Drawn from interviews, depositions and official records, this is an accounting of key dates and incidents in the life and murder of Michael Leslie Severance, the criminal case against Wendi Mae Severance.
Sept. 28, 1998: Michael begins Air Force active duty
May 25, 1999: Michael posted to Dyess AFB, Abilene
Oct. 29, 2001: Wendi’s first son, Tristan Davidson, born
May 10, 2002: Wendi graduates from Texas A&M veterinary school
October 2003-January 2004: Michael, Wendi meet in club
March-April 2004: Wendi telephones Michael, announces pregnancy
? Michael meets her parents, Judi and Lloyd Davidson
Sept. 1, 2004: Shane born
Week of Sept. 12, 2004: Michael’s father, Les Severance, meets Shane, Davidsons
Sept. 13, 2004: Michael weds Wendi in San Angelo; Justice of the Peace Eddie Howard presides
October 2004: Wendi’s veterinary clinic, Advanced Animal Care, opens
Dec. 29, 2004-Jan. 12, 2005: Michael takes Air Force training in Wichita Falls, Texas
Jan. 11: Judi, Lloyd allegedly force change in will of Jessie Mae Eggemeyer, Judi’s mother, naming them co-executors and giving them power to borrow money against estate’s value, according to lawsuit
Jan. 13: Michael briefly takes Shane to Abilene; telephones Les that Wendi is giving him “cold shoulder”
Jan. 14: Michael and wife dine, dance, drink at Buffalo Wild Wings and Graham Central Station
Jan. 15: 7:15 a.m.-7:30 a.m.: Judi arrives at clinic, says she hears Michael
? Late morning: Lloyd arrives at clinic with Tristan
? 1-1:30 p.m.: Judi visits ailing mother
? 3-3:30 p.m.: Wendi joins Judi; alleged last time she sees Michael alive
? 4-8 p.m.: Judi, Lloyd and Wendi dine at Davidson house; Wendi says Michael drunk at home
? 7 p.m. onward: Alleged time Wendi finds Michael dead in bed, dumps body
Jan. 16, 5 a.m.: Michael, Wendi, sons due to fly to Maine
? 6-6:30 a.m.: Wendi calls Les’ girlfriend, Brinda Leighton, reports Michael missing
? 7:55 a.m.-6:31 p.m.: Les and Leighton call clinic, Abilene 20-plus times to find Michael
? 6:47 p.m.: Escorted by Lloyd, Wendi files missing person’s report with San Angelo Police
Jan. 17: Wendi seeks divorce, restraining order vs. Michael
Jan. 18: Missing-person’s case assigned to Detective Dennis McGuire, San Angelo Police
Jan. 18-19: Missing-person’s case assigned to Special Agent Greg McCormick, Air Force OSI
? McCormick interviews Wendi, Michael’s friends at Dyess, San Angelo police station
Jan. 24: Michael’s leave ends; declared AWOL thereafter
Jan. 28: Police, Dyess AFB airmen search clinic woods
February 2005: Wendi allegedly tries to research body decomposition
Feb. 27: McCormick follows Wendi to Terrell Sheen ranch; she stops near pond
March 1: Severances announce first of many fundraisers
March 4: Wendi allegedly tells McCormick she last visited ranch three weeks prior
March 5, 2:30 p.m.: Wendi allegedly tells Texas Ranger Shawn Palmer she last visited ranch 1-2 weeks prior with Lloyd
? 6:45 p.m.: Marshall Davidson, Wendi’s brother, telephones McGuire to meet at Grape Creek Cemetery; Wendi, Judi present
? 7:58 p.m.: Marshall tells McGuire that prior to the call, Wendi said she found Michael dead at home Jan. 15 and dumped body. Wendi charged with evidence tampering
March 6: Texas State Police Dive Team finds Michael’s 155-pound body weighted with 145 pounds in 9 feet of water in Sheen pond; Howard declares death suspicious
? 5:39 p.m.: Police start guarding clinic prior to search
? 10-11 p.m.: Air Force officials tell Les of body’s discovery
March 7: Police seize drug logbooks, brake drums, rope, monofilament line, laptop computer, knife holster and two knives, apron, gold ring and swabs of stains from clinic. Evidence vacuumed from vehicle carpet sections; Phenobarbital, Pentobarbital photographed
March 8: Wendi withdraws divorce
March 14: Lloyd and Judi seek custody of Shane
March 16: San Angelo attorney Thomas Goff takes Severance child-custody case
? Les seeks custody of Shane
March 17: Severances told Wendi OKs release of Michael’s body
March 24: Michael buried with full military honors in Carroll Plantation, Maine. About 200 people, including Gov. John Baldacci, attend
April 3: Jessie Mae Eggemeyer dies, age 71
April 8: Lubbock County coroner tells police Michael was drugged with Pentobarbital and Phenobarbital
? Wendi makes bail on evidence-tampering charges
April 13: Police seize Phenobarbital, Pentobarbital, records from clinic
April 29: Attorney Tom Davidson – no relation – tells media Wendi passed polygraph and is innocent. San Angelo police say they also tested Wendi, don’t release results
May 24: Grand jury indicts Wendi on murder count, two evidence tampering counts
May 25: Wendi posts $50,000 bail
June 16: Lloyd and Judi deposed by Goff
June 17: Les, son Frank Severance arrive in San Angelo
June 18-19: Severances see Shane in two 11/2-hour supervised visits at McDonald’s and San Angelo park, per Davidson family
June 22: Les deposed
? Severances visit Dyess AFB
June 24: Severances get 60-day custody of Shane; Wendi restricted to weekly, supervised visits
June 25: Severances visit Abilene racetrack
June 27: Severances return to Maine
July 1: Autopsy results show 41 postmortem stab wounds to Michael’s body plus phenytoin, an anti-inflammatory drug
Aug. 19: Les due in San Angelo for custody hearing
Aug. 23: Davidsons to take custody of Shane
Dec. 10: First pretrial criminal hearing
March 7, 2006: Final pretrial hearing
March 20: Jury selection begins
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