1 00:00:11,378 --> 00:00:12,378 [woman speaking] 2 00:00:15,548 --> 00:00:18,751 [Wendy] Oh, my God. That's so cute. 3 00:00:19,652 --> 00:00:21,220 She loved this house. 4 00:00:21,222 --> 00:00:24,656 She was so excited to move in 5 00:00:24,658 --> 00:00:28,327 and have a great place for Josh to grow up in. 6 00:00:30,530 --> 00:00:33,465 [Wendy chuckles] 7 00:00:33,467 --> 00:00:40,672 [Josh] I was just really happy that we were able to do all these things as a family. 8 00:00:40,674 --> 00:00:44,009 I don't think I could've asked for anything more. 9 00:00:45,045 --> 00:00:47,046 I was just such a happy kid. 10 00:00:48,148 --> 00:00:49,915 [phone rings] 11 00:00:49,917 --> 00:00:54,053 [Josh] We knew from the minute we got that phone call 12 00:00:54,055 --> 00:00:57,056 that life was never going to be the same. 13 00:00:58,058 --> 00:00:59,391 [operator speaking] 14 00:01:00,894 --> 00:01:02,461 [Wendy] Looking over my shoulder, 15 00:01:02,463 --> 00:01:04,530 into the backyard, looking to see, 16 00:01:04,532 --> 00:01:08,801 jeez, you know, is he here? Is he gonna come after us? 17 00:01:08,803 --> 00:01:11,837 [Josh] These are the kind of things you only see in movies. 18 00:01:14,441 --> 00:01:16,675 And it's our life right now. 19 00:01:32,725 --> 00:01:33,792 [man speaking] 20 00:01:38,932 --> 00:01:41,967 [narrator] It's fall 1997. 21 00:01:43,636 --> 00:01:45,704 [woman speaking] 22 00:01:45,706 --> 00:01:49,374 [narrator] 30-year-old Brian Davidson is renovating his home 23 00:01:49,376 --> 00:01:52,511 in Lynn, Massachusetts. 24 00:01:52,513 --> 00:01:56,081 Brian's 28-year-old girlfriend, Wendi Balestrier 25 00:01:56,083 --> 00:01:59,518 and her two-year-old son, Joshua, lend a hand. 26 00:02:01,588 --> 00:02:03,122 [Brian speaking] 27 00:02:05,325 --> 00:02:07,793 - [Wendi speaking] - [Brian speaking] 28 00:02:09,195 --> 00:02:10,662 [Wendi speaking] 29 00:02:14,300 --> 00:02:17,436 [Wendy] That camcorder was a pretty cool thing to have 30 00:02:17,438 --> 00:02:20,339 so, she tried to capture, 31 00:02:20,341 --> 00:02:23,876 you know, everything that she could 32 00:02:23,878 --> 00:02:26,845 so that we'd always have those memories to look back on. 33 00:02:30,817 --> 00:02:34,086 [narrator] Remodeling the upstairs is a breeze for Brian. 34 00:02:34,088 --> 00:02:36,455 He owns his own construction company. 35 00:02:36,457 --> 00:02:37,256 [Josh speaking] 36 00:02:37,924 --> 00:02:39,024 [Brian speaking] 37 00:02:41,895 --> 00:02:44,196 [narrator] And soon he, Wendi and Josh 38 00:02:44,198 --> 00:02:47,633 will live together, as a family, under one roof. 39 00:02:47,635 --> 00:02:50,569 [Wendy] Josh is trying to help his mom, 40 00:02:51,171 --> 00:02:53,272 get his bedroom, 41 00:02:53,274 --> 00:02:55,807 his big boy bedroom, ready. 42 00:02:56,409 --> 00:02:57,943 [Wendi speaking] 43 00:03:01,114 --> 00:03:04,683 [Wendy] I know when Wendi and Brian moved in together, 44 00:03:04,685 --> 00:03:07,686 and they were putting Joshua's room together, 45 00:03:07,688 --> 00:03:10,889 I know that my sister was pretty excited 46 00:03:10,891 --> 00:03:15,527 to have a father figure for her son. 47 00:03:15,529 --> 00:03:17,996 She never really had a relationship 48 00:03:17,998 --> 00:03:21,133 with Joshua's biological dad. 49 00:03:25,572 --> 00:03:27,406 [Wendy] Brian was amazing. 50 00:03:27,408 --> 00:03:34,546 He took Joshua in, as if he was his own son. 51 00:03:34,548 --> 00:03:36,515 [Josh] My parents bought me this toy drill, 52 00:03:36,517 --> 00:03:38,617 so I could be just like my dad, 53 00:03:38,619 --> 00:03:40,319 and help out. 54 00:03:41,688 --> 00:03:45,257 I probably, to this day, still know how to use a drill, 55 00:03:45,259 --> 00:03:48,227 so I don't know what I was thinking back then. 56 00:03:54,701 --> 00:03:57,636 He always just showed me the love and care 57 00:03:57,638 --> 00:04:00,072 that you want from a parent. 58 00:04:00,074 --> 00:04:03,141 Just from the minute he came into my life. 59 00:04:05,378 --> 00:04:09,448 [Sandi] Wendi was born on March 13, 1969, 60 00:04:09,450 --> 00:04:14,386 in Stoneham, Massachusetts, to my sister Pat, 61 00:04:14,388 --> 00:04:17,289 and her husband, Al Balestrier. 62 00:04:17,291 --> 00:04:21,193 She had two brothers, the twins, David and Danny. 63 00:04:22,528 --> 00:04:25,564 She loved, loved, to tease her brothers. 64 00:04:25,566 --> 00:04:28,367 They, absolutely, were always fighting 65 00:04:28,369 --> 00:04:29,668 with each other, 66 00:04:29,670 --> 00:04:33,205 but it was a typical family. 67 00:04:33,207 --> 00:04:35,974 Wendi was about three years old 68 00:04:35,976 --> 00:04:38,910 when Al and my sister Pat divorced. 69 00:04:38,912 --> 00:04:40,679 [narrator] Wendi makes a new best friend 70 00:04:40,681 --> 00:04:43,882 when her father, Al, remarries. 71 00:04:43,884 --> 00:04:45,817 [Wendy] When Wendi and I first met, 72 00:04:45,819 --> 00:04:50,055 I just remember how excited I was to have a sister. 73 00:04:50,057 --> 00:04:53,392 Because I was an only child, it was amazing. 74 00:04:53,394 --> 00:04:56,895 And to also have the same name. 75 00:04:56,897 --> 00:04:58,797 But she was Wendi with an "I", 76 00:04:58,799 --> 00:05:01,600 and I was Wendy with a "Y". 77 00:05:01,602 --> 00:05:05,904 Wendi and I always considered each other sisters. 78 00:05:05,906 --> 00:05:09,675 We never thought about it being a stepsister. 79 00:05:10,643 --> 00:05:12,377 She was just always happy, 80 00:05:12,379 --> 00:05:14,212 and always saw the bright side, 81 00:05:14,214 --> 00:05:17,382 and she would just be there for you. 82 00:05:17,384 --> 00:05:19,384 [narrator] Wendy loves karaoke. 83 00:05:19,386 --> 00:05:23,789 Her friends introduce her to Brian, on a night out. 84 00:05:23,791 --> 00:05:27,292 [Wendy] When she met Brian I believe that, 85 00:05:27,294 --> 00:05:29,695 she thought that he was the one. 86 00:05:31,130 --> 00:05:36,601 My sister and Brian got married November 21, 1998, 87 00:05:36,603 --> 00:05:39,838 and little Joshua was the ring bearer. 88 00:05:41,908 --> 00:05:43,842 He was cute as a button. 89 00:05:43,844 --> 00:05:46,545 Just happy, smiling. 90 00:05:46,547 --> 00:05:51,983 Brian really helped Wendi establish normalcy 91 00:05:51,985 --> 00:05:56,555 for Joshua to have a stable family environment. 