Michael Jace

Last updated

Michael Jace
Born (1962-07-13) July 13, 1962 (age 62) [1]
OccupationActor
Years active1992–2014
Height6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) [2]
Criminal statusIncarcerated [2]
Spouses
Jennifer Bitterman
(m. 1996;div. 2002)
(m. 2003;died 2014)
Children3
MotiveMarital problems, financial difficulties
Conviction(s) Second-degree murder
Criminal chargeMurder [2]
Penalty40 years to life in prison [3]
Details
Victims April Jace
CountryUnited States
State(s)California
WeaponGun
Date apprehended
May 20, 2014 [2]
Imprisoned at Corcoran State Prison

Michael Andrew Jace (born July 13, 1962) is an American convicted murderer and former character actor, best known for his role as Los Angeles Police Officer Julien Lowe in the FX drama The Shield . He also played Andre Tibbs, an ex-convict mover accused of murder, in an episode of Cold Case .

Contents

On May 20, 2014, Jace was arrested after he fatally shot his wife, April Jace. A jury convicted him of second-degree murder on May 31, 2016, and on June 10, 2016, sentenced him to 40 years to life in prison. [3]

Career

Jace began his professional acting career in 1992, appearing in an episode of Law & Order . In 1994, he appeared in several TV shows, including Star Trek: Deep Space Nine , and films including Clear and Present Danger and Forrest Gump , where he portrayed the leader of the Black Panthers.

Jace's other film appearances include Strange Days , playing a bodyguard to a corrupt record executive; The Replacements , playing a prison inmate-turned-football player; The Great White Hype , playing antagonist Marvin Shabazz; Boogie Nights , playing Jerome; The Fan , playing an arrogant ticket scalper; and Tim Burton's Planet of the Apes remake, playing Major Frank Santos.

Jace's TV appearances include the 1995 HBO TV movie Tyson (as boxer Mitch Green), Cold Case , and the 1999 Fox Family Channel TV movie Michael Jordan: An American Hero (as Jordan).

In 2002, Jace was cast as Officer Julien Lowe on FX's hit show The Shield . He was part of the main cast and appeared in 88 episodes through all seven seasons.

After his role on The Shield, Jace appeared, uncredited, in the film State of Play with Russell Crowe. From 2009 to 2013, he had a small recurring role on the television series Southland .

Murder conviction

Jace was arrested by the Los Angeles Police Department on the evening of May 19, 2014, at his Hyde Park, South Los Angeles home, following a domestic violence report as well as Jace's own 9-1-1 call, in which he stated, "I shot my wife." [4] When police arrived, they found Jace's wife, April, dead from gunshot wounds. After being questioned by police regarding his wife's death, [5] Jace confessed to the shooting.

On May 20, 2014, Jace was arrested on suspicion of murder. [2] On May 22, 2014, he was formally charged with murder by the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office. [6] On May 31, 2016, Jace was found guilty of second-degree murder. [7] Notably, the LAPD was able to crack the password-protected security on April's iPhone 5c. [8] On June 10, 2016, he was sentenced to 40 years to life in prison. [9] He is incarcerated at the Corcoran State Prison. [10]

Filmography

YearTitleRoleNotes
1994 Forrest Gump Black Panther #2
1994 Clear and Present Danger Coast Guardsman #3
1994 Star Trek: Deep Space Nine 1st Officer, USS Odyssey
1995 Strange Days Wade Beemer
1996 The Great White Hype Marvin Shabazz
1996 The Fan Scalper
1997 Boogie Nights Jerome
1997 Bombshell Detective Jefferson
1998 Thick as Thieves Malcolm
1999 Michael Jordan: An American Hero Michael JordanTV movie
2000 The Replacements Wilkinson
2001 Murder, She Wrote: The Last Free Man Samuel PinckneyTV movie
2001 Planet of the Apes Major Frank Santos
2002 Scorcher MacVaughn
2002–2008 The Shield Officer Julien LoweMain role
2003 Cradle 2 the Grave Odion
2005 Fair Game E
2006 Gridiron Gang Mr. Jones
2009 State of Play Officer Brown
2009–2013 Southland Terrell4 episodes
2010 CSI: Crime Scene Investigation Unknown2 episodes
2010 Rizzoli & Isles Malcolm Senna1 Ep: Sympathy for the Devil
2010 Burn Notice Jeff Taylor1 Ep: Brotherly Love
2011 Private Practice Randy Hatcher1 Ep: A Step Too Far
2011 The Mentalist Lawrence1 Ep: Rhapsody in Red
2011 Nikita Captain Tony Merrick1 Ep: Game Change
2011Division III: Football's FinestRoy Goodwyn

