Accused Killer Urges North Andover Victim's Family To Sue

NORTH ANDOVER, MA -- Brian Chevalier, the man charged with the April 21 murder of Wendi Davidson in North Andover, is blaming the New Hampshire Department of Corrections and the New Hampshire Parole Board for the "whole horrible incident." Chevalier sent the letter to the Eagle-Tribune, which first reported this story, to urge Davidson's family to file a wrongful death lawsuit against New Hampshire's correctional system.

"They knew about my mental health history and refused to do anything about it," Chevalier wrote in a letter dated July 27. He went on to say that a month to a month and a half before "the incident" he told his parole officer he was afraid he was going to "snap." The parole officer, according to Chevalier, "they did not have the resources available to them to help me."

Chevalier, 51, of Merrimack, NH, plead not guilty to strangling Davidson after he was returned to Massachusetts from California last month. He was captured days after the murder in Mexico and has been held in Imeprial County, CA since April. Chevalier had initially fought extradition to Massachusetts. In late June he dropped his fight.

Chevalier is being held in the Essex County Jail in Middleton. Prosecutors allege the Chevalier killed the mother of two after she broke off their engagement. Chevalier and Davidson began dating shortly after he was paroled last year and were engaged on Valentine's Day, but Davidson broke off their relationship in late March or early April, according to family members.

Chevalier's attorney, Rebecca Whitehill, was not immediately available for comment Thursday night. The Essex County District Attorney's office, which is prosecuting the case, declined comment according to the Eagle-Tribune.

"(A)ll of this could have and would have been prevented [with] one phone call and an assessment by a psychiatrist, from the New Hampshire State Hospital, for medication," Chevalier wrote in closing. "I'm truly sorry."

More on this story:

• Man Accused Of Killing North Andover Woman Pleads Not Guilty (7/19/2018)
• Accused North Andover Killer Back In Massachusetts (7/18/2018)
• Accused North Andover Killer Waives Extradition (6/28/2018)
• California Court OKs Extradition Of Accused North Andover Killer(5/15/2018)
• Accused North Andover Killer Could Return To MA Next Week(5/9/2018)
• Accused North Andover Murderer Back In California Court(5/7/2018)
• 2003 Victim: Prosecutors Partly At Fault In North Andover Murder(5/3/2018)
• Victim Offered Harrowing Account Of Night With Accused Killer(5/2/2018)
• Meet The Men Who Tried To Free The Accused North Andover Killer (5/1/2018)
• Accused Killer Still On West Coast, DA Seeks Gov.'s Warrant(4/30/2018)
• Accused Killer's Record Of Violence Against Women Started In 1990 (4/29/2018)
• North Andover Victim Met Alleged Killer On Dating Site(4/28/2018)
• Ex-Fiance Charged With North Andover Woman's Murder(4/27/2018)
• Murder Victim's Fiance Kidnapped Ex-Girlfriend In 2003(4/24/2018)
• North Andover Murder Victim Was "Kind, Caring" (4/23/2018)
• North Andover Homicide Victim Was Strangled (4/22/2018)
• Police Investigating Homicide In North Andover (4/21/2018)

For more on this story, see the Eagle-Tribune. Never miss another local news story: Get free local news alerts right to your inbox.

Patch file photo.

Dave Copeland can be reached at dave.copeland@patch.com or by calling 617-433-7851. Follow him on Twitter (@CopeWrites) and Facebook (/copewrites).