Air Force SSgt Michael Severance Fatally Drugged by Wife in Texas; Wendi Davidson Plead ‘No Contest’ to 1st Degree Murder, Sentenced to 25 Years (January 15, 2005)

On January 15, 2005June 24, 2018 By AdministratorIn Armed Forces, Domestic Violence, Felony Crime, Homicide, In Their Name, USAF2 Comments

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA — SSgt Michael Severance, US Air Force

Air Force SSgt. Michael Severance was poisoned with animal medications by his veterinarian wife Wendi Davidson on January 15, 2005 in San Angelo, Texas. SSgt. Severance enlisted with the United States Air Force in 1998 and was a flying crew chief stationed at Dyess Air Force Base. He met Wendi at a local club and they hit it off right away. Shortly after meeting, she got pregnant with his child. Michael wanted to do the right thing so he eventually married Wendi and moved in with her in a small apartment attached to her new Veterinarian Clinic. He commuted 90 miles one way to the base where he worked. Michael was reported missing to the local police on January 16th after his wife Wendi informed Michael’s parents that she wouldn’t make the flight to Maine with him for a visit with their child because he was nowhere to be found. She cancelled the flights for all three of them. Michael’s parents also called the base to report him missing but Air Force leadership informed them that their hands were tied until he was considered Absent Without Leave (AWOL). After Michael’s leave was up 8 days later and he didn’t return to duty, he was officially considered AWOL. This prompted the Air Force Office of Special Investigations (AFOSI) to join forces with the local civilian authorities. Wendi led all the investigators to believe that Mike had deserted the military. She claimed that he didn’t want to go back to Iraq and was thinking about heading to Canada. Michael, Wendi, and their child were planning a trip to visit his parents in Maine because Mike was scheduled to deploy to the Middle East after returning from the trip.

The San Angelo police department investigators visited Wendi at her veterinarian clinic on January 17, 2005. Wendi told them Mike had been drinking lately and was out all the time, but investigators observed that all of his personal belongings were still at their shared apartment. On January 18th, Wendi filed divorce papers and attempted to get a restraining order against Mike. Civilian investigators were suspicious of Wendi and believed that she was cold and calculating. They gave her a polygraph test but the results came back inconclusive. Once Mike’s leave was up and he was considered officially AWOL, AFOSI joined the San Angelo police department investigation. AFOSI doubted that Michael was a deserter and would just up and leave. In the meantime, the San Angelo police department put a GPS tracking device on Wendi’s car. They learned that on February 7th, Wendi traveled to a remote area owned by a friend of hers. Because investigators considered Wendi a person of interest, they traveled to the location where she had been and found a large retaining pond on the property. In March 2005, investigators were able to look at the search history on Wendi’s computer and learned that Wendi had done a search for ‘decomposition of bodies’ and ‘how to pass a lie detector test’. Investigator’s confronted Wendi but didn’t buy her story so they started turning up the heat. Wendi appeared to dismiss the investigators and then after the interview left the vet clinic in a hurry. She traveled back to her friend’s remote property but this time the police were there to make sure she wasn’t able to disturb a potential crime scene while they worked on obtaining a search warrant.

In the meantime, Wendi confided in her brother Marshall. She told him that she came home and found Mike dead. She said she was scared so she disposed of his body. But her brother didn’t buy her story either and reported her to the police. On March 6th, law enforcement searched the pond on her friend’s property and found Michael Severance’s body anchored down with cinder blocks. When they searched Wendi’s home and business, they found a knife, rope, drug log book, and bottles of medication. Wendi was arrested for the murder of Mike Severance and after 32 days behind bars, her parents raised the $500,000 bond to get her released. Investigators learned that they had only been married for four months when she murdered him. Wendi gave birth to her first child in October 2001. In December 2003, she met Michael and eventually got pregnant but Michael wasn’t ready to settle down or get married quite yet. And Wendi’s parents apparently didn’t like Mike and labeled him lazy and disrespectful; they did not want Wendi to marry him. In September 2004, Wendi gave birth to their son and they were quietly married twelve days later at the courthouse. Two weeks later, Wendi purchased a veterinarian clinic and Mike moved in with her, despite the commute 90 miles one way to work at the base. Shortly after moving in, Mike was sent to Airman Leadership School in Wichita Falls and then he got orders to go to the Middle East. Mike planned a vacation to Maine in January 2005 so his parents could meet his new wife and child, their grandchild, before he was deployed overseas. After Mike returned from Airman Leadership School shortly before their trip to Maine, he observed that Wendi was cold towards him and her mother made it clear that she didn’t like Mike and she didn’t want Wendi going to Maine.