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Symbionese Liberation Army</span> American terrorist organization (1973–1975)

The United Federated Forces of the Symbionese Liberation Army was a small, American militant far-left organization active between 1973 and 1975; it claimed to be a vanguard movement. The FBI and wider American law enforcement considered the SLA to be the first terrorist organization to rise from the American left. Six members died in a May 1974 shootout with police in Los Angeles. The three surviving fugitives recruited new members, but nearly all of them were apprehended in 1975 and prosecuted.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">California Institution for Women</span> Womens prison in Chino, California

California Institution for Women (CIW) is an American women's state prison located in the city of Chino, San Bernardino County, California, east of Los Angeles, although the mailing address states "Corona," which is in Riverside County, California.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">California State Prison, Corcoran</span> Prison in California

California State Prison, Corcoran (COR) is a male-only state prison located in the city of Corcoran, in Kings County, California. It is also known as Corcoran State Prison, CSP-C, CSP-COR, CSP-Corcoran, and Corcoran I. The facility is just north of the newer California Substance Abuse Treatment Facility and State Prison, Corcoran.

Thomas and Jackie Hawks were a couple from Prescott, Arizona, United States, who were murdered in 2004.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lee Baca</span> American law enforcement officer

Leroy David Baca is a former American law enforcement officer and convicted felon who served as the 30th Sheriff of Los Angeles County, California from 1998 to 2014. In 2017, he was convicted of felony obstruction of justice and lying to the FBI.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mule Creek State Prison</span> California State Prison for men

Mule Creek State Prison (MCSP) is a California State Prison for men. It was opened in June 1987, and covers 866 acres (350 ha) located in Ione, California. The prison has a staff of 1,242 and an annual operating budget of $157 million.

Jason "Jace" Alexander is an American former actor and television director. In 2015, Alexander was arrested for the downloading and file sharing of child pornography, and later pled guilty to one count of promoting a sexual performance by a child and one count of possessing an obscene sexual performance by a child.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Long Beach Police Department (California)</span> Law enforcement agency in Long Beach, California

The Long Beach Police Department provides law enforcement for the city of Long Beach, California.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rafael Pérez (police officer)</span> Former Los Angeles Police officer and convicted criminal

Ray Lopez is an American former police officer with the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) and the central figure in the LAPD Rampart scandal. An officer with the Community Resources Against Street Hoodlums (CRASH) task force, Pérez was involved in numerous crimes and corruption, notably the shooting and framing of Javier Ovando, in addition to the theft and resale of at least $800,000 of cocaine from LAPD evidence lockers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Grim Sleeper</span> American serial killer (1952–2020)

Lonnie David Franklin Jr., better known by the nickname Grim Sleeper, was an American serial killer who was responsible for at least ten murders and one attempted murder in Los Angeles, California from 1984 to 2007. He was also convicted for rape and sexual violence. Franklin earned his nickname when he appeared to have taken a 14-year break from his crimes, from 1988 to 2002.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department</span> Law enforcement agency in California, United States

The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department (LASD), officially the County of Los Angeles Sheriff's Department, is a law enforcement agency serving Los Angeles County, California. LASD is the largest sheriff's department in the United States and the third largest local police agency in the United States, following the New York Police Department, and the Chicago Police Department. LASD has approximately 18,000 employees, 9,915 sworn deputies and 9,244 unsworn members. It is sometimes confused with the similarly-named but separate Los Angeles Police Department which provides law enforcement services within the city of Los Angeles, which is the county seat of Los Angeles County, although both departments have their headquarters in downtown Los Angeles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Floyd Thomas Jr.</span> Convicted American serial killer

John Floyd Thomas Jr. is an American serial killer, serving a life sentence without the possibility of parole for the murders of seven women in the Los Angeles area during the 1970s and 1980s. Police suspect Thomas committed 10 to 15 more murders.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility</span> Prison near San Diego, California

Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility (RJD) is a California state prison in unincorporated southern San Diego County, California, near San Diego. It is operated by the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. The facility sits on 780 acres (320 ha). It is the only state prison in San Diego County. It is named after Richard J. Donovan.

