On Tuesday, former The Shield actor Michael Jace was convicted in the fatal shooting of his wife at their Los Angeles home in front of the couple’s two young sons.
The verdict was announced after a weeklong trial, where a jury of six men and six women deliberated for around two hours before finding Jace guilty of second-degree murder of his wife, April Jace, on May 19th, 2014.
Deputy District Attorney Tannaz Mokayef said that the actor – who played an LAPD officer on the FX series – was upset that his wife wanted a divorce and believed that she was having an affair. When April entered the house around 8pm, he shot her once in the back, the prosecutor said, and then twice more in the legs in front of their sons, who were 8 and 5 at the time.
Mokayef told jurors the actor taunted April, who is an avid runner, before shooting 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.
According to evidence presented at the trial, the actor called 911 about 8:30pm and told the operator he’d shot his wife. Her body was found inside the home along with their boys, who were unharmed.
Jace faces up to 40 years to life in prison at his sentencing, which is scheduled for June 10th.
April was a financial aid counselor at Biola University. After her death the school established a scholarship in her name. The scholarship awards “underrepresented students serving or planning to serve in an urban context who have experienced or witnessed violence in their home or neighborhood.”
“April was a very joyful person,” Jonathan Seruyange, associate director of financial aid at Biola University, previously told PEOPLE. “She was very caring. Very joyful. Always ready to joke and laugh with people. She was easy to get to know. She was really well-loved across the campus.”
He continued, “Hearing about that kind of thing happening to someone well loved was a huge shock and something that our office all took very hard.”
