outcome of defendant’s original trial," Judge Robert C. Hunter wrote in Tuesday's ruling.

Stanback said Deaver was "just one of the witnesses on the blood evidence," noting that other witnesses "sort of agreed" with the conclusions he presented at Peterson's trial.

Mike Peterson's appellate attorney, Jim Cooney, said trials have to be fair to both prosecutors and defendants, and Deaver's exaggerations prevented that.

"You don't get a fair trial when law enforcement lies on the stand. Because of Agent Duane Deaver, Mike Peterson did not get a fair trial," Cooney said.

Peterson was obviously pleased with the ruling, said Durham lawyer Kerry Sutton, a longtime friend.

"He's relieved to have made this huge progress, and it's a little bit of validation," Sutton said.

 

[Mrs.Serna]

Thought I would finally drop in and thank all of you for your comments throughout the trial. Sorry that you weren't able to access info that wasn't served up with bias towards our client. The woman's family, the lead detective, and the local media have put Levi Chavez and his family through pure hell for more than 5 years now and they are still not satisfied, and still deny that Tera killed herself.

As for my husband: Goodness, what unnecessary vitriol! Would you have taken a shine to him if he'd been the prosecutor here? He's an excellent attorney and I am so very proud of him. He's also truly disabled and needs that cane. He's a sharp dresser; no one mistakes him for a homeless man. He does not golf with the judge; we've never seen the judge outside of the courtroom. He wasn't court-appointed, he's a private attorney, and we're far from rich. We have the utmost sympathy for Levi and Heather and what they've had to endure, we respect their strength and believe completely in Levi's innocence as to the charges.

I haven't checked out other threads on your site, but I do wonder if your sleuthing ever has room for the defense of a case. Are there defendants you ladies root for? Or is it just convictions you want?

I'm happy to answer whichever of your questions I can.

Mrs. Serna

 

[thefragile7393]

We are all entitled to opinions. Whether others agree or not is their preference.

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[NCEast]

We are all entitled to opinions. Whether others agree or not is their preference.

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And....this entire website is dedicated to crime victims--not defendants, nor their attorneys.

 

[Mrs.Serna]

And....this entire website is dedicated to crime victims--not defendants, nor their attorneys.

Oh, so nothing too sleuthy going on, right? Always the same side of the courtroom?

Didn't realize that.

 

[Jewels53]

And....this entire website is dedicated to crime victims--not defendants, nor their attorneys.

I totally agree! I pray the Cordova's can find peace.

I found it odd that the PT didn't ask to pool the jury.

I was meaning to tell everyone during the trial, that my PCP name was Cordova. She was my Dr for 12 yrs and decided this year to go work for the clinic at the University of Kansas. I was heart broken, she was a young mother who wanted more time with her family. I told her I couldn't blame her. Her husband was of Mexican decent, their kids were all nice and tan looking. She was a fair skin person like me.

 

[NCEast]

Oh, so nothing too sleuthy going on, right? Always the same side of the courtroom?

Didn't realize that.

It truly is an entire, huge website devoted and dedicated solely to crime victims and missing children, adults, etc. There are thousands of cases, old, current, and future, on here. And yes, we all pretty much sit on the prosecutor's side of the courtroom.
I'm sure your husband is a fine man in many ways, we just didn't like who he was defending.
I hope you have a nice night, I'm worn out and going to bed.

 

[calamityjane831]

I just want to say to all my fellow trial watchers thank you for being here and I am glad we were here together and I am sorry for the Cordova's and I hope that after the civil case is done they can move forward towards peace. I just can not imagine how they feel this evening. So much information was successfully kept from the jury through the arguments won by the defense. I am sorry Mrs. Serna that you feel this was one sided but this is just one thread and that was our opinion and it is our opinion only.

 

[Mrs.Serna]

Well, I'm not sorry for the Cordova family right now. With the help of a wacky detective and a civil attorney with a girlfriend who had connections to the local media, they saw where the deep veins of money ran in this case: they had a city to sue and they got busy. Somehow, they managed to get a grand jury indictment (see ham sandwich) that got them into a criminal courtroom. If BS was kept from the criminal trial it was because it was BS that didn't belong in a high stakes criminal trial.

We're sorry for the Cordovas' loss and we understand it more than you will ever know, but Levi didn't mastermind the death of their daughter. She killed herself and when they accept that they'll be closer to the peace they desire.

 

[KALI]

Sorry. Serena.
Read this book "Eraser Killers" by Marilee Strong.
It is available for download or paperback purchase for under $10.00
In my opinion, Mr. Levi Chavez is textbook.
Yes, I do believe he murdered his wife.
For myself only, after following cases for decades, it is not very often that the defendant is innocent.
It takes so much evidence to arrest a person for murder in the USA, then so much more for the Prosecutors and the Grand Jury to agree for an expensive trial.
I personally think that if the jurors had heard ALL the evidence, that today's outcome would have been different.
I also think that none of Levi's workmates/friends should have been all over the house.
PS-I never commented n your husband's choice of dress. Could not care less.
PSS-If you or your husband have any sway over Levi or Heather, please ask them to allow the children to visit with their grandparents.
Even supervised would be great. Remember that these children will grow up to garner their own beliefs.
Losing their Mother and their grandparents in one fell swoop will likely cause them to lash out.
I'm pretty sure that Levi will bare the brunt of that-if he refuses to let the children visit. No matter how constrained.

Thought I would finally drop in and thank all of you for your comments throughout the trial. Sorry that you weren't able to access info that wasn't served up with bias towards our client. The woman's family, the lead detective, and the local media have put Levi Chavez and his family through pure hell for more than 5 years now and they are still not satisfied, and still deny that Tera killed herself.