The coroner was not able to determine if there was physical trauma to Mike’s body due to decomposition. But an autopsy revealed that Michael overdosed on drugs usually found in an animal clinic. They found Phenobarbital and B-Euthanasia in his system and he was stabbed 41 times after he was dead. Investigators learned from Wendi’s google searches that Mike was most likely stabbed post mortem so his body wouldn’t float to the surface in the pond. Wendi was arrested again on April 15th for evidence tampering after police learned she falsified log records at the animal clinic so she could justify taking the medication she used to kill her husband. Her bail was now $100,000 per tampering. In the meantime, her family arranged for her to have a privately administered polygraph. On May 24th, a grand jury indicted Wendi for murder and shortly after she was released on bond again. While awaiting trial, on August 20th, Wendi was arrested for child endangerment. One of her children got lost while looking for her; she was out at a night club. She spent another night in jail. In preparation for trial, prosecutors theorized that Wendi concocted her homicidal plan on January 14th. She asked Mike out to dinner on January 15th and then afterwards they went to a bar where they drank and danced. Upon return to their residence, prosecutors believe that Wendi mixed Phenobarbital in his drink. After he was unconscious, she plunged a syringe full of B-Euthanasia into his chest. Then she had to get rid of his body so she drove him out to the pond on her friend’s property and used fishing line to tie cinder blocks to his body. From google searches she learned that gases will make the body float so she went back to the retainer pond and stabbed him 41 times to release the gases; she attached more weight to his body.

Wendi Mae Davidson was looking at 9 to 99 years in prison so instead of going to trial, she plead ‘no contest’ which also left things open for appeal. Her lawyers argued the validity of the search warrants and believed that the GPS tracker was placed in an illegal manner; the resulting evidence was fruit of the poisonous tree. Wendi Davidson was found guilty of first degree murder and sentenced to 25 years in prison. She also received an additional 10 years for evidence tampering. Investigators and prosecutors were somewhat baffled with the motive for this crime and because Wendi plead ‘no contest’, we may never know the real reason she murdered Mike. Authorities theorized that maybe Wendi was motivated to kill because Mike Severance wanted to leave her. They theorized that Wendi’s mother didn’t like Mike so instead of divorcing him, she killed him. They also theorized that Wendi and her family wanted custody of the child with no incident. It’s important to note that Michael’s family believes Wendi also wanted the $500,000 life insurance payout. This was an unusual case because Wendi never had any known predisposition or tendency for violence but Mike’s family believes that her mother specifically had something to do with Wendi committing the murder. The question remains why didn’t she just divorce him instead of killing him?

Wendi may have made this decision because control and financial motive is a common motive for murder. It was noted that Wendi met Mike at a bar and shortly thereafter became pregnant; he may have been targeted for exploitation. It was noted that Wendi was in debt after purchasing a new animal clinic providing the motive for financial gain. It was noted that the crime was premeditated as evidenced by her plan to steal the medications from her animal clinic used to kill Mike. It was noted that Mike was murdered only four months after marrying Wendi; was he a means to an end? It was noted that Wendi’s parents didn’t like Mike and their beliefs may have been the fuel to light the fire; she may have been manipulated because she didn’t want to defy or disappoint them, afraid of the consequences. It was noted by Mike’s family that Wendi was the recipient of the life insurance policy. It was noted that Wendi attempted to manipulate the investigation and make Mike out to be someone he was not; even going so far as to get a restraining order a couple days after she killed him. Wendi Davidson does appear to be cold and calculating. Wendi Davidson appears to be a sociopath; but she exercised her right to remain silent in another attempt to abuse the process, she knows how the system works. As a result, she is eligible for parole in April 2019; she will be 41 years old.

Source: Nightmare Next Door ‘The Unwelcome Wagon’

Preview: When Staff Sgt. Michael Severance goes AWOL the community of San Angelo rallies around his new bride. But there is something more sinister behind his disappearance, and investigators uncover a saga of treachery and passion as big as the state of Texas. -Nightmare Next Door, Investigation Discovery (S10 E2)

When Staff Sgt. Michael Severance goes AWOL the community of San Angelo rallies around his new bride. But there is something more sinister behind his disappearance, and investigators uncover a saga of treachery and passion as big as the state of Texas. -Nightmare Next Door, Investigation Discovery (S10 E2)

Editor’s note: With a cable subscription, you can download the free ID Go app and watch all of the Investigation Discovery programming at your convenience. And for those who do not have cable, you can watch “unlocked” episodes on the ID Go app including the latest premieres. Download the ID Go app and binge away. For those who prefer commercial free programming during your binge session, Prime Video has an ID channel: ‘True Crime Files by Investigation Discovery” available for $2.99 a month. It’s a compilation of older seasons but totally worth the cost if you are a true crime addict.