92 00:06:06,532 --> 00:06:07,699 [Brian speaking] 93 00:06:11,037 --> 00:06:13,038 Christmas 1998, would have been 94 00:06:13,040 --> 00:06:16,041 our first Christmas together 95 00:06:16,043 --> 00:06:17,442 since they got married. 96 00:06:17,444 --> 00:06:19,411 [toy vacuum buzzing] 97 00:06:20,947 --> 00:06:23,615 [Josh] Oh, it was that toy vacuum. 98 00:06:25,551 --> 00:06:28,220 Back when I thought it was fun to clean the house. 99 00:06:28,955 --> 00:06:30,422 Wait, wait. 100 00:06:31,391 --> 00:06:32,524 [woman speaking] 101 00:06:35,661 --> 00:06:36,695 [Brian speaking] 102 00:06:40,366 --> 00:06:41,400 [woman speaking] 103 00:06:41,402 --> 00:06:44,236 [Wendy] My sister, Wendi, loved Christmas. 104 00:06:44,238 --> 00:06:46,471 I used to get mad at her, telling her, 105 00:06:46,473 --> 00:06:48,106 "Hey, you know, don't spend that much money. 106 00:06:48,108 --> 00:06:49,674 He's not gonna remember, he's small," 107 00:06:49,676 --> 00:06:51,176 but she didn't care. 108 00:06:52,879 --> 00:06:56,148 [narrator] Josh delivers presents to his uncles. 109 00:06:57,984 --> 00:07:00,452 [Josh] This is back when I couldn't tell my two uncles apart. 110 00:07:00,454 --> 00:07:01,987 I couldn't tell you which one's Danny 111 00:07:01,989 --> 00:07:03,755 and which one's David in that video. 112 00:07:10,062 --> 00:07:11,630 [Brian speaking] 113 00:07:11,632 --> 00:07:14,633 [Josh] In the summer of 1999, 114 00:07:14,635 --> 00:07:15,801 we took a day trip 115 00:07:15,803 --> 00:07:19,604 to the Roger Williams Zoo, in Rhode Island. 116 00:07:19,606 --> 00:07:22,507 And I remember it was my first time being to the zoo, 117 00:07:22,509 --> 00:07:26,211 and I was so amazed by all the animals. 118 00:07:27,680 --> 00:07:28,780 [indistinct chatter] 119 00:07:33,486 --> 00:07:35,020 My mom would, you know, 120 00:07:35,022 --> 00:07:37,255 explain to me what all the different exhibits were, 121 00:07:37,257 --> 00:07:39,224 and what all the animals were, 122 00:07:39,226 --> 00:07:42,327 and all these different fun facts about them. 123 00:07:46,432 --> 00:07:48,633 I was just such a happy kid. 124 00:07:48,635 --> 00:07:50,702 There was really nothing else I could ask for 125 00:07:50,704 --> 00:07:52,237 for my childhood. 126 00:07:52,839 --> 00:07:55,640 [dog barks] 127 00:07:55,642 --> 00:08:00,212 [narrator] Fast forward to April 23, 2000. 128 00:08:00,813 --> 00:08:02,047 [Wendi speaking] 129 00:08:05,651 --> 00:08:07,652 [Wendi speaking] 130 00:08:07,654 --> 00:08:12,023 [narrator] The Davidsons prepare to welcome a new member of the family. 131 00:08:12,025 --> 00:08:15,927 [Josh] When I found out that my mom was pregnant, 132 00:08:15,929 --> 00:08:21,266 I was so happy to become a big brother. 133 00:08:21,268 --> 00:08:24,903 [Wendy] My sister definitely loved being pregnant. 134 00:08:24,905 --> 00:08:27,172 She was only four foot nine, 135 00:08:27,174 --> 00:08:30,842 so there wasn't much space for the baby. 136 00:08:30,844 --> 00:08:32,043 Like magic. 137 00:08:32,045 --> 00:08:35,113 [Wendy] She was just so excited to start her family, 138 00:08:35,115 --> 00:08:39,718 and have a foundation that she could call her own. 139 00:08:39,720 --> 00:08:40,785 [Brian speaking] 140 00:08:44,390 --> 00:08:49,060 [Sandi] Little Bryan was born on May 3, 2000. 141 00:08:49,062 --> 00:08:50,328 [Brian speaking] 142 00:08:52,532 --> 00:08:56,001 [Sandi] Wendi was so excited when Bryan was born. 143 00:08:56,003 --> 00:09:01,006 But she also was worried that Joshua would be jealous 144 00:09:01,474 --> 00:09:02,707 of little Bryan. 145 00:09:05,678 --> 00:09:08,580 He actually was very good with the baby, 146 00:09:08,582 --> 00:09:10,315 but I would always hear Wendi saying, 147 00:09:10,317 --> 00:09:12,751 "Be careful, be easy with your brother. 148 00:09:12,753 --> 00:09:16,187 You gotta go careful. He's just a baby." 149 00:09:25,298 --> 00:09:27,198 [singing indistinctly] 150 00:09:39,512 --> 00:09:43,014 Bryan was baptized in early 2001 151 00:09:43,016 --> 00:09:47,085 at St. Theresa's church, in Billerica, Massachusetts. 152 00:10:07,807 --> 00:10:09,140 [Brian speaking] 153 00:10:12,178 --> 00:10:16,414 My mom is definitely enjoying watching me get wet, 154 00:10:17,416 --> 00:10:19,784 uh, just making me laugh. 155 00:10:29,595 --> 00:10:31,930 I'm in my dad's arms, yeah, 156 00:10:31,932 --> 00:10:33,798 you see me at one point, 157 00:10:33,800 --> 00:10:37,102 lean into him and say, "Get me out of here." 158 00:10:39,005 --> 00:10:40,672 When we were kids growing up, 159 00:10:40,674 --> 00:10:45,543 we always wanted to have our own family. 160 00:10:45,545 --> 00:10:47,912 She was just over the moon. 161 00:10:47,914 --> 00:10:52,050 She truly was, to have her family together. 162 00:11:03,162 --> 00:11:06,665 Two years later, in spring 2002, 163 00:11:06,667 --> 00:11:08,466 I had my second birthday. 164 00:11:22,381 --> 00:11:24,349 Josh and I loved sports. 165 00:11:24,351 --> 00:11:25,516 We were competitive. 166 00:11:25,584 --> 00:11:26,885 We were brothers and we were always going at it, 167 00:11:26,887 --> 00:11:29,087 always trying to one-up each other, 168 00:11:29,089 --> 00:11:31,156 just trying to be better than each other. 169 00:11:33,025 --> 00:11:36,327 [spectators cheering] 170 00:11:38,998 --> 00:11:42,100 My mom was always my biggest fan 171 00:11:42,102 --> 00:11:44,335 when I was playing sports growing up. 172 00:11:44,337 --> 00:11:46,337 She would be the one in the crowd 173 00:11:46,339 --> 00:11:48,573 cheering and screaming. 174 00:11:48,575 --> 00:11:49,708 [David speaking] 175 00:11:50,176 --> 00:11:52,243 [crowd cheering] 176 00:11:54,346 --> 00:11:56,915 [Josh] Basically sacrificing their entire weekends, 177 00:11:56,917 --> 00:11:58,283 throughout the fall and spring, 178 00:11:58,285 --> 00:12:00,452 to make sure that we could play every sport we wanted 179 00:12:00,454 --> 00:12:02,420 and that we didn't miss anything. 180 00:12:04,290 --> 00:12:07,425 [narrator] Brian and Wendi fit their busy parenting schedule 181 00:12:07,427 --> 00:12:09,527 around their full-time jobs. 182 00:12:10,830 --> 00:12:13,531 [Sandi] So, Wendi was always hard worker. 