Michael’s fellow staff sergeant, Randy Pelfrey, served as the official military escort from Dyess Air Force Base when Mike’s body made its journey from Texas to Maine on Monday, March 21, 2005. Maine Governor John Baldacci called Leslie Severance to express his condolences to the family.
That same day, Wendi filed a grievance with her jailers. She wrote:
Last week I filled out a non-emergency to Captain Burns + have not received a response, but now I am forced to take further action. I am a model citizen and not a trouble-maker at all. Ever since I have been here, I have been treated poorly by some guards + denied certain privileges.
First of all, I was placed on suicide watch for no reason whatsoever. I was told because the arresting officer requested it. I assure you I was not suicidal + he had no reason, other than to degrade me. So I was stripped of all privacy, including my panties. It took 4 days before I was allowed to brush my teeth. It took 8 days before I was allowed my contact case + saline so I could remove my contacts—in the meantime, my eyes got infected. (My parents brought new solution + case two days after I came in.) It took 11 days before I got my glasses, which I brought with me to jail! It took MHMR 6 days to get here + “clear me.” During this time, I spent in “suicide watch”, a trustee dropped my tray as I was trying to get it through the bars—the guard saw it and would not bring me another one. So I ate what I could off the floor.
Second, the whole 2 weeks I have been locked up in J-Block, even after being cleared. I think y’all may have me in there for “my protection.” There are a lot of problems w/ J-Block. There is no TV and mentally incapacitated people in there. They rant + rave + threaten each other + the firewatchers all the time. It is dangerous. I do nothing to be in “lockdown” or be on “suicide watch” + am being denied TV + being placed in danger.
Third, today I got moved to I-Block which is even worse. The reason being that another inmate was supposed to move to barracks, but she threw a big fit+ refused. So they decided to move her to I Block. They don’t want her to be by herself because she goes crazy—starts beating her head on the wall—threatening to kick people’s ass. So they moved me with her to babysit her. I don’t remember being moved to trustee position and getting trustee privileges. I dang sure ain’t receiving a salary for this. I don’t care if she beats her head—she can beat it until she’s unconscious + until I am a trustee I will not do anything about it. And if she beats the snot out of me—that’s an easy lawsuit. And still I want to reiterate that there is no TV in here. Other prisoners have TV privileges—why do I not?
I am requesting to either be moved into population or a TV be placed in here immediately.
I am not a trouble-maker and feel bad that I am having to write this but in my experience here, if you let people run over you, they will. This is silly to be here—we have no incentive to be nice—what can be done? TV privileges taken away and locked down? Please! Please help me in this matter.
On Tuesday, Wendi wrote a letter to both her parents and her brother.
I finally got paper and envelopes so I can write y’all. I am being careful what I say, knowing they may read my mail and know 100% that they will read incoming mail b/c they open it and do not let us have envelopes or stickers. I am very sorry for all this mess. I am trying to be patient, but sometimes all I can see is 4 concrete walls+ floor + ceiling. I don’t even know if it is day or night, cold or hot, sunny or rainy. I know y’all are probably doing all y’all can for me + the kids but I can’t see it or hear it—all I can do is have faith + believe it.
I know Daddy is saying I’m in a lot of trouble, that I didn’t just run a stop sign, but I honestly do not feel like I did that horrible of a thing. But maybe that is because I can understand what my state of mind was and my reasons. I guess I understand me. I love Mike, still to this day and if he could speak, I know he would not be mad or angry at me—he would understand.
She wrote about different tax statements that needed to be prepared or paid, asked them to cancel her gym membership at the Community Health Club. The final item on her to-do list:
7. Please try to find out what kind + where Mike’s services are—I know I probably can’t go but it is eating me up not to know where my husband is, what is happening to him or where he is going. Y’all may have to have the attorney to call and ask.
She ended the letter with:
Kiss both of my kids for me and tell them I love them and will be home as soon as the good Lord allows me.
I love y’all forever + always,
Wendi
She also enclosed a separate letter to Tristan. In the background, she’d drawn an outline of her hand. The letter read:
Tristan,
I love you very very much with all my heart. I am sorry I can’t be there right now but I will soon. Please take care of Baby Shane for me—kiss him on the head and hum to him for me. I miss you very much. Eat a lot so you will be strong. Take care of Deedee+ Pa + Marshall. Tristan, remember how you say your prayers. You can pray for Mommie to come home soon. Just put your hands together close your eyes + say—dear God—please let mommie come home soon. I think that would help a lot—try to pray every night—for everybody. Please draw me a picture especially of yours and Shane’s hands.