As for my husband: Goodness, what unnecessary vitriol! Would you have taken a shine to him if he'd been the prosecutor here? He's an excellent attorney and I am so very proud of him. He's also truly disabled and needs that cane. He's a sharp dresser; no one mistakes him for a homeless man. He does not golf with the judge; we've never seen the judge outside of the courtroom. He wasn't court-appointed, he's a private attorney, and we're far from rich. We have the utmost sympathy for Levi and Heather and what they've had to endure, we respect their strength and believe completely in Levi's innocence as to the charges.

I haven't checked out other threads on your site, but I do wonder if your sleuthing ever has room for the defense of a case. Are there defendants you ladies root for? Or is it just convictions you want?

I'm happy to answer whichever of your questions I can.

Mrs. Serna

 

[scorekeeper]

Prayers for the Cordova's family today.

 

[NCEast]

I
We all come together for the victims of crimes, even if Tera did commit suicide I still feel for her family.

And--as LC stated in his own words, he may as well have killed her because his actions sure did. Even if she did commit suicide, and I don't for one minute think she did--his lifestyle, his philandering, his lack of attention to her, and various other issues certainly created what she thought was worthlessness within herself. Very, very sad indeed.

Ok, I'm on my way back to bed for the second time. Perception is on, love that show! One of the few tv programs I actually enjoy.

 

[Mrs.Serna]

Like I said, we feel for her family, too. Because you don't know us, you don't know how much we care about people who lose loved ones.

To the person who said they thought we would be out celebrating this evening: that's just plain rude. Nothing of the sort is taking place. Levi's family gathered in prayer at the courthouse and left immediately to go to their church. We got the verdict we prayed for, the verdict we thought was just. We thank the jurors from the bottom of our hearts for sitting through so many weeks of tedious trial, and for their painstaking journey through the evidence presented.

I'm still happy to answer any questions I can.

Mrs. Serna

 

[NCEast]

Like I said, we feel for her family, too. Because you don't know us, you don't know how much we care about people who lose loved ones.

To the person who said they thought we would be out celebrating this evening: that's just plain rude. Nothing of the sort is taking place. Levi's family gathered in prayer at the courthouse and left immediately to go to their church. We got the verdict we prayed for, the verdict we thought was just. We thank the jurors from the bottom of our hearts for sitting through so many weeks of tedious trial, and for their painstaking journey through the evidence presented.

I'm still happy to answer any questions I can.

Mrs. Serna

If any good comes of this, I hope Levi will settle down and value his current wife and family. Something he obviously didn't do in his past. I am very much aware that people can change but his arrogance during the trial was difficult to watch. His arrogance and obvious huge ego leaving the courtroom was difficult to watch.
We appreciate your insight Mrs. Serna. And you have been very classy, which is appreciated as well.
I'm going to bed for the third time, I hope each of you has a very nice night.

 

[Jewels53]

Good Night NCE I hope you can get some rest tonight. We have sometime off now before the next time.

Remember the Seacat sentencing is coming up the first of August. Another case of a police officer claiming his wife committed suicide and he was found guilty of killing her. These police officers why do they think they can always get away with murder.

Yes NCE I do believe in Karma!

 

[geevee]

Like I said, we feel for her family, too. Because you don't know us, you don't know how much we care about people who lose loved ones.

To the person who said they thought we would be out celebrating this evening: that's just plain rude. Nothing of the sort is taking place. Levi's family gathered in prayer at the courthouse and left immediately to go to their church. We got the verdict we prayed for, the verdict we thought was just. We thank the jurors from the bottom of our hearts for sitting through so many weeks of tedious trial, and for their painstaking journey through the evidence presented.

I'm still happy to answer any questions I can.

Mrs. Serna

Good evening Mrs. Serna,

It's nice of you to drop by and offer to answer any questions we may have. I do have a couple, if you'd be so kind.

Where did the damp towel come from in the bedroom if Tera was alone and killed herself? Do you have a theory?

How do you think messages were erased from her phone if she was alone?

Why would she hold the gun upside down and try to ram it all the way to the back of her throat?

I listened as your husband explained the elliptical blood stains but that didn't make much sense to me (and I didn't have good photos to refer to), how do you think it happened?

I didn't know anything about this case until the day after testimony began and things like links to autospy reports, crime scene photos and other sorts of evidence that we may be able to come by in our sleuthing weren't available, even YouTubes of full days testimony are hard to come by, so we really have been at a disadvantage with this trial, sleuthy-wise.

If it weren't so late I'd probably have other questions, but your thoughts on these will get us started.

Thanks again for your offer.

 

[Mrs.Serna]

Good evening Mrs. Serna,

It's nice of you to drop by and offer to answer any questions we may have. I do have a couple, if you'd be so kind.

Where did the damp towel come from in the bedroom if Tera was alone and killed herself? Do you have a theory?

How do you think messages were erased from her phone if she was alone?

Why would she hold the gun upside down and try to ram it all the way to the back of her throat?

I listened as your husband explained the elliptical blood stains but that didn't make much sense to me (and I didn't have good photos to refer to), how do you think it happened?

I didn't know anything about this case until the day after testimony began and things like links to autospy reports, crime scene photos and other sorts of evidence that we may be able to come by in our sleuthing weren't available, even YouTubes of full days testimony are hard to come by, so we really have been at a disadvantage with this trial, sleuthy-wise.

If it weren't so late I'd probably have other questions, but your thoughts on these will get us started.

Thanks again for your offer.

Geevee,
I had a nice long answer for you and it disappeared instead of posting. Grrr.

Will try to reconstruct it when I get a free moment later in the day.