There is no reason for his murder in this account and the writer arrogantly asks the reader to just "believe me because I'm an author". This book is terrible. Unable to add item to List. They did learn, however, that there was tension between Severance and his mother-in-law Judy Davidson, who worked as an office manager in her daughters veterinary practice and said she "didn't like him. Powered by WordPress.com VIP. : Now she said she is ready to tell her side of the story. Watch the full story on "20/20" TONIGHT at 8 p.m. eventAction: 'click_ads' Shane thus grew up with both sides of the family, from where he seemingly learned that his parents are much more than just this tragedy. While I firmly stand with the victim and the grief of his family in losing him, wouldn't we all love to know why this happened other than just "Wendi is evil". "I want my side of the story, what happened. In an interview with the San Angelo Police Department, Davidson said she had last seen Severance on the morning of January 15 and that he had left behind both his car and his cell phone. Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web. WENDI Mae Davidson is serving a 25-year sentence for murdering her husband in 2005. Main Content. He was a surprise, according to his paternal uncle Frank on Oxygens Snapped, but one that was embraced with sheer joy, especially by his father, who was definitely excited to be a dad as he really loved kids.. They seized her work computer's hard drive and sent it to a lab for analysis. In 2019, Davidson was denied parole and is scheduled to be released from Gatesville Correctional Facility in 2031. Two tragedies unfold in this well-written book: murder and the fate of innocent children. Nevertheless, the search for Michael Severance stretched for two months, and once he was considered AWOL, the Air Force Office of Special Investigations took over the case and started tracking Wendis car. Severance's murder has been chronicled in the latest episode of Oxygen's 'Snapped,' which airs on Sundays at 6/5c. document.querySelector("#google_image_div").addEventListener('click',function(){ Powered by WordPress.com VIP. I was born in Baltimore, Maryland, lived more than two decades in Virginia, lived in New Braunfels, Texas, for another two and am now back in the shadow of the Blue Ridge mountains in Bedford, Virginia, with my husband and a sheltie named Emmitt Otter. Following an analysis of Davidson's work computer's hard drive, authorities also found suspicious searches on the computer, including "decomposition of a body in water.". }); : She was immediately taken into custody, and she claimed she had found him deceased and only moved his body to the pond. Redemption links and eBooks cannot be resold. Now she said she is ready to tell her side of the story. Although Judy wasnt shy about her dislike for her son-in-law, there was no evidence tying her to his disappearance, and the trail went colduntilJan.24,whenSeverances period of leave expiredandOSIwas able totake the lead in the investigation. When Severance didn't show up for work, he became AWOL, and the OSI was able to take the lead in a deserter investigation. It had been nearly two months since Michaelhad beenreportedmissing,but the body was in pristine condition, Palmer told Snapped.. When the officer, who was initially on leave, failed to show up back to work at the base, they had little choice but to open a deserter investigation. Michael Leslie Severance. They noticed that she had been visiting a remote ranch and had stopped by a stock pond over there. eventCategory: event.slot.getSlotElementId(), No one should write a book EVER if you can't answer any more questions than this. Unfortunately, her parents enabled her unstable and selfish behavior. : No one got away with murder here. Severances son spends school breaks and every other Christmas with his fathers family in Maine, according to theBangor Daily News. Wendi Mae Davidson on moving husband's body: 20/20 'Dead Man Talking' Preview ABC News 14M subscribers Subscribe 9.6K views 9 months ago #2020 Davidson said that she moved Michael. Severance quicklylearned how to line dance and two-step after realizing it was a great way to meetwomen. How we can build a clean and renewable future. In January 2005, Davidson reported her husband, Air Force Staff Sgt. How did the GameStop stock spike on Wall Street happen? To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we dont use a simple average. When a small-town airman holding the post of Sergeant was assigned to the Dyess Air Force Base in Abilene, Texas, following a series of tours to Iraq and Afghanistan, no one ever imagined that hed lose his life. His body was later found on a remote