A county south of Albuquerque faces a lawsuit from a former police officer acquitted of killing his wife.
Tera Chavez was found fatally shot in 2007 at the home she shared with former Albuquerque Police Officer Levi Chavez, who was arrested and charged with murder in 2011. He then was fired.
Jurors acquitted Chavez in 2013 and a wrongful death lawsuit filed by his wife's family was dismissed a week before he voluntarily gave up his police officer certification.
The ex-officer's federal lawsuit filed Wednesday against Valencia County and various officers and officials says there was no probable cause for the murder charge.
One of the defendants, former sheriff's Detective Aaron Jones, said he did his job but wishes he and other investigators did a better job of preserving evidence.
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