Yard sale to help Lee man finance custody battle

LEE – More than 500 household items will be offered at a yard sale Friday and Saturday to benefit a Lee man’s fight to gain permanent custody of his grandson.

Sporting goods, clothes, baby toys, a computer desk and exercise equipment are among the items that will be sold from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Mount Jefferson Junior High School, Nicole Leighton, stepdaughter of Leslie Severance, said.

“Everything you could imagine, we’ve got out there,” Leighton said Wednesday. “We have a two-bay garage full of items, and more are on the way.”

Severance has 60-day custody of Shane Michael Severance, the 10-month-old son of Michael Leslie Severance, 24, a U.S. Air Force staff sergeant whose body was found in March tied to cinder blocks and other items at the bottom of a pond in San Angelo, Texas.

Severance’s wife, veterinarian Wendi Mae Davidson, has been charged with murder and two counts of tampering with evidence. She remains free on $50,000 bail.

Police said she poisoned her husband overnight Jan. 15 with drugs commonly used to euthanize animals before dumping his body in a pond owned by a family friend, then repeatedly lied to cover up the crime.

A Texas civil court judge granted Leslie Severance’s request last month denying Davidson access to her son without supervision, and then for just two hours a week.

Severance shares custody with Davidson’s parents, Judi and Lloyd Davidson of San Angelo, and has indicated concerns about leaving the baby in the Davidsons’ care.

The yard sale is the latest in a series of events aimed at paying Severance’s travel and legal costs. He visited Texas for a week last month to attend court.

Leighton said she was grateful for the contributions that family members have received so far.

“There are so many people out there that have donated stuff that it’s unreal,” she said.

Anyone interested in making contributions or otherwise assisting is asked to telephone Leighton at 738-2005.