Hearing Scheduled For Accused North Andover Killer

NORTH ANDOVER, MA -- A Salem Superior Court judge will hear motions Feb. 27 in the case of Brian Chevalier. Chevalier, 51, of Merrimack, NH, pleaded not guilty in July to first degree murder in the strangling death of Wendi Davidson in her North Andover home on April 21.

Chevalier sparked a nationwide manhunt when he fled following the discovery of Davidson's body. He was captured days after the murder in Mexico and initially fought extradition to Massachusetts. In late June he dropped his fight and was returned to Massachusetts.

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 in 2017 and were engaged on Valentine's Day 2018, but Davidson broke off their relationship in late March or early April, according to family members.

Chevalier is being held in the Essex County Jail in Middleton. He blames 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 last summer in which he urged 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, said "they did not have the resources available to them to help me."

More on this story:

• Accused Killer Urges North Andover Victim's Family To Sue
• 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)

"(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."

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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).