ranch two months later, and now, many want to know what involvement his wife had. This is a rivoting story that kept me glued to the facts to the very end. She claimed to have a horse there that she took care of. Michael's father, Leslie, wanted full custody of Shane Michael Severance, but in the end, not only did a judge grant joint custody to the two families, but they also mandated supervised visits between Shane and his mother. Last year, she was denied an early release from prison after a seven-member Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles voted to deny her request for parole and cited the brutal nature of her crime. When Air Force Staff Sgt. }); The newlyweds moved into an apartment in the back of a San Angelo veterinary clinic thatDavidsonhadrecentlypurchased. Diane Fanning is one of my best authors. },false) , Print length Also, the book starts out incredibly choppy. pg.acq.push(function() { His wife, veterinarian Wendi Mae Davidson, was arrested and eventually found guilty of murder. hitType: 'event', : The same evening, her brother contacted the police and told them she had confessed to dumping the body. abcnews.go.com. After spending a significant amount of time overseas, he was assigned to the Dyess Air Force base in Abilene, Texas, where he would have an ultimately fatal meeting with his future wife Wendi Mae Davidson. For the first time, she's speaking about the murder and her life in prison. , X-Ray An airmans move to Texas was followed by a whirlwind romance and a marriage. 4. Nevertheless, their relationship took off quite quickly, and a few months in, Davidson had become pregnant with their child. Davidson is known as a San Angelo, Texas, native who was accused of murdering her husband in 2005. Eventually Mike's body turned up in a stock pond on a private ranch. She was sentenced to 25 years in prison. Very interesting and heartbreaking story. Michael Severance, missing. However, at the time he went missing, Severance was on leave and an official OSI inquiry could not begin until after he was expected to be back on base. , St. Martin's True Crime; 1st edition (August 12, 2009), Publication date Why dont the Electoral College and popular vote always match up? After all, their son was only a few weeks old when they tied the knot at a Texas courthouse before moving into an apartment behind Wendis veterinary clinic in San Angelo. Watch Wendi Mae Davidson (Season 27, Episode 9) of Snapped or get episode details on NBC.com. What comes next after Texas school shooting? Halfway through, Chapters 25-56, there is almost no more writing, but instead typed, rambling, verbatim conversations and letters which I assume are public record. Michael Severance was asmall-townboy who joined the United States Air Force to see the world. Prosecutors argued that since officers thought Severance was AWOL at the time, OSI gained the necessary permissions and approval to utilize tracking devices. 2023 Cinemaholic Inc. All rights reserved. When he was a few weeks old, his parents Wendi Mae Davidson and Michael Severance tied the knot at a Texas courthouse and eventually moved to an apartment behind Wendi's veterinary clinic. 25, 2022 at 8 p.m. on ABC. I want people to know what did and didn't happen.". Michael Severance was reported missing by his wife, Wendi Mae Davidson. : For the work I began with THROUGH THE WINDOW, I received the "Defender of Innocence" award from the Downstate Illinois Innocence Project. Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app. The authorities also learned that Wendis family didnt like Michael at all, and there was a lot of tension between him and his mother-in-law. In the winter of 2005, Mike's wife, a veterinarian named Wendi Mae Davidson, reported him missing. "My parents drove up, and me and my brother were telling them everything that happened, which was that I had found him dead and dumped his body in the pond.". Wendi Mae Davidson was a typical Texan woman from a typical Texan town. S27 E9 05/10/20. Although Wendi was adamant about her innocence, she decided to plead no contest to the charges when produced in court. By the age of twenty-four, Air Force Staff Sergeant Mike Severance had already survived a series of missions in Afghanistan and Iraq. At the time of his disappearance, Severance had already deployed five times to the Middle East and was preparing for his sixth tour. "I think Mike's family are victims.". When OSI took over, they were able to operate under different constraints than local police and had been given permission to place a tracking device in Davidson's car, according to ABC. Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations. Texas airman is poisoned by wife, brutally stabbed 41 times and dumped in pond, motive remains a mystery. The OSI became involved because in addition to Michael Severance being a missing person, he also didnt show up for work in the Air Force, Texas Ranger Shawn Palmer toldSnapped. It made him AWOL and ultimately a deserter investigation for them.. At the time of his disappearance, Severance had already deployed five times to the Middle East and was preparing for his sixth tour. Read More: Where is Wendi Mae Davidson Now? Also a problem is that around Chapter 11 and throughout, there is a lot of parenthesized conversations that could not have been actually recorded. However, he was also the victim of a brutal murder not too long after shifting base there. Former Texas veterinarian and mother of two Wendi Mae Davidson is currently serving 25 years in prison for murdering her husband in 2005. ga('ads.send', { It just could have been presented in a more thoughtful and objective way. Davidson said she does not think she is a "victim. When asked about the pond, officers said shegot kind of defensive, according tocourt documents. His body was later found in a pond on a remote ranch about 20 miles outside of San Angelo, where the family had been living. , Court TV and the Discovery Channel, and has been interviewed on dozens of radio stations coast to coast. And, Ms Fanning, the polygamists are gone too, fyi. I'm a cop, you can't be telling me this,'" Davidson said. On the upside, it's a fast read and the case has some interesting elements on its own. You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked. During one visit, she stoppednear a pond on the property. Pro se appellant Wendi Mae Davidson complains of the trial court's order in her suit to modify parent-child relationship (SAPCR) seeking increased contact with her son, S.S., who was fifteen years old when the order was signed. Like us on Facebook atwww.facebook.com/TheSunUSand follow us from our main Twitter account at@TheSunUS, Daughter of murdered couple linked to Delphi case reveals paranoia, Serena Williams stepmom's debts continue to spiral amid crumbling home battle, 'Glaring error' left 'habitual liar' Alex Murdaugh 'boxed in' during trial, Alex Murdaugh jailed for life after disgraced lawyer guilty of murder, 2020 THE SUN, US, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED | TERMS OF USE | PRIVACY | YOUR AD CHOICES | SITEMAP, Wendi Mae Davidson was accused of killing her husband in 2005, Wendi was sentenced to 25 years in prison but maintains her innocence. In October 2006, Davidson pleaded no contest to first-degree murder and two counts of tampering with evidence. Two months later, Severance's body was found in a pond on a remote ranch about 20 miles outside of San Angelo, Texas, where the couple was living at the time. pg.acq.push(function() { I think theres more to the story that we dont know, Frank told Snapped.. He had been stabbed 41 times and was weighed down with more than 140 pounds of car parts, tires, and cinder blocks so his body wound not float to the surface. Fanning suddenly takes three short paragraphs at the end of Chapter 14 for the actual crime-- action, still no 'why'. She claimed he had been drinking a lot because he was being deployed to Afghanistan once again and might have run away. But Davidson has continued to adamantly maintain her innocence. Davidson claimed that the pressure of family and his work was getting to him, including driving three hours round trip to Dyess Air Force Base in Abilene, Texas. Everybodywas excited and happy, Frank told Snapped., We were just waiting for the oldestboy because he had never seen snow, Leslie told Snapped.. Michael grew up in Maine, and after high school, he joined the Air Force just like his father. So incredible it's hard to believe it isn't fiction. The action you just performed triggered the security solution. "I did not kill him," Davidson told "20/20" in 2021, in her first network interview from prison. I just want to know that I'm reading as fair an account of the case as possible, and there's no way I can assume that when the author is basically engaging in character assassination from the get-go. Into the Water: An Astonishing True Story of Abduction, Murder, and the Nice Guy Next Door (St. Martin's True Crime Library), Written in Blood: A True Story of Murder and a Deadly 16-Year-Old Secret that Tore a Family Apart (St. Martin's True Crime Library), Gone Forever: A True Story of Marriage, Betrayal, and Murder (True Crime (St. Martin's Paperbacks)), Under Cover of the Night: A True Story of Sex, Greed and Murder, Her Deadly Web: The True Story of a Former Nurse and the Strange and Suspicious Deaths of Her Two Husbands (St. Martin's True Crime Library), Bitter