Crime in California refers to crime occurring within the U.S. state of California. The principal source of law for California criminal procedure is the California Penal Code.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michael Gargiulo</span> American serial killer

Michael Thomas Gargiulo is a convicted American serial killer. He moved to Southern California in the 1990s and gained the nickname The Hollywood Ripper. He was convicted of two counts of first-degree murder and sentenced to death on July 16, 2021. As of April 2023, he was incarcerated in the California Health Care Facility; in September 2024, he was extradited to Cook County, Illinois, to face trial for a 1993 murder.

Men's Central Jail is a Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department county jail for men in Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, California, United States. Built in 1963, it is one of the oldest county jails in California. The Men's Central Jail is located at 441 Bauchet St., Los Angeles 90012. The Men's Central Jail houses men who are awaiting trial or who have been convicted of crimes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Timothy Joseph McGhee</span> American mass murderer on death row

Timothy Joseph McGhee is a convicted serial killer and Toonerville Rifa 13 gang member from the Atwater Village neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. He is alleged to be responsible for at least 12 homicides between 1997 and 2001, three of which led to convictions. McGhee is also suspected of at least ten attempted murders, four of which led to convictions. In 2018, the Los Angeles Times named McGhee one of the top 20 most notorious killers in the history of California, a list that included the likes of Charles Manson, the Golden State Killer, and the Night Stalker.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">April Jace</span> American athlete (1974–2014)

April Jace was an American masters track and field athlete who ran in sprinting competitions. She was the 2011 world champion in the women's over-35 4 × 100 meters relay.

On January 22, 2016, three inmates of the Orange County Men's Central Jail in Santa Ana, California, escaped from the jail's maximum-security unit by climbing through the plumbing pipes and ascending to the roof. They stole a utility van and a taxi in Los Angeles, taking the taxi driver hostage, and drove to San Jose. One inmate, Bac Duong, went along with the hostage driver back to Southern California and surrendered to police in Santa Ana on January 29. The other two inmates, Hossein Nayeri and Jonathan Tieu, were arrested in San Francisco on January 30. Multiple people were arrested for allegedly aiding the inmates to escape, including a jail teacher.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kevin Haley</span> American murderer and suspected serial killer

Kevin Bernard Haley is an American murderer, rapist, burglar and suspected serial killer who, together with his older brother Reginald, committed a series of violent crimes in the Los Angeles area from 1982 to 1984, resulting in at least two murders. Suspected in a total of eight murders, Kevin Haley was convicted of two counts of murder in separate trials, receiving death sentences on each count.

References

  1. "Biographical facts on arrested actor Michael Jace". The Associated Press . May 20, 2014. Retrieved September 25, 2022.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 "LASD Inmate Information Center – Inmate Search". Los Angeles, CA: Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department (LASD). Archived from the original on May 29, 2016. Retrieved June 1, 2016.
  3. 1 2 Digon, Sno-Ann (June 2, 2016). "Michael Jace Guilty Of Wife's Murder; Sentenced To 40 Years". Parent Herald. IQADNET LLC. Retrieved June 4, 2016.
  4. Longeretta, Emily (May 20, 2014). "Michael Jace Charged For Shooting & Killing Wife In Front Of Kids". Hollywood Life. Los Angeles, California: Penske Media Corporation. Retrieved May 22, 2014.
  5. "Actor Michael Jace held over fatal shooting of wife, April Jace at home in Los Angeles". CBS News . San Francisco, California: CBS Interactive Inc. May 20, 2014. Retrieved May 20, 2014.
  6. McNary, Dave (May 22, 2014). "Prosecutors Charge 'The Shield' Actor With Murder in Wife's Death". Variety . Los Angeles, California: Variety Media, LLC. Retrieved March 21, 2015.
  7. Lara, Jovana; ABC7.com staff (May 31, 2016). "Former 'Shield' actor Michael Jace found guilty of wife's murder". ABC7 Los Angeles. Los Angeles, California: ABC Inc. Associated Press . Retrieved May 31, 2016.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  8. "LAPD hacks into locked iPhone of actor Michael Jace's slain wife". Los Angeles Daily News . May 5, 2016.
  9. Myers, Amanda Lee (June 11, 2016). "'Shield' actor gets 40 years to life in wife's killing". CTV News. Toronto, Ontario, Canada: Bell Media. Associated Press.
  10. "CDCR Public Inmate Locator Disclaimer".