183 00:12:13,533 --> 00:12:15,333 It was in her blood, 184 00:12:15,335 --> 00:12:20,839 and she even wanted to do another job, and do two jobs, 185 00:12:20,841 --> 00:12:23,575 just so she would have the money for the boys, 186 00:12:23,577 --> 00:12:30,515 and she never, ever went without for the boys. 187 00:12:30,517 --> 00:12:33,084 It was stressful on her, too, though, 188 00:12:33,086 --> 00:12:37,222 because she was trying to balance her personal life, 189 00:12:37,224 --> 00:12:39,290 with her work life. 190 00:12:39,292 --> 00:12:43,328 Brian worked long hours because he owned his own company, 191 00:12:43,330 --> 00:12:47,298 so it did put a lot of strain on their relationship. 192 00:12:51,303 --> 00:12:53,171 [narrator] The cracks in Wendi and Brian's marriage 193 00:12:53,173 --> 00:12:55,940 are starting to show by Christmas 2004. 194 00:12:55,942 --> 00:12:57,175 - [Brian speaking] - [Wendi speaking] 195 00:12:57,710 --> 00:12:58,777 [Brian speaking] 196 00:13:06,185 --> 00:13:07,819 [Sandi] They were growing apart, 197 00:13:07,821 --> 00:13:11,523 they were having, you know, quarrels and fights 198 00:13:11,525 --> 00:13:13,758 and she didn't want the kids to be affected. 199 00:13:14,426 --> 00:13:15,627 [woman speaking] 200 00:13:17,830 --> 00:13:19,164 Ah, that's nice. 201 00:13:20,633 --> 00:13:21,666 [Brian speaking] 202 00:13:21,668 --> 00:13:23,134 [Josh] As you're growing up, 203 00:13:23,136 --> 00:13:25,937 you don't really understand fully 204 00:13:25,939 --> 00:13:28,807 what relationships are like. 205 00:13:28,809 --> 00:13:31,409 So, as a kid I just kinda knew that, hey, that was my mom, 206 00:13:31,411 --> 00:13:34,846 that was my dad, they're together, they love each other. 207 00:13:36,448 --> 00:13:38,650 In the fall of 2005, 208 00:13:38,652 --> 00:13:41,786 my parents sat my brother Bryan and I down, 209 00:13:41,788 --> 00:13:44,956 and they told us that they were going to get a divorce, 210 00:13:44,958 --> 00:13:46,825 and that there was going to be 211 00:13:46,827 --> 00:13:51,062 some pretty drastic changes in our lives. 212 00:13:57,903 --> 00:13:59,704 [Wendy] I know my sister. 213 00:13:59,706 --> 00:14:03,007 She was heartbroken about the divorce. 214 00:14:03,009 --> 00:14:04,742 It was really hard for Wendi. 215 00:14:07,146 --> 00:14:09,280 Wendi had full custody, 216 00:14:09,282 --> 00:14:11,583 but Brian could always see the boys 217 00:14:11,585 --> 00:14:13,251 whenever he wanted to. 218 00:14:14,086 --> 00:14:15,353 It was hard. 219 00:14:15,355 --> 00:14:17,222 Hard being a single mom with two kids, 220 00:14:17,224 --> 00:14:19,991 and taking care of a house by herself now. 221 00:14:26,799 --> 00:14:28,666 [narrator] Wendy puts on a brave face 222 00:14:28,668 --> 00:14:31,035 for the sake of her family. 223 00:14:31,037 --> 00:14:32,570 [Wendy] And this is a video 224 00:14:32,572 --> 00:14:35,240 of my daughter's birthday party. 225 00:14:35,574 --> 00:14:36,541 [woman speaking] 226 00:14:37,076 --> 00:14:38,209 [man speaking] 227 00:14:41,080 --> 00:14:42,914 [Wendy] And there's my sister. 228 00:14:42,916 --> 00:14:45,016 Helping out with all the kids. 229 00:14:45,018 --> 00:14:47,986 That was right after she had had her divorce 230 00:14:47,988 --> 00:14:51,222 and she still came. 231 00:14:51,224 --> 00:14:53,024 Happy as can be. 232 00:14:53,026 --> 00:14:54,425 Taking care of everybody. 233 00:14:56,128 --> 00:14:57,729 [man speaking] 234 00:15:00,199 --> 00:15:01,532 [man speaking] 235 00:15:12,344 --> 00:15:13,411 [man speaking] 236 00:15:17,249 --> 00:15:18,449 [man speaking] 237 00:15:20,152 --> 00:15:21,653 [laughs] They loved her. 238 00:15:21,655 --> 00:15:23,354 They loved this. 239 00:15:25,424 --> 00:15:27,258 I just remember her laughing. 240 00:15:27,260 --> 00:15:32,463 She just loved making people happy. 241 00:15:34,867 --> 00:15:36,067 Following the divorce, 242 00:15:36,069 --> 00:15:41,339 Wendi worked for a company called AHA Consulting. 243 00:15:41,341 --> 00:15:45,643 I think she was just pretty excited to start working on herself 244 00:15:45,645 --> 00:15:49,948 and to better herself as a mom and as a human being. 245 00:15:49,950 --> 00:15:54,018 [Sandi] She worked very hard. She started as a receptionist, 246 00:15:54,020 --> 00:15:56,087 and she worked her way up 247 00:15:56,089 --> 00:16:00,124 and she became an accountant for them. 248 00:16:00,126 --> 00:16:03,494 Well, after Wendi got the promotion, 249 00:16:03,496 --> 00:16:08,333 she believed that she could do anything. 250 00:16:09,735 --> 00:16:11,002 [Josh] In 2014, 251 00:16:11,069 --> 00:16:15,306 around the time that my mom had gotten this promotion at work, 252 00:16:15,308 --> 00:16:20,979 she moved back in with her brother Danny, in North Andover. 253 00:16:22,314 --> 00:16:23,982 [Stacy] It was kind of a win-win for her. 254 00:16:23,984 --> 00:16:25,850 She was able to move back in with her brother, 255 00:16:25,852 --> 00:16:27,785 and they were able to split the rent 256 00:16:27,787 --> 00:16:30,822 and so she was helping him as well as herself. 257 00:16:30,824 --> 00:16:32,991 [narrator] The fresh start prompts Wendy 258 00:16:32,993 --> 00:16:34,926 to look for love. 259 00:16:34,928 --> 00:16:37,929 My mom, like, she dated, and I mean, 260 00:16:37,931 --> 00:16:39,964 she had a few boyfriends from here or there 261 00:16:39,966 --> 00:16:42,500 that we had met but, you know, 262 00:16:42,502 --> 00:16:46,137 nothing really ever stuck around long-term. 263 00:16:48,807 --> 00:16:50,441 [Sandi] I would always ask her the next day, 264 00:16:50,443 --> 00:16:52,810 when she called me, "Hi, how was your date last night?" 265 00:16:52,812 --> 00:16:54,612 And she would always say, 266 00:16:54,614 --> 00:16:57,115 it was good, it was bad, indifferent, 267 00:16:57,117 --> 00:16:58,716 whatever it might be. 268 00:17:00,252 --> 00:17:03,054 In 2017, in December, 269 00:17:03,056 --> 00:17:06,024 she had called me and told me that she had met someone. 270 00:17:06,026 --> 00:17:07,225 [narrator] Wendi's new match 271 00:17:07,227 --> 00:17:10,061 is 51-year-old Brian Chevalier, 272 00:17:10,063 --> 00:17:12,230 from Merrimack, New Hampshire. 273 00:17:12,232 --> 00:17:13,965 He works in traffic control 274 00:17:13,967 --> 00:17:16,834 for construction and utility companies. 