Actor Michael Jace entered a plea of not guilty in a Los Angeles court Wednesday, a month after allegedly shooting his wife April Jace. The 51-year-old actor and his attorney listened as a judge set bond at $2 million and instructed Michael not to contact his two children. His not guilty plea contradicts earlier reports from witnesses about the murder.
Police found April, 40, dead in her south Los Angeles home on May 19. They reported Michael was in the home and was speaking with a 911 operator. He reported to 911 that his wife had been shot. “I shot my wife,” he said according to recordings obtained by TMZ. Two children were in the home at the time of the shooting, according to police.
A preliminary autopsy showed April died from “multiple gunshot wounds.” The Los Angeles County Coroner’s Office has ruled the death a homicide. A day later, they released a statement suggesting domestic violence was the motive for the shooting. The two were married in June 2003.
Michael’s father-in-law told detectives that he received a message from him regarding the shooting and called 911, as he drove to his daughter’s home. “My son-in-law called me and texted me and said come get the kids because he shot April, our daughter,” he said, according to a recording released by the Los Angeles Fire Department.
The actor was facing financial difficulties in the last few years, according to court documents. He filed for bankruptcy in March 2011 and claimed an annual income of $80,000, while facing $500,000 in debt.
Michael Jace is due back in court on August 1 for a preliminary hearing, in which investigators will testify about the events leading up to the May 19 arrest.