Fort Benning Army Spc. Richard T. Davis Murdered by Fellow Army Soldiers in Georgia; Mario Navarette and Alberto Martinez Sentenced to Life (July 15, 2003)

On July 15, 2003September 14, 2020 By AdministratorIn Armed Forces, Army, Felony Crime, Homicide, In Their Name, Military Policy, Stateside DeathLeave a comment

Spc. Richard T. Davis, U.S. Army (photo: CBS News)

“On July 15, 2003, less than two days after returning from deployment to Iraq, Davis was murdered outside Fort Benning, Georgia by a fellow soldier from Baker Company, Alberto Martinez. Three other soldiers were also present and involved in the events that led up to the killing and followed the killing. Initially, the Army concluded that Davis deserted and despite pleas from Davis’ father, would not initiate an investigation into his son’s disappearance for nearly two months. Davis’ remains were not found until November 2003. He had been stabbed in the head, neck, and chest at least thirty-three times. His body was later dismembered, doused in lighter fluid, and burned. Unnamed sources have suggested that Davis was killed because he had planned to make a complaint about a rape of an Iraqi woman by US troops.”

Read more about Richard T. Davis (Wikipedia) here.

Based on a True Story:

“In the Valley of Elah” tells the story of a war veteran (Tommy Lee Jones), his wife (Susan Sarandon) and the search for their son, a soldier who recently returned from Iraq but has mysteriously gone missing, and the police detective (Charlize Theron) who helps in the investigation. -In the Valley of Elah, Warner Bros.

Warner Bros. Premiered ‘In the Valley of Elah’: Based on the True Story of the Murder of Fort Benning Army Spc. Richard T. Davis (September 14, 2007)

Offutt Air Force Base Airman Brooker Maltais Sentenced to Four Years in Prison for Statutory Rape of 14-Year-Old Girl He Met on the Internet (July 17, 1997)

On July 17, 1997May 20, 2019 By AdministratorIn Armed Forces, Child Abuse, Felony Crime, In Their Name, Military Policy, Scandals, Sexual Assault, USAFLeave a comment

Sam & Rosa Melena Found Near Death, Sam Later Died; AWOL Army Soldier Lawrence Todd Sentenced to Life in Prison for Murder (November 14, 1978)

On November 14, 1978September 21, 2019 By AdministratorIn Armed Forces, Army, Felony Crime, Homicide, In Their Name, Military PolicyLeave a comment

The elderly owners of a beloved local grocery are brutally attacked and left for dead. Working with little beyond a vague witness description, Lt. Joe Kenda leads a state-wide manhunt to catch a pair of cold-blooded killers before they disappear for good. -Blood Red Highway, Homicide Hunter (S3,E8)

On November 14, 1978, store owners, Sam & Rosa Melena, were robbed and left for dead in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Sam Melena was found with multiple stab wounds and Rosa was badly beaten but both were alive. But Sam Melena later died of his injuries in the hospital and Rosa was still in critical condition. In the course of an official murder investigation, Lt. Kenda learned the persons who robbed the grocery store got away with $32 and witnesses described two people running from the scene, a black man and a white woman with red hair. Kenda went to the hospital to interview Rosa Melena while she was alert and observed the pattern of a sole on her face. They took pictures. Rosa told Kenda she heard someone ask to use the store phone and then heard a loud crash. When she went to investigate, she witnessed a black man stabbing Sam and when he saw her, he attacked her too. After the interview, Kenda ordered a canvas of the area and found a new lead.

One neighbor said the description of the suspects sounded like the couple who lived in a basement apartment in his building. Lawrence Eugene Todd was in the Army. On the day of the crime, Lawrence and Vicki Locklin asked for 20 cents to make a phone call at the grocery store. Kenda determined the phone call was a distraction device used to help Lawrence catch the grocery store owners off guard. Kenda went looking for the pair in their basement apartment but they were gone. Although, during the search of the abandoned apartment, they found some important documents. The two were from Visalia, California. Todd was in the Army stationed at Fort Carson. Kenda issued an all points bulletin statewide and nationwide to help find them right away. Meanwhile, Kenda learned from a background search that Vicki Locklin had a minor record of shoplifting in Visalia, California. And Lawrence Todd had one record, an assault with a deadly weapon in California. (Why does the Army recruit Todd?)