275 00:17:16,836 --> 00:17:18,569 [Stacy] She said, this guy Brian 276 00:17:18,571 --> 00:17:21,005 was super nice. She couldn't wait for me to meet him 277 00:17:21,007 --> 00:17:22,440 and Wendi was like, "Oh, my God. 278 00:17:22,442 --> 00:17:24,942 He's like, the best." Da, da, da, da, da. 279 00:17:24,944 --> 00:17:29,213 [Wendy] He looked like a neat, put together kind of guy. 280 00:17:29,215 --> 00:17:31,149 He wore beads around his neck 281 00:17:31,151 --> 00:17:35,219 and he also wore beads around his wrist. 282 00:17:35,221 --> 00:17:37,055 I thought it was cool, and I thought that maybe 283 00:17:37,057 --> 00:17:38,790 he was spiritual. 284 00:17:38,792 --> 00:17:41,225 And so, if I thought he was spiritual 285 00:17:41,227 --> 00:17:44,462 then I felt, then maybe he is kind. 286 00:17:45,564 --> 00:17:46,998 [narrator] Brian lives at home 287 00:17:47,000 --> 00:17:49,834 to look after his elderly mother. 288 00:17:49,836 --> 00:17:52,403 [Stacy] The fact that Brian was caring for his mother 289 00:17:52,405 --> 00:17:55,807 was a huge factor of why Wendi felt 290 00:17:55,809 --> 00:17:57,175 even more attracted to him. 291 00:17:57,177 --> 00:18:00,278 'Cause here's a guy who is back at home 292 00:18:00,280 --> 00:18:02,013 taking care of his mom. 293 00:18:02,015 --> 00:18:04,415 So I definitely think Wendi, 294 00:18:04,417 --> 00:18:08,019 being in that relationship and being a family person, 295 00:18:08,021 --> 00:18:10,354 you know, that made her fall even harder for him. 296 00:18:11,490 --> 00:18:13,024 [Sandi] Wendi had told me 297 00:18:13,026 --> 00:18:14,926 that she felt that this gentleman 298 00:18:14,928 --> 00:18:17,161 was fun to be with, 299 00:18:17,163 --> 00:18:20,098 like to do the things that she did. 300 00:18:20,100 --> 00:18:21,666 He was handsome, 301 00:18:21,668 --> 00:18:25,103 that they had a great time when they went out. 302 00:18:25,105 --> 00:18:26,337 They laughed. 303 00:18:26,371 --> 00:18:30,041 [Wendy] And she, you know, fell in love with the fact 304 00:18:30,043 --> 00:18:31,909 that he was in love with her 305 00:18:31,911 --> 00:18:34,145 and made her feel that special feeling. 306 00:18:42,387 --> 00:18:45,656 [Josh] In February of 2018, 307 00:18:45,658 --> 00:18:48,159 I open up Facebook, and, lo and behold, 308 00:18:48,161 --> 00:18:53,297 the top post I see is that my mom is engaged. 309 00:18:55,534 --> 00:18:57,235 I was like, "What?" 310 00:18:57,237 --> 00:18:58,503 Like, I... 311 00:18:58,505 --> 00:19:02,173 I didn't even know she was dating anybody at the time. 312 00:19:02,175 --> 00:19:06,110 She was like, "I hate that you had to find out this way, 313 00:19:06,112 --> 00:19:09,380 but I've been seeing someone that I met online 314 00:19:09,382 --> 00:19:10,815 for about two months now, 315 00:19:10,817 --> 00:19:13,551 and we just hit it off." 316 00:19:13,553 --> 00:19:17,522 I questioned that they didn't know each other that long, 317 00:19:17,524 --> 00:19:21,459 and is she absolutely sure that this is the right thing? 318 00:19:21,461 --> 00:19:23,694 And she said to me, "Auntie, 319 00:19:23,696 --> 00:19:25,396 you met uncle Jimmy, 320 00:19:25,398 --> 00:19:28,833 and you married him in a month and nine days. 321 00:19:28,835 --> 00:19:34,138 And you've been married for over 30 years to that man, 322 00:19:34,140 --> 00:19:37,341 and I want someone that treats me the way 323 00:19:37,343 --> 00:19:39,410 that uncle Jimmy treats you." 324 00:19:41,947 --> 00:19:46,284 [Josh] A couple days after learning of her engagement, 325 00:19:46,286 --> 00:19:49,720 I figured I was gonna find what he did for a career, 326 00:19:49,722 --> 00:19:52,590 and just kind of figure out who this person was. 327 00:19:53,592 --> 00:19:55,860 The first result that came up 328 00:19:55,862 --> 00:19:57,828 was an article 329 00:19:57,830 --> 00:20:01,666 about a kidnapping that was committed by 330 00:20:01,668 --> 00:20:03,534 a person with this name. 331 00:20:04,670 --> 00:20:06,103 And you read through the article, 332 00:20:06,105 --> 00:20:09,340 and you see all these different words like, 333 00:20:09,342 --> 00:20:12,944 "kidnapping" and "assault," 334 00:20:12,946 --> 00:20:16,647 that just send chills down your spine. 335 00:20:16,649 --> 00:20:19,083 And I remember reading it 336 00:20:19,085 --> 00:20:21,986 and being like, there's no way. Like, 337 00:20:21,988 --> 00:20:25,122 there's gotta be many people 338 00:20:25,124 --> 00:20:27,525 in this world with that same name. 339 00:20:27,527 --> 00:20:29,360 There's just no way. 340 00:20:33,632 --> 00:20:36,367 [narrator] Josh discovers that in 2003, 341 00:20:36,369 --> 00:20:39,003 police in New Hampshire charge Brian Chevalier 342 00:20:39,005 --> 00:20:42,039 with the kidnap and sexual assault of a woman. 343 00:20:42,041 --> 00:20:46,010 A jury acquit Chevalier of the sexual assault charge, 344 00:20:46,012 --> 00:20:48,913 but it finds him guilty of kidnapping. 345 00:20:48,915 --> 00:20:52,950 Chevalier serves 13 years of a 30-year sentence. 346 00:20:52,952 --> 00:20:58,122 Authorities in New Hampshire parole him 2017. 347 00:20:58,124 --> 00:21:01,125 I called my mom later that night 348 00:21:01,127 --> 00:21:05,496 and she told me that she was aware. 349 00:21:06,465 --> 00:21:09,066 She linked me to another article 350 00:21:09,068 --> 00:21:12,069 that showed that he was acquitted 351 00:21:12,071 --> 00:21:14,305 of all charges except for kidnapping 352 00:21:14,307 --> 00:21:17,441 and he said that he was, more or less, 353 00:21:17,443 --> 00:21:19,710 falsely accused of all of this. 354 00:21:21,246 --> 00:21:23,481 [narrator] Wendi shows her sons a letter 355 00:21:23,483 --> 00:21:25,249 signed by two police officers 356 00:21:25,251 --> 00:21:28,786 that was presented at Chevalier's parole hearing. 357 00:21:28,788 --> 00:21:30,788 The letter states that Brian is innocent 358 00:21:30,790 --> 00:21:32,590 of the kidnapping charge. 359 00:21:34,793 --> 00:21:36,027 [Bryan] She opens up. 360 00:21:36,029 --> 00:21:38,195 This happened to him, 361 00:21:38,197 --> 00:21:41,899 I have these papers that say 362 00:21:41,901 --> 00:21:44,101 that he didn't do it. 363 00:21:46,271 --> 00:21:47,938 [narrator] And that's what Chevalier 364 00:21:47,940 --> 00:21:51,075 tells the parole board in 2017. 