Michael Jace was charged in 2014 with second-degree murder. (Getty Images)
On May 19th, 2014, Michael Jace’s wife April was shot dead. Today, a jury convicted Jace of second-degree murder, due to evidence that showed that the 53-year-old actor was the one who shot her. Much of this evidence came from Jace’s audio interview with police. The verdict as reached by a jury of six men and six women. Jace showed little emotion when the verdict was read.
Whether or not he shot her was not at any point the actual crux of the case. The prosecutors believed it to be a premeditated attack, while Jace’s lawyers claimed the shooting to be in a fit of passion, hoping to have the conviction instead be involuntary manslaughter. Jace himself told detectives that he was only trying to wound her when he shot her.
NBC Los Angeles states that a prosecutor alleged that Jace’s wife wanted a divorce, and that as a result Jace “shot her in the back before taunting her and shooting her in the legs.” They also quoted Jace’s 10-year-old son, who testified on Wednesday and said he heard his father tell April “If you like running, then run to heaven,” The Daily News quotes Jamon Hicks, Jace’s defense lawyer, as saying this was not planned, but that Jace simply “snapped.” Ultimately the jury also believed it wasn’t premeditated, as the ruling changed from first-degree murder to second-degree – intentional but not planned.
Though at the time he was struggling to find work, Jace is best known for his work on all seven seasons of FX’s classic television program The Shield, where he played a police officer. The irony was not lost on the Associated Press.
BREAKING: Jury convicts actor who played police officer on TV of second-degree murder in killing of wife.
His sentencing is scheduled for June 10th, when he could be facing life in prison. This page will be updated as the story develops.