Love you lots,
Mommie.
She also composed letters to Nannie and Emmett Eggemeyer and to her cousin Pete Walker. To Pete, she wrote:
They still have me in a lockdown cell but today I moved to a worse place. I was in the block with all the crazy people that want to kill themselves, but they had a girl they needed to move because she keeps banging her head on the wall + trying to get in fights with everyone. So they moved her to a very strict lock down tank and decided I would be in the same tank next to her. They expect me to babysit her + keep her from hurting herself. So I wrote a grievance today stating that my inmate privileges were being unfairly denied b/c I am not in trouble, but the whole time, have been in lockdown + that I would not babysit that girl without a salary + I didn’t care if she beat her head bloody that I would not stop her or call for help.
On Tuesday, she wrote to her family again:
About the insurance—I thought that [the attorney] was making sure of our benefits before we released Mike’s body. I was thinking the benefits may include life insurance policy in my name, social security for Shane until he was 18, social security for me until/if I remarry, TRICOR insurance for Shane + possibly me. Poor Tristan—I guess he doesn’t get squat. Not Really! You know that boy will always have as much or more than Shane.
I have learned many lessons in here.
1. Don’t be so angry + temperamental—life is short and things could always be worse.
2. Try to be patient
3. Don’t take anything for granite [sic] —not y’all’s help, not my kids, not even a mountain dew.
4. Think before I act. Think, think, think or call mom, dad.
5. Trust Mom, Dad + Marshall with anything + everything
6. Cages are cruel
7. If a dog wants kibbles + bits, feed him kibbles + bits
I’m sure there are many others, but these are the most important.
She enclosed the lyrics of a song for her family to the tune of Ponchielli’s “Dance of the Hours”—better known as Allan Sherman’s “Hello Muddah, Hello Faddah.” She wrote kind words to everyone but Marshall:
Hello Marshall . . . My dear brother
You are such . . . a butthole
Even more so . . . Than most others
But I love you . . . And forgive you
Just try to think . . . Before you speak.
Just as you have . . . Told me to do.
She also drafted a letter to her clients to inform them of the situation and announce the re-opening of her clinic, and to apologize for the inconvenience.
On March 7, we were forced to close the clinic due to some slight legal issues I found myself in. It has been highly publicized by the press that Advanced Animal Care had closed and that I, Dr. Wendi Davidson, was in legal trouble. While this information is true, there were many lies told and blatant slander as well. At present, I am not at liberty to discuss details but I urge you not to believe everything the news media releases.
In her next letter home, Wendi complained about not being able to get through to their phone for two hours because the line had been busy.
I am considering to just quit calling because there is never any news, y’all get mad at me and I cry + cry and feel even worse than before I called. I always want to talk to Tristan + see how y’all are doing, but I don’t seem to have the time. It always turns into “We don’t know anything and you are the one that did this to yourself—not us.” I know I am really upset right now but I’m so tired of all this crap and all these crazy people.
She told her parents to sell everything she owned to get her out on bond.
I will live in a halfway house w/the kids or on the streets—I don’t care anymore—anything is better than this—as long as I have my kids, I will do anything the police want—trials—courts. In a few days I will lower myself to false testimony if they will let me out.
She enclosed a note to Tristan:
I cry all the time. Do you still love me or would you rather have a new mommy by now? I hope not. Baby, I am trying so hard to come to you soon but there are a lot of very bad, mean people in the world + they don’t like me. They won’t let me come home to you yet.
On Wednesday, Wendi received the official written response to her grievance signed by Sergeant Bryan Miears:
You were placed on suicide watch per the arresting officer and while on suicide watch you are not permitted to have anything with you in your cell block. I talked to the Sgt. on day shift and is going to look into you not being able to brush your teeth while you were on suicide watch. If there is a problem with your food, then you need to notify a guard at that time. You will remain in lockdown until further notice. We are not required to provide a TV in every cell.
Wendi was not pleased with that response. She expected special treatment even though she was charged with murder.