365 00:21:52,978 --> 00:21:54,578 [Chevalier speaking] 366 00:22:04,623 --> 00:22:06,324 [man speaking] 367 00:22:06,326 --> 00:22:07,525 [Chevalier speaking] 368 00:22:25,143 --> 00:22:26,677 [man speaking] 369 00:22:28,814 --> 00:22:30,414 [Chevalier speaking] 370 00:22:35,420 --> 00:22:37,221 [Sandi] And he said that 371 00:22:37,223 --> 00:22:39,390 he went before the parole board 372 00:22:39,392 --> 00:22:42,626 and told them that he was a changed man, 373 00:22:42,628 --> 00:22:46,163 and that all's he wanted to do was take care of his mother 374 00:22:46,165 --> 00:22:48,032 because she was very sickly, 375 00:22:48,034 --> 00:22:52,970 and he wanted to try to re-acclimate himself into society. 376 00:22:55,073 --> 00:22:57,575 [narrator] Wendi introduces Brian to her family 377 00:22:57,577 --> 00:23:00,978 a week after her surprise engagement. 378 00:23:00,980 --> 00:23:03,381 [Sandi] She had called me and told me that 379 00:23:03,383 --> 00:23:07,451 she wanted my husband and I to meet him. 380 00:23:07,453 --> 00:23:11,922 So we agreed that she could come over the house with him, 381 00:23:11,924 --> 00:23:15,159 and she brought little Bryan with her also. 382 00:23:16,294 --> 00:23:19,096 He was very attentive to her. 383 00:23:19,098 --> 00:23:20,664 They were holding hands, 384 00:23:20,666 --> 00:23:24,168 he was stroking her hand with his finger, 385 00:23:24,170 --> 00:23:32,009 the affection piece of it that she really, really loved. 386 00:23:32,011 --> 00:23:35,079 [Bryan] My mom always liked to see the good in people. 387 00:23:35,081 --> 00:23:37,681 So when she was dating someone, 388 00:23:37,683 --> 00:23:39,650 she would always find the good in them, 389 00:23:39,652 --> 00:23:41,452 and she would tend to hang onto that. 390 00:23:42,287 --> 00:23:44,155 [Sandi] The whole conversation, 391 00:23:44,157 --> 00:23:48,192 he never looked at us once in the eyes. 392 00:23:48,194 --> 00:23:53,197 He kept looking down, looking at her, looking away. 393 00:23:53,199 --> 00:23:56,333 She had called me later that evening and said, 394 00:23:56,335 --> 00:23:58,235 "What do you think of him?" 395 00:23:58,237 --> 00:24:00,037 And I honestly said to her 396 00:24:00,039 --> 00:24:04,575 that Uncle Jimmy and I were uncomfortable with him. 397 00:24:04,577 --> 00:24:06,844 She said, "He was really nervous, Auntie, 398 00:24:06,846 --> 00:24:11,515 I told him how important you and Uncle Jimmy were to me, 399 00:24:11,517 --> 00:24:13,918 and how close I was to you, 400 00:24:13,920 --> 00:24:15,519 and that he had to understand 401 00:24:15,521 --> 00:24:17,521 that you were going to drill him 402 00:24:17,523 --> 00:24:19,957 and ask him questions." 403 00:24:19,959 --> 00:24:22,092 And I said, "Okay, fine." 404 00:24:23,195 --> 00:24:24,595 She fully trusted him 405 00:24:24,597 --> 00:24:27,031 and believed that he was innocent. 406 00:24:34,606 --> 00:24:36,407 [Stacy] Wendi had contacted me at, like, 407 00:24:36,409 --> 00:24:40,544 the beginning of March, 2018, 408 00:24:40,546 --> 00:24:44,415 that Brian had started to change. 409 00:24:44,417 --> 00:24:47,151 He was becoming very needy, 410 00:24:47,153 --> 00:24:50,688 and constantly wanting Wendi's attention 24-7, 411 00:24:50,690 --> 00:24:53,491 and would get upset with her if she would choose 412 00:24:53,493 --> 00:24:56,160 to be with her friends that day, 413 00:24:56,162 --> 00:24:58,896 or go see the boys that day, 414 00:24:58,898 --> 00:25:03,033 or if she'd even come visit us for an event. 415 00:25:03,035 --> 00:25:04,435 She said to me, "I'm not really sure 416 00:25:04,437 --> 00:25:06,403 that this is really gonna work out 417 00:25:06,405 --> 00:25:08,172 because he seems to be, you know, 418 00:25:08,174 --> 00:25:11,175 really clingy and very needy." 419 00:25:11,177 --> 00:25:13,244 And she had expressed to me 420 00:25:13,246 --> 00:25:17,114 that she was willing to work it through 421 00:25:17,116 --> 00:25:21,085 as long as he agreed to go to counselling. 422 00:25:21,087 --> 00:25:22,820 He kept telling her that he was gonna do it, 423 00:25:22,822 --> 00:25:24,622 he was gonna do it, he was gonna do it, 424 00:25:24,624 --> 00:25:27,591 but then he'd blow it off. 425 00:25:27,593 --> 00:25:32,963 [narrator] Wendi calls off the engagement in April, 2018. 426 00:25:32,965 --> 00:25:36,133 April 2, at nine o'clock in the morning, she said, 427 00:25:36,135 --> 00:25:38,402 "I broke it off with him this morning, 428 00:25:38,404 --> 00:25:42,239 I did it over text, but I don't care." 429 00:25:42,241 --> 00:25:44,508 She said, "I gave back the ring, 430 00:25:44,510 --> 00:25:46,143 I told him that I really 431 00:25:46,145 --> 00:25:49,480 don't want to be engaged to him anymore." 432 00:25:49,482 --> 00:25:52,983 [narrator] Wendi appears to be her old bubbly self again, 433 00:25:52,985 --> 00:25:57,221 a few weeks after she ends the relationship with Brian. 434 00:25:57,223 --> 00:26:00,691 April 14 of 2018, 435 00:26:00,693 --> 00:26:02,526 was my 40th birthday party. 436 00:26:02,528 --> 00:26:03,694 [man speaking] 437 00:26:12,037 --> 00:26:14,538 My mom, Wendi's Auntie Sandi, 438 00:26:14,540 --> 00:26:16,540 walked me through the door, 439 00:26:16,542 --> 00:26:18,542 and everybody yelled, "Surprise!" 440 00:26:18,544 --> 00:26:21,011 And the first person to yell, "Surprise" in my face 441 00:26:21,013 --> 00:26:23,080 that was by the door was Wendi, 442 00:26:23,082 --> 00:26:26,216 who jumped into my arms and gave me a huge hug and a kiss. 443 00:26:27,152 --> 00:26:28,953 She was dancing with her boys, 444 00:26:28,955 --> 00:26:30,921 Joshua and Bryan were up dancing with us. 445 00:26:30,923 --> 00:26:33,324 It was, like, the happiest I had seen her 446 00:26:33,326 --> 00:26:35,459 since back in January. 447 00:26:35,461 --> 00:26:38,462 She just almost seemed like a weight had been lifted off of her shoulders. 448 00:26:40,265 --> 00:26:41,498 [Josh] We danced, 449 00:26:41,500 --> 00:26:43,167 we laughed, 450 00:26:43,169 --> 00:26:47,471 and it was just, we had a really nice time. 451 00:26:47,473 --> 00:26:52,343 But little did we know that was going to be 452 00:26:52,345 --> 00:26:55,212 the last time that I ever saw her in person. 