“The Shield” actor Michael Jace, who killed his wife, has been sentenced to 40 years to life in prison on June 10 in a Los Angeles court.
Jace, who was a police officer on the TV show, was convicted of second-degree murder for killing April Jace.
In an emotional hearing, the victim’s family members cried as they spoke about their loss.
Jace, 53, apologized to the family and said there’s no justification what he did.
In the trial, defense lawyers acknowledged that Jace killed his wife, April, but argued he should be convicted of voluntary manslaughter because it wasn’t a deliberate act.
However, a prosecutor told jurors that Jace was mad because his wife wanted a divorce.
Evidence presented at the trial showed that the actor shot his wife three times in their home on May 2014—once in the back and once in each leg.
Jace shot his wife in a hallway near their young sons, who were ages 5 and 8 at the time.
She was killed after coming home from a youth baseball game.
Text messages presented during the trial show Jace had told his wife he wasn’t at home, but instead was waiting there with a loaded revolver.
Jace told authorities that he only wanted to injure his wife, not kill her.
“I was just angry,” Jace told investigators, according to a released transcript. “All I intended to do was shoot her in the leg. And then I shot her in the leg and that was it.”
In court, Jace’s 10-year-old son said he heard his father tell his mother, an avid runner, “If you like running, then run to heaven,” before shooting her legs.
Jace told authorities he wanted to kill himself after shooting his wife, but could not follow through.
The actor made brief appearances in “Forrest Gump” and the 2001 film “Planet of the Apes.”
April Jace, 40, was a financial aid counselor at Biola University.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