Remains: A Custody Battle, A Gruesome Crime, and the Mother Who Paid the Ultimate Price. Wendi and her mother insisted that Mike had . I like Diane Fanning a lot, but this book felt rushed and pointless. This naturally aroused suspicions, and when law enforcement officials searched the ranch, located around 20 miles from San Angelo, Texas, they found Michaels body inside a pond on the property, held down by weights. if(document.querySelector("#adunit")){ The seemingly suspicious behavior was worth checking out, and the detectives questioned Wendi about the ranch. An autopsy then revealed his blood contained lethal levels of drugs commonly found in veterinary clinics, which resulted in authorities charging Davidson with first-degree murder and two counts of tampering with evidence. After several years overseas, he was assigned to Dyess Air Force Base in Abilene, Texas. Great job Diane Fanning. During the investigation, it was determined that Severance had died after he was poisoned with animal tranquilizers, and then stabbed 41 times posthumously, according to ABC. Her ex-fiance is facing a murder charge. Davidson had a son from a previous relationship. ga('ads.send', { But his life back at home, in Texas, would prove a lot more dangerousIn the winter of 2005, Mike's wife, a veterinarian named Wendi Mae Davidson, reported him missing. A break came in the case in February 2005. After viewing product detail pages, look here to find an easy way to navigate back to pages you are interested in. }); Later, an autopsy determined that while the victim was stabbed 41 times, he also had a lethal amount of animal tranquilizers in his system. Never heard about this case . To hear more, watch Snapped now onOxygen.com. A break came in the case in February 2005. The victim is made to be a pure, faceless war hero. ga('ads.send', { He had been stabbed 41times, wounds which were inflicted postmortem in order to keep his body from floating to the surface of the pond. Crime News is your destination for true crime stories from around the world, breaking crime news, and information about Oxygen's original true crime shows and documentaries. The couple subsequently moved into an apartment in the back of a San Angelo veterinary clinic that Davidson had recently purchased, where it all went wrong. Davidson denied killing him but said she moved his remains to a remote Texas pond. So, if youre curious to find out what exactly happened in this case, weve got you covered. By September 2004, she was married to Severance, whom she had met the year prior, and the couple soon welcomed two children together. , File size Michael Severances body was foundat the bottom of pond weighted downwithcar parts, tires, and cinder blocks. She said that Michael had gotten increasingly unsatisfied with his job and thought about deserting and going to Canada. The story is incredible and well explained by the author. The San Angelo police then contacted the Texas Rangers for investigative assistance, but neither was able to drum up any leads. I mean I might have had crazy reasons in my head, but there's no excuse.". : He survivedAfghanistan,but the same evil got him at home in his own bed,hisfather, Leslie Severance, told Snapped,airingSundaysat6/5conOxygen. The couple was supposed to fly out to Maine on January 16, 2005, but Wendi called Michaels parents to say she couldnt find him anywhere. I love Diane Fanning. However, nothing tied her to Michaels disappearance, bringing the case to a halt. window.adsContainer = {"position2":{"code":"Article_Mobile_Above_Next_Rel","max_width":300,"max_height":250},"position3":{"code":"Article_Mobile_300x250_ATF_Rel","max_width":300,"max_height":250},"position4":{"code":"Article_Mobile_Middle_Rel","max_width":300,"max_height":250},"position5":{"code":"Article_Mobile_Middle1_Rel","max_width":300,"max_height":250},"position6":{"code":"Article_Mobile_Middle2_Rel","max_width":300,"max_height":250},"position7":{"code":"Article_Mobile_Middle3_Rel","max_width":300,"max_height":250},"position8":{"code":"Article_Mobile_Middle4_Rel","max_width":300,"max_height":250},"position9":{"code":"Article_Mobile_Middle5_Rel","max_width":320,"max_height":250},"position10":{"code":"Article_Mobile_Middle6_Rel","max_width":320,"max_height":250},"position11":{"code":"Article_Mobile_Middle7_Rel","max_width":320,"max_height":250},"position12":{"code":"Article_Mobile_Middle8_Rel","max_width":320,"max_height":250},"position13":{"code":"Article_Mobile_Middle9_Rel","max_width":320,"max_height":250},"position14":{"code":"Article_Mobile_Middle10_Rel","max_width":320,"max_height":250},"position15":{"code":"Article_Mobile_Middle11_Rel","max_width":320,"max_height":250},"position16":{"code":"Article_Mobile_Middle12_Rel","max_width":320,"max_height":250}} document.querySelector("#adunit").addEventListener('click',function(){ Very enjoyable. Reviewed in the United States on May 8, 2020. media-tech companies with hubs around the world. Two months later, Severance's body was found in a pond on a remote ranch about 20 miles outside of San Angelo, Texas, where the couple was living at the time. Why are people hesitant to trust a COVID-19 vaccine? However, when officers got warrants for Wendis computer, they saw she had googled how to decompose a body in water. She will be eligible to apply again in 2024. }); Watch Snapped highlight 'Wendi Mae Davidson' on NBC.com. CLIP 10/12/22. These were spread out.". } In the force, Severance rose through the ranks quickly, becoming a crew chief on a C-130 military transport aircraft and getting promoted to the rank of staff sergeant. . It revealed that she had performed Internet searches on polygraph tests and the phrase "decomposition of a body in water," according tocourt documents. Reviewed in the United States on May 4, 2015. eventAction: 'click_adunit' The main character, real life Veterinarian Wendi Davidson, is described as going from a smart, enthusiastic student, a cheerleader and more, to a 20-something sexual predator in the same brief Chapter 11. Davidson received her Veterinariandegree from Texas A&M University, during which time she also welcomed her first child, a boy from a previous relationship, San Angelo Live reports. WENDI Mae Davidson is serving a 25-year sentence for murdering her husband in 2005. hitType: 'event', "What I did was horrible, there's no excuse. ga('ads.send', { Hes a minor, meaning hes still under the guardianship of his maternal grandparents, but both Leslie and Frank Severances Facebook accounts make it clear that he often visits them in Maine as well. Davidson then tried to paint her husband as an alcoholic, ABC reports, however, there was never any evidence to suggest that Severance had a problem with drugs or alcohol. He was then weighed down with car parts, tires,and cinder blocks. "I did what I did, I think it was horrible, I think that I made a bad choice, there were better choices to be made. Prior to that, she worked at the Advanced Animal Care clinic on Sherwood Way as a veterinarian. Woman convicted in 2005 murder of her husband speaks from prison. My latest true crime is BITTER REMAINS. However, at the time he went missing, Severance was on leave and an official OSI inquiry could not begin until after he was expected to be back on base. Please try your request again later. After Severance's body was discovered, Davidson was arrested and taken into custody and charged with first-degree murder and two counts of tampering with evidence. The judge ruled in favor of the prosecution, saying the tracker was legal and the evidence gained by the tracker was admissible. NORTH ANDOVER On the two occasions that. When confronted by police, Davidson called her brother, who was a game warden at the time, and told him that she had found Severance dead in the living room and moved his body to the remote ranch but did not kill him. ga('ads.send', { Email us atexclusive@the-sun.comor call212 416 4552. After Davidson was charged, her defense team quickly filed a motion to suppress the evidence gained from the tracking device in her car -- claiming it was illegally obtained -- since, by law, officers need to get a court order to allow them to attach a tracker to a person's vehicle. "I wish . }); eventAction: 'click_image_ads' reporters on a platform technologically tailored to meet the needs of the modern reader. It would be his familys first opportunity to meetDavidsonand the kids. At the time of Michaels disappearance, he had already completed five deployments in the Middle East and was preparing for his sixths deployment in Canada. In a last-ditch attempt, Severance's father, Leslie, reached out to the Air Force Office of Special Investigations (OSI) for help. Watch Snapped highlight 'Wendi Mae Davidson' on NBC.com . The 24-year-old met Wendi in 2003, and the couple quickly had a son together. Davidson said that she moved Severance's body to the pond, stabbed the body and weighed it down with cinderblocks. What's next for abortion rights in America? Former Texas veterinarian and mother of two Wendi Mae Davidson is currently serving 25 years in prison for murdering her husband in 2005. Wendi gave birth to her first child in October 2001. This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks. They urged her to report him missing, and in an interview with the San Angelo Police Department, Davidsonclaimedshe last saw himthemorningof Jan. 15and thathe hadleft behind his car and cellphone.