453 00:26:59,718 --> 00:27:02,019 [phone rings] 454 00:27:03,021 --> 00:27:04,755 [operator speaking] 455 00:27:06,658 --> 00:27:09,026 [Breanna] North Andover Police received a 911 call 456 00:27:09,028 --> 00:27:14,064 at half past noon on Saturday, April 21, 2018. 457 00:27:15,166 --> 00:27:18,168 It was a man who called North Andover Police 458 00:27:18,170 --> 00:27:22,606 to say that his sister was found in the basement of their home. 459 00:27:23,108 --> 00:27:24,708 [Danny speaking] 460 00:27:26,978 --> 00:27:28,679 - [operator speaking] - [Danny speaking] 461 00:27:31,516 --> 00:27:32,983 [operator speaking] 462 00:27:34,886 --> 00:27:36,353 [Danny speaking] 463 00:27:38,890 --> 00:27:40,791 [Breanna] Within minutes, first responders 464 00:27:40,793 --> 00:27:45,329 from North Andover Police and EMS responded to the home. 465 00:27:45,331 --> 00:27:49,933 They go down to the basement, and they find Wendi Davidson. 466 00:27:49,935 --> 00:27:54,538 They found that Wendi was strangled to death. 467 00:27:55,907 --> 00:28:00,077 There was a USB cord secured with a zip tie 468 00:28:00,079 --> 00:28:01,645 around her throat. 469 00:28:04,315 --> 00:28:06,083 Wendi's brother, Danny, had told police 470 00:28:06,085 --> 00:28:08,886 that the last time he saw his sister 471 00:28:08,888 --> 00:28:11,221 was the previous morning, about 6:00 am, 472 00:28:11,223 --> 00:28:13,057 before he was going to work. 473 00:28:15,960 --> 00:28:19,897 A neighbor that had lived upstairs in this two-family home 474 00:28:19,899 --> 00:28:24,101 had gone downstairs to change the water in a humidifier 475 00:28:24,103 --> 00:28:30,174 and that is when she made the discovery of Wendi's body. 476 00:28:30,176 --> 00:28:34,878 Danny had told police that he had come home from work, 477 00:28:34,880 --> 00:28:37,915 about five o'clock the night before 478 00:28:37,917 --> 00:28:40,217 his sister's body was discovered. 479 00:28:40,219 --> 00:28:44,321 She wasn't home, and it wasn't anything he thought much of. 480 00:28:44,323 --> 00:28:48,025 He just assumed she was out and he had gone to bed. 481 00:28:50,328 --> 00:28:52,496 [phone rings] 482 00:28:52,498 --> 00:28:55,532 [Josh] I answer the phone, and it's my grandfather. 483 00:28:55,534 --> 00:28:58,335 And he says, "Josh," you know, 484 00:28:58,337 --> 00:29:00,237 I'm gonna need you to come home." 485 00:29:04,409 --> 00:29:06,310 And he says, "Josh... 486 00:29:10,048 --> 00:29:11,582 mom's dead." 487 00:29:18,523 --> 00:29:20,491 [Wendy] I just remember 488 00:29:22,494 --> 00:29:25,662 thinking that she was in the basement by herself. 489 00:29:26,598 --> 00:29:27,765 [sobbing] 490 00:29:31,703 --> 00:29:34,638 And I just wanted to be with her 491 00:29:34,640 --> 00:29:37,274 because I didn't believe that she was gone. 492 00:29:46,317 --> 00:29:49,887 [Breanna] Police combing the home for evidence 493 00:29:49,889 --> 00:29:51,555 go upstairs to Wendi's bedroom, 494 00:29:51,557 --> 00:29:57,528 and they find some blood stains on the bed sheet. 495 00:29:57,530 --> 00:30:01,265 The evidence found upstairs in Wendi's bedroom 496 00:30:01,267 --> 00:30:03,400 indicated that some sort of a struggle 497 00:30:03,402 --> 00:30:05,135 had likely happened there 498 00:30:05,137 --> 00:30:09,339 before Wendi's body was moved down to the basement. 499 00:30:09,341 --> 00:30:13,043 Missing from the scene are Wendi's purse, 500 00:30:13,045 --> 00:30:16,780 including her bank cards, her cell phone, her car keys. 501 00:30:18,082 --> 00:30:19,349 Once police discover 502 00:30:19,351 --> 00:30:23,120 that Wendi's white Nissan is not in the driveway, 503 00:30:23,122 --> 00:30:25,322 they put out an alert to local law enforcement 504 00:30:25,324 --> 00:30:28,659 to keep an eye out for it, it may be in the area. 505 00:30:30,161 --> 00:30:32,830 Though Wendi's body was not discovered 506 00:30:32,832 --> 00:30:35,065 until Saturday, April 21, 507 00:30:35,067 --> 00:30:37,434 the medical examiner determines 508 00:30:37,436 --> 00:30:39,102 by looking at her injuries 509 00:30:39,104 --> 00:30:41,605 that the time of death was the day prior, 510 00:30:41,607 --> 00:30:44,474 sometime in the morning of Friday, April 20. 511 00:30:48,813 --> 00:30:51,648 A few days after she was killed... 512 00:30:54,085 --> 00:30:56,186 and they wrapped up the crime scene, 513 00:30:57,088 --> 00:30:58,655 we knew we needed to go there. 514 00:30:59,924 --> 00:31:02,426 My uncle, all of his belongings were there. 515 00:31:02,428 --> 00:31:05,696 He needed clothes, he needed his things. 516 00:31:07,932 --> 00:31:09,533 So we go into the house, 517 00:31:12,136 --> 00:31:13,637 start walking through, 518 00:31:15,340 --> 00:31:17,574 turn into her bedroom, 519 00:31:19,210 --> 00:31:21,378 and there's blood stains on the sheets, 520 00:31:22,680 --> 00:31:25,949 and there was beads all over the floor. 521 00:31:27,452 --> 00:31:29,887 [Wendy] And all of a sudden, we were standing there, 522 00:31:29,889 --> 00:31:33,290 and one of the beads just kind of rolled out. 523 00:31:33,292 --> 00:31:36,293 And we are all standing there like, "holy moly". 524 00:31:36,295 --> 00:31:38,595 [Josh] Immediately, we knew 525 00:31:40,899 --> 00:31:44,134 who those beads belonged to. 526 00:31:44,136 --> 00:31:48,005 [Wendy] We knew that they were Brian Chevalier's beads. 527 00:31:50,909 --> 00:31:54,411 [Breanna] Police found Wendi's car in a parking lot 528 00:31:54,413 --> 00:31:58,782 outside of Choice Fitness, a gym about a mile down the street. 529 00:31:58,784 --> 00:32:01,885 They were able to request surveillance footage 530 00:32:01,887 --> 00:32:05,289 from a restaurant across the street. 531 00:32:05,291 --> 00:32:10,227 On the afternoon of April 20, the day that Wendi was killed, 532 00:32:10,229 --> 00:32:13,096 about 3:25 in the afternoon, 533 00:32:13,098 --> 00:32:15,332 surveillance taken from the restaurant 534 00:32:15,334 --> 00:32:17,134 shows a man walking 535 00:32:17,136 --> 00:32:20,103 from the direction of Choice Fitness, 536 00:32:20,105 --> 00:32:23,607 and he was walking back towards the direction of Wendi's home. 537 00:32:25,076 --> 00:32:28,312 The man identified was Brian Chevalier. 