Actor Michael Jace, 53, who once played Michael Jordan in the 1999 TV movie “Michael Jordan: An American Hero” andofficer Julian Lowe on “The Shield,” reportedly and sadly killed his wife April on May 19, 2014 at their Hyde Park, California home. He shot her three times.
According to media reports, during the 911 call to police, Jace admitted, “I killed my wife.”
His attorneys argued he should be convicted of voluntary manslaughter because the acts wasn’t premeditated.
The couple’s children were home at the time; their sons were ages 5 and 8, they witnessed the shooting. April, 40, had an adult son from a previous relationship. They were married for 10 years and she wanted a divorce.
Jace shot her in the back, taunted her and then shot her in each of her legs.
Jace’s 10-year-old son testified that he heard his father say, “‘If you like running, then run to heaven,'” before firing the second time.
He claims he didn’t intend for her to die, he just wanted her to be in pain.
April was an American masters track and field athlete who competed in sprinting competitions. She was the 2011 world champion in the women’s over-35 4×100 meters relay.
At the time of her death, April’s family sought donations to cover funeral expenses. They wrote in part:
“April was a vibrant, beautiful woman and an incredibly dedicated mother. We will all miss her contagious laughter, vivacious personality and her radiant smile.”
“Now, her youngest sons are left without a mother or a father to care for them. As the press dies down, these precious young boys will be left with ongoing reminders of their utterly tragic loss.”
“We cannot reverse the senseless violence that resulted in April’s death but we can invest in the lives of her innocent children that are paying the price for it.”
Today, Tuesday, May 31, 2016, a jury finds Jace guilty of second-degree murder. The verdict was decided by a jury of six men and six women after a weeklong trial. According to FOX, “The actor bit his bottom lip when the verdict was read but showed no other emotion.”
With this conviction, he faces 40 years in prison.