“When people become desperate, it’s very easy to do desperate things.” -Lt. Joe Kenda

Meanwhile Kenda got some information from Fort Carson and learned from a sergeant in his unit that Todd had a lot of problems in the last several months because he hated the Army. He wanted out any way he could get out, then he went AWOL. The sergeant told Kenda he believed he knew where they would go. They wanted to go back to California. It was all the pair could talk about; they wanted to go back home to Visalia. Kenda asked the Denver Police Department to check all the truck stops in the area but the deadly duo had already hitched a ride with a trucker. Someone witnessed them catch a ride with a trucker and called the cops. The same trucker was pulled over and in deed Lawrence Todd and Vicki Locklin were in the truck. During the interrogation, Vicki Locklin told Kenda what happened. She said they were poor and needed money. Lawrence grabbed Sam from behind and started strangling him.

Vicki said Lawrence demanded she throw him a knife and he stabbed Sam multiple times. He cut his hand on the knife when he did it. He then went after Rosa, strangled her, and kicked her in the head. He went back to Sam and kicked him repeatedly before they grabbed the money and left the store. There was no interrogation with Lawrence Todd as he asked for a lawyer. Kenda compared Lawrence’s shoes to the bruise on Rosa’s face and it was a match. They also found the knife Vicki told them they ditched after the crime. Both defendants were indicted for aggravated robbery, attempted murder, and first degree murder. Vicki Locklin cut a deal with the prosecution in exchange for her testimony and leniency; she was sentenced to ten years in prison. Lawrence Todd was found guilty and he was sentenced to life plus 98 years in prison. Kenda was disgusted Lawrence Todd took a life for $32 and said he needed to be in a cage and never get out.

“You bastards, these are little old people, running a bread and milk store in the middle of nowhere, and you’re going to attack them for the contents of the register. I was angry to the core. You’re not going to do this in my city, you’re just not.” -Lt. Joe Kenda

Source: Blood Red Highway, Homicide Hunter, Investigation Discovery

Editor’s note: With a cable subscription, you can download the free ID Go app and watch Investigation Discovery programming at your convenience. And for those who do not have cable, you can watch “unlocked” episodes on the ID Go app including the latest premieres. For those who prefer commercial free programming during your binge session, Prime Video has an ID channel: ‘True Crime Files by Investigation Discovery” available for $3.99 a month. It’s a compilation of older seasons but totally worth the cost if you are a true crime addict. Download the ID Go app or purchase ID True Crime Files & binge away.

Fort Hood Army Deserters George York & James Latham Killed Seven People in Multiple States in Two Weeks; Sentenced to Death in Kansas (May 24, 1961)

On May 24, 1961May 5, 2019 By AdministratorIn Armed Forces, Army, Felony Crime, Homicide, In Their Name, Military Policy, ScandalsLeave a comment

Army soldiers George York and James Latham went Absent without Leave (AWOL) from Fort Hood in Texas on May 24, 1961. In two weeks, they killed seven people in multiple states:

Edward Guidroz (bludgeoned to near death), Louisiana
Althea Ottavio (robbed and strangled), Georgia
Patricia Hewitt (robbed and strangled), Georgia
John Whittaker (robbed, shot, and killed), Tennessee
Albert Reed (stole car, murdered), Illinois
Martin Drenovac (stole gas, murdered), Illinois
Rachel Moyer (molested and murdered), Colorado
Otto Ziegler (murdered), Kansas

On May 24, 1961, York and Latham deserted for the last time. They set out for York’s Florida hometown. Somewhere along the way, they morphed into indiscriminate killers. -NY Daily News

MILITARY JUSTICE FOR ALL

Tag: Desertion

Air Force SSgt Michael Severance Fatally Drugged by Wife in Texas; Wendi Davidson Plead ‘No Contest’ to 1st Degree Murder, Sentenced to 25 Years (January 15, 2005)

Fort Benning Army Spc. Richard T. Davis Murdered by Fellow Army Soldiers in Georgia; Mario Navarette and Alberto Martinez Sentenced to Life (July 15, 2003)

Offutt Air Force Base Airman Brooker Maltais Sentenced to Four Years in Prison for Statutory Rape of 14-Year-Old Girl He Met on the Internet (July 17, 1997)

Sam & Rosa Melena Found Near Death, Sam Later Died; AWOL Army Soldier Lawrence Todd Sentenced to Life in Prison for Murder (November 14, 1978)

Fort Hood Army Deserters George York & James Latham Killed Seven People in Multiple States in Two Weeks; Sentenced to Death in Kansas (May 24, 1961)

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