538 00:32:28,314 --> 00:32:32,182 He was caught on surveillance footage in his own vehicle, 539 00:32:32,184 --> 00:32:33,951 traveling away from the scene. 540 00:32:35,353 --> 00:32:37,120 When police obtain reports 541 00:32:37,122 --> 00:32:39,456 from Wendi's missing bank cards, 542 00:32:39,458 --> 00:32:42,426 they discover that one of the cards had been used 543 00:32:42,428 --> 00:32:44,594 about 30 miles away from North Andover, 544 00:32:44,596 --> 00:32:46,997 in Manchester, New Hampshire. 545 00:32:46,999 --> 00:32:51,268 A withdrawal of $503 was made at an ATM 546 00:32:51,270 --> 00:32:53,603 close to the Manchester airport. 547 00:32:55,239 --> 00:32:57,808 Police head there, to Manchester, New Hampshire, 548 00:32:57,810 --> 00:33:01,244 where they find Brian Chevalier's Dodge Caliber, 549 00:33:01,246 --> 00:33:03,647 behind the business. 550 00:33:03,649 --> 00:33:08,051 They find Wendi's car keys, her cell phone, 551 00:33:08,053 --> 00:33:09,486 a package of zip ties, 552 00:33:09,488 --> 00:33:13,924 as well as a receipt for zip ties. 553 00:33:13,926 --> 00:33:17,094 Those zip ties are said to have very closely matched 554 00:33:17,096 --> 00:33:20,364 the type that was found on Wendi's body. 555 00:33:20,366 --> 00:33:22,065 [narrator] Brian Chevalier 556 00:33:22,067 --> 00:33:23,967 is long gone. 557 00:33:23,969 --> 00:33:26,503 [Bryan] No one knew where he was or what he was doing. 558 00:33:26,505 --> 00:33:29,773 When we were all gathered at the house that afternoon, 559 00:33:29,775 --> 00:33:31,108 every time a car would drive by, 560 00:33:31,110 --> 00:33:34,311 everybody would kind of stare at the window, just in case. 561 00:33:35,179 --> 00:33:36,213 [Wendy] What's his plan? 562 00:33:36,215 --> 00:33:37,280 What is he thinking? 563 00:33:37,282 --> 00:33:39,182 Is he angry at the whole family now? 564 00:33:39,184 --> 00:33:40,784 Is he gonna come after us? 565 00:33:42,020 --> 00:33:45,389 [Breanna] Detectives continuing to review 566 00:33:45,391 --> 00:33:47,324 the activity on Wendi's bank cards 567 00:33:47,326 --> 00:33:51,495 discovered that it is used in Mount Vernon, Missouri. 568 00:33:51,497 --> 00:33:54,164 That's at least a 22-hour drive 569 00:33:54,166 --> 00:33:57,034 from last place that the card was used. 570 00:33:57,036 --> 00:34:01,405 On Sunday, April 22, Wendi's bank card was used again, 571 00:34:01,407 --> 00:34:03,507 in Sonora, Texas. 572 00:34:04,442 --> 00:34:06,009 At this point, 573 00:34:06,011 --> 00:34:10,213 Brian is 2,000 miles across the country. 574 00:34:10,215 --> 00:34:13,016 Police have an indication 575 00:34:13,018 --> 00:34:17,154 that he is likely headed towards the border with Mexico. 576 00:34:22,260 --> 00:34:26,196 At the newspaper, we started to research Brian. 577 00:34:26,198 --> 00:34:28,865 Even a quick search of court records 578 00:34:28,867 --> 00:34:30,367 under Brian Chevalier's name 579 00:34:30,369 --> 00:34:32,936 indicated that he had a criminal history 580 00:34:32,938 --> 00:34:36,640 dating back to the mid-1980s. 581 00:34:36,642 --> 00:34:40,877 Some of the details of the cases were alarmingly similar 582 00:34:40,879 --> 00:34:44,281 to what had happened here in North Andover. 583 00:34:45,349 --> 00:34:49,453 In 1990, when Brian was 22 years old, 584 00:34:49,455 --> 00:34:55,492 he was arrested and charged for suffocating a woman. 585 00:34:55,494 --> 00:34:58,528 He is accused of putting a pillow over her face 586 00:34:58,530 --> 00:35:01,298 for up to 60 seconds at a time, 587 00:35:01,300 --> 00:35:02,599 hindering her breathing. 588 00:35:05,103 --> 00:35:07,304 Brian ended up serving a year in jail 589 00:35:07,306 --> 00:35:10,707 for a single count of simple assault. 590 00:35:11,909 --> 00:35:16,012 In 2003, Brian was arrested and charged 591 00:35:16,014 --> 00:35:19,649 with aggravated sexual assault against a separate victim, 592 00:35:19,651 --> 00:35:22,052 as well as kidnapping. 593 00:35:22,054 --> 00:35:24,621 The victim was dating Brian Chevalier. 594 00:35:24,623 --> 00:35:26,256 They had been together for about three months 595 00:35:26,258 --> 00:35:29,593 but she was ending the relationship 596 00:35:29,595 --> 00:35:34,631 because of some controlling tendencies that he had. 597 00:35:34,633 --> 00:35:39,136 She was held against her will for 21 hours. 598 00:35:39,138 --> 00:35:44,274 At one point she reported being duct taped to a futon 599 00:35:44,276 --> 00:35:47,344 and repeatedly sexually assaulted. 600 00:35:47,346 --> 00:35:50,013 Brian was eventually found guilty, 601 00:35:50,015 --> 00:35:53,283 and sentenced for the kidnapping but was acquitted 602 00:35:53,285 --> 00:35:57,187 of the aggravated felony of sexual assault allegations. 603 00:35:58,356 --> 00:36:01,458 The more we dug into Brian's life, 604 00:36:01,460 --> 00:36:05,629 the more shocking his criminal past was. 605 00:36:05,631 --> 00:36:09,766 We couldn't have imagined how terrible it had been. 606 00:36:12,170 --> 00:36:14,905 [Josh] Friday, April 27, 607 00:36:14,907 --> 00:36:18,141 we're in the limos on the way to the funeral. 608 00:36:18,143 --> 00:36:23,513 My grandmother gets a text from our District Attorney, 609 00:36:23,515 --> 00:36:26,683 and he says, "We have some news. 610 00:36:26,685 --> 00:36:29,619 The person responsible has been captured." 611 00:36:29,621 --> 00:36:32,022 [Stacy] Everybody just started to cry. 612 00:36:32,024 --> 00:36:33,924 Oh my God, they found him. 613 00:36:33,926 --> 00:36:35,825 Like, he got caught. 614 00:36:35,827 --> 00:36:38,328 Maybe we'll get justice for Wendi. 615 00:36:38,330 --> 00:36:40,897 [narrator] Mexican law enforcement apprehends Brian 616 00:36:40,899 --> 00:36:44,301 shortly after he crosses the border into Mexico. 617 00:36:44,303 --> 00:36:45,569 They hand him over 618 00:36:45,571 --> 00:36:48,038 to the Imperial County Sheriff's Department, 619 00:36:48,040 --> 00:36:49,673 in California. 620 00:37:03,588 --> 00:37:06,656 Honestly, when he was arrested, 621 00:37:06,658 --> 00:37:09,259 I was happy, but very eager 622 00:37:09,261 --> 00:37:11,228 to get to the trial 623 00:37:11,230 --> 00:37:15,165 so that we could, you know, put this guy away. 624 00:37:17,435 --> 00:37:19,336 [Breanna] On July 19, 2018, 625 00:37:19,338 --> 00:37:21,304 Brian Chevalier was taken into court, 626 00:37:21,306 --> 00:37:25,375 and he pleaded not guilty to the murder charge. 