Los Angeles (AFP) – Opening statements were due to be heard Tuesday in the trial of US actor Michael Jace, who denies having committed murder despite shooting dead his wife at their Los Angeles home.
The 53-year-old, famous for his part in police drama “The Shield” and big-screen roles including in “Forrest Gump,” was arrested two years ago after April Jace’s death in the Hyde Park neighborhood.
If convicted, he faces 50 years to life in jail, according to the LA County District Attorney’s Office.
Jace’s defense team doesn’t dispute that he killed the victim but says data from her iPhone 5S could provide insights into his state of mind as he gunned her down, according to the Los Angeles Times.
The smartphone does not have the robust security that prompted the FBI to demand Apple’s help cracking a newer model during the investigation into the December 2015 San Bernardino mass shooting.
The couple’s two sons, who are said to have witnessed at least part of the killing, were taken into protective custody after Jace himself called 911 and was arrested in the early hours of May 19, 2014.
Attorneys and a judge finalized jury selection Tuesday and were due to hear the opening of the case against Jace in a Los Angeles court.
The actor and his previous wife, Jennifer Bitterman, were divorced in 2002.
He filed for bankruptcy in 2011, citing debts of more than $500,000, while a neighbor told the Times that Jace had struggled to find work since the end of “The Shield.”
Besides “Forrest Gump,” Jace appeared in “Boogie Nights” and “Planet of the Apes.”
The TV series “The Shield” followed a movie of the same name in which he played officer Julien Lowe.
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