The Michael Jace murder case ended with the former Shield actor convicted of second-degree murder for shooting his wife, April Jace, inside their Los Angeles home on May 19, 2014, in front of two of their young sons. A jury returned the verdict on May 31, 2016, and he was sentenced on June 10, 2016, to 40 years to life in state prison, where he remains after appellate courts and the California Supreme Court rejected his resentencing efforts through 2025.1ABC7 Los Angeles. Michael Jace Sentenced to 40 Years to Life in Prison in Wife’s Killing
What Happened on the Night of the Shooting
April Jace, 40, came home to the family’s house in the Hyde Park neighborhood of Los Angeles on the evening of May 19, 2014, after a youth baseball game with the couple’s two sons, Nehemiah and Caleb, then eight and five.2Chimes Newspaper. April Jace Lovingly Remembered in Wake of Tragic Death Earlier, Michael Jace had sent her a text saying he had left the house. He had not. He was inside with a loaded revolver that had belonged to his father-in-law.3NBC Los Angeles. Verdict Reached in Murder Trial for Shield Actor
When April walked in, Jace sent the younger boy to his bedroom. He shot April in the back in the living room, dragged her into a hallway, and shot her twice more in the legs.4Los Angeles Times. Michael Jace Trial He then called 911 and told the dispatcher, “I shot my wife,” adding, “My intent was not to kill her,” and describing how officers could safely enter and locate the gun.5Los Angeles Times. Michael Jace Opening Statements He also reached his father-in-law and asked him to come for the children.6ABC7 Los Angeles. 911 Tape Released in Michael Jace Murder Case Responding officers found April in the hallway with multiple gunshot wounds after 8:30 p.m. She was pronounced dead at the scene.7NBC Los Angeles. Shooting Hyde Park: Michael Jace Jace met police at the door and was taken into custody.8CBS News. Actor Michael Jace Held on $1 Million Bail in Wife’s Death
What the Children Witnessed
Both sons were inside the house when the shooting happened. Nehemiah, ten years old by the time he took the stand, testified that just before his father fired the shots into April’s legs he said to her, “If you like running, then run to heaven.”9CBS News. Verdict Reached in Michael Jace Murder Trial After Jace was arrested, the two boys went to April’s family. Her brother, Carlo Laune, said the children were with “blood family” on their mother’s side.10New York Daily News. Michael Jace Called Family Members to Come Get Kids After Wife Was Shot
The Trial and Conviction
Jace’s trial began in Los Angeles County Superior Court in May 2016. Deputy District Attorney Tannaz Mokayef called him a “calculating killer” driven by anger over April’s wish for a divorce and an unfounded belief she was having an affair. No evidence of an affair was presented at trial. The prosecution pointed to the deceptive text, the wait with a loaded weapon, and the three separate trigger pulls the revolver required. “I don’t know how you can shoot somebody three times and call it an accident,” Mokayef told the jury.11CBC News. Shield Actor Michael Jace Sentenced
Defense attorney Jamon Hicks did not contest that Jace killed his wife. He asked jurors to return a verdict of voluntary manslaughter instead, arguing that Jace had snapped in the heat of passion under the weight of financial pressure and a fading career. Jace testified in his own defense, saying he had first intended to kill himself with the revolver and then decided to shoot April in the leg to cause her pain.3NBC Los Angeles. Verdict Reached in Murder Trial for Shield Actor
On May 31, 2016, a jury of six women and six men deliberated roughly two hours before convicting Jace of second-degree murder. The jury also found true a special allegation that he personally and intentionally used a firearm.12ABC7 Los Angeles. Former Shield Actor Michael Jace Found Guilty of Wife’s Murder
The Sentence
On June 10, 2016, Judge Robert J. Perry imposed a term of 40 years to life: 15 years to life for the second-degree murder, plus 25 years to life for the firearm enhancement.1ABC7 Los Angeles. Michael Jace Sentenced to 40 Years to Life in Prison in Wife’s Killing Speaking before sentence was imposed, Jace told the court there were “no justifications for my actions” and turned to his family in the courtroom to apologize.13CNN. Michael Jace Sentenced
Appeals and Resentencing Bids
Jace has tried more than once to shorten that sentence, and each attempt has failed.
After California passed Senate Bill 620, which gave trial judges discretion to strike certain firearm enhancements, a panel of the 2nd District Court of Appeal in 2019 sent the case back so a judge could consider removing the 25-year-to-life enhancement. Judge Perry heard the matter that June and declined. He acknowledged Jace appeared remorseful but said the crime was “so egregious” that the full sentence had to stand.14NBC Los Angeles. Judge Refuses to Reduce Actor’s Sentence for Wife’s Killing
Jace later filed a separate petition for resentencing based on further changes in California law. Judge H. Clay Jacke II denied it in April 2024. On appeal, a three-justice panel of the 2nd District Court of Appeal rejected his challenge in June 2026, holding that “the record of conviction establishes Jace is not entitled to relief as a matter of law.” The panel noted that no other perpetrator was involved and that Jace had never denied killing his wife.15MyNewsLA. Appellate Court Panel Rejects Bid for Re-Sentencing by Actor for Wife’s Murder The California Supreme Court denied a related petition for review on July 30, 2025.16California Supreme Court. Petition Conference Results Jace continues to serve his sentence in the California state prison system.
What Preceded the Killing
Two threads from Jace’s life fed the arguments at trial. The first was money. In March 2011, he filed for Chapter 13 bankruptcy, listing more than $500,000 in liabilities against $325,000 in assets, including over $22,000 owed to the government, $16,000 in credit card debt, and two mortgages. Shortly before the shooting, a creditor filed notice that he had fallen $2,800 behind.17Los Angeles Times. Actor Michael Jace Had Financial Problems Before Wife’s Slaying
The second was a history of alleged domestic violence that predated April. During a 1997 custody dispute with his first wife, Jennifer Bitterman, Bitterman told the court Jace had threatened to kill her if they went to “war” over visitation of their son.18CBS News. Michael Jace Threatened Ex-Wife, Court Docs Allege A friend, Maria de la Vega, testified she had seen Jace choke Bitterman and slam her head into a wall while their six-month-old son was in a crib nearby, and described witnessing at least three other violent incidents while she lived with the couple between 1996 and 1997. In his own filing at the time, Jace wrote that he and Bitterman “were both guilty of overstepping physical boundaries.”19Los Angeles Times. Shield Actor Michael Jace Domestic Violence Accusations April Jace had actually testified for Michael in that earlier case, calling him a “good father and husband.”20BET. Michael Jace Details Emerge: Domestic Violence, Money Woes LAPD Detective Dean Vinluan said after the 2014 killing that no domestic violence reports had been made at the Jace household during Michael and April’s marriage.21CBS News. Michael Jace, Shield Actor, Charged With Wife’s Murder