627 00:37:25,377 --> 00:37:29,446 Later that same month, about 10 days after, 628 00:37:29,448 --> 00:37:32,315 I received a letter in the newsroom. 629 00:37:35,253 --> 00:37:39,289 The letter is a message to Wendi's family. 630 00:37:39,291 --> 00:37:43,593 He tells them that they should file a wrongful death suit 631 00:37:43,595 --> 00:37:46,162 against the State of New Hampshire. 632 00:37:46,164 --> 00:37:49,299 He essentially uses the letter to place blame 633 00:37:49,301 --> 00:37:51,668 on the system that freed him, 634 00:37:51,670 --> 00:37:52,902 saying that he didn't receive 635 00:37:52,904 --> 00:37:55,572 the resources and the help that he needed, 636 00:37:55,574 --> 00:37:58,541 and that he knew he was about to break. 637 00:38:00,845 --> 00:38:04,447 I was so upset and couldn't understand 638 00:38:04,449 --> 00:38:09,085 how a person could take another person's life, 639 00:38:09,087 --> 00:38:11,221 especially Wendi's, 640 00:38:11,223 --> 00:38:14,624 and then turn around and tell us, the family, 641 00:38:14,626 --> 00:38:18,495 that we should sue the parole board 642 00:38:18,497 --> 00:38:20,263 and the State of New Hampshire 643 00:38:20,265 --> 00:38:24,934 because it was their fault that he murdered my niece, 644 00:38:24,936 --> 00:38:27,671 that it was their fault that he didn't get 645 00:38:27,673 --> 00:38:29,239 the help he needed. 646 00:38:29,241 --> 00:38:32,108 I was devastated by that. 647 00:38:32,110 --> 00:38:33,310 [narrator] There's no evidence 648 00:38:33,312 --> 00:38:34,644 that the New Hampshire Parole Board 649 00:38:34,646 --> 00:38:39,082 acted wrongfully in Brian Chevalier's release. 650 00:38:44,488 --> 00:38:46,890 [Breanna] On December 4, 2020, 651 00:38:46,892 --> 00:38:49,225 Brian Chevalier appears in court 652 00:38:49,227 --> 00:38:52,529 and says that he is going to change his plea 653 00:38:52,531 --> 00:38:55,465 from not guilty to guilty. 654 00:38:55,467 --> 00:38:56,933 During the plea and sentencing hearing, 655 00:38:56,935 --> 00:38:59,336 the prosecution lays out a timeline 656 00:38:59,338 --> 00:39:00,704 and a series of evidence 657 00:39:00,706 --> 00:39:04,007 that they planned to present to a jury. 658 00:39:05,309 --> 00:39:10,313 On April 19, there was a series of conversations 659 00:39:10,315 --> 00:39:12,382 between Wendi and Brian. 660 00:39:12,384 --> 00:39:15,352 Investigators learned that in Wendi's own words, 661 00:39:15,354 --> 00:39:19,489 she described Brian as an emotional timebomb. 662 00:39:22,093 --> 00:39:26,496 Before sunrise on the morning of April 20, 663 00:39:26,498 --> 00:39:31,601 Brian leaves a voicemail for his employer, quitting his job. 664 00:39:31,603 --> 00:39:34,337 Says that he is not returning. 665 00:39:34,339 --> 00:39:37,307 A few hours later at 6:49 am, 666 00:39:37,309 --> 00:39:39,075 Wendi sends Brian a message 667 00:39:39,077 --> 00:39:41,778 explaining why they can't get back together. 668 00:39:41,780 --> 00:39:46,182 Why she believes that being with him is not good for her. 669 00:39:46,184 --> 00:39:48,685 Cell phone records show that Brian never responded 670 00:39:48,687 --> 00:39:51,688 to that last message that Wendi sent him. 671 00:39:53,224 --> 00:39:56,092 Prosecutors said in court that sometime after 6:00 am, 672 00:39:56,094 --> 00:39:58,194 Brian made the 40-minute drive 673 00:39:58,196 --> 00:39:59,462 from his home in New Hampshire, 674 00:39:59,464 --> 00:40:01,765 to Wendi's home in North Andover. 675 00:40:03,367 --> 00:40:07,670 They say that there's a struggle in Wendi's bedroom 676 00:40:07,672 --> 00:40:11,040 in which the beaded necklace that he was known to wear 677 00:40:11,042 --> 00:40:12,909 was broken off of his neck, 678 00:40:12,911 --> 00:40:15,612 and broken onto the floor. 679 00:40:18,149 --> 00:40:21,651 After that, Wendi is said to have been strangled to death 680 00:40:21,653 --> 00:40:24,788 with a USB cord secured with a zip tie, 681 00:40:27,591 --> 00:40:30,427 and brought down to the basement. 682 00:40:35,566 --> 00:40:38,835 [narrator] Brian flees in Wendi's car. 683 00:40:38,837 --> 00:40:41,571 The receipt for the zip ties that investigators find 684 00:40:41,573 --> 00:40:46,643 in Brian's own car, proves that he planned Wendi's murder. 685 00:40:46,645 --> 00:40:48,812 Prosecutors said in court 686 00:40:48,814 --> 00:40:51,614 that the crime was premeditated. 687 00:40:51,616 --> 00:40:55,218 They believed that there was more than enough proof 688 00:40:55,220 --> 00:40:56,286 to indicate that. 689 00:40:56,288 --> 00:40:58,555 [narrator] The judge sentences Brian Chevalier 690 00:40:58,557 --> 00:41:02,792 to life in prison, without the possibility of parole. 691 00:41:03,928 --> 00:41:06,796 When he pled guilty, 692 00:41:06,798 --> 00:41:10,200 I would say that for me, personally, 693 00:41:10,202 --> 00:41:12,635 um... 694 00:41:12,637 --> 00:41:18,208 I was glad, but I was also sad at the same time because, 695 00:41:20,177 --> 00:41:22,145 you know, he is gonna get punished for his crime, 696 00:41:22,147 --> 00:41:25,148 but we still have to live without her. 697 00:41:27,918 --> 00:41:31,087 [Sandi] I just miss her, I miss her so much. 698 00:41:31,522 --> 00:41:32,956 And... 699 00:41:33,924 --> 00:41:36,960 I just feel like I was cheated 700 00:41:36,962 --> 00:41:40,697 out of the rest of my life, 701 00:41:40,699 --> 00:41:42,365 watching her grow, 702 00:41:42,367 --> 00:41:46,269 watching her see her kids grow. 703 00:41:46,271 --> 00:41:50,673 [Bryan] Even though my mom isn't still here on this earth, 704 00:41:50,675 --> 00:41:53,209 she sits with me every day 705 00:41:53,211 --> 00:41:55,078 in this necklace I wear around my neck, 706 00:41:55,080 --> 00:41:56,713 filled with her ashes. 707 00:41:56,715 --> 00:41:59,449 My brother and I have matching necklaces. 708 00:41:59,451 --> 00:42:01,651 They're dolphins, they were her favorite animal. 709 00:42:03,521 --> 00:42:06,389 [Josh] If she was here today, 710 00:42:06,391 --> 00:42:10,360 Bryan and I would just tell her we did it. 711 00:42:14,131 --> 00:42:18,601 We got through the most difficult thing 712 00:42:18,603 --> 00:42:22,605 that will ever happen to us and our family.