Accused North Andover Killer Waives Extradition

NORTH ADOVER, MA -- The Essex County District Attorney's office has started making arrangements to bring Brian Chevalier, 51, of Merrimack, NH, back to Massachusetts to face charges in the April 21 murder of Wendi Davidson in her North Andover home. Chevalier has been held in Imperial County, CA as the office tried to secure a Governor's Warrant to return him to Massachusetts. On Wednesday, Chevalier dropped his extradition fight.

Following a May 15 hearing in California, the Essex County started the Governor's Warrant process that could have taken as long as 60 days to bring Chevalier back to Massachusetts. Essex County does not yet know when Chevalier will travel back to Massachusetts and be arraigned but said it had already started making the arrangements to transport him.

On Thursday, an Essex County grand jury indicted Chevalier on first degree murder charges. Chevalier was paroled in December after serving 14 years of a 10- to 33-year sentence in a 2004 conviction of kidnapping, despite protests by the victim in that 2003 crime. He and Davidson started dating shortly after he was paroled and were engaged in February. In late March, Davidson broke off the engagement. On April 21, police responded to Davidson's home at 50 Lincoln Street in North Andover after her body was discovered in the basement, Investigators say Davidson was strangled.

More on this story:

• 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)

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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).