A Poisoned Passion: A Young Mother, her War Hero Husband, and the Marriage that Ended in Murder (St. Martin's True Crime Library) [Mass Market Paperback]

Diane Fanning (Author)

Book Description

Series: St. Martin's True Crime Library | Publication Date: September 1, 2009

By the age of twenty-four, Air Force Staff Sergeant Mike Severance had already survived a series of missions in Afghanistan and Iraq. But his life back at home, in Texas, would prove a lot more dangerous…

In the winter of 2005, Mike’s wife, a veterinarian named Wendi Mae Davidson, reported him missing. Wendi told police that Mike had been acting erratically—visiting local clubs, staying out late, sometimes not coming home at all. She filed for divorce the very next day.

Eventually Mike’s body turned up in a stock pond on a private ranch. Investigators described a corpse that was weighted down with two cinder blocks, a rock, a boat anchor, and other equipment. It had also been stabbed forty-one times with a knife. But an autopsy report told a different story: That the cause of death was exposure to pentobarbital and phenobarbital, drugs commonly used in veterinary medicine. All the evidence pointed to Wendi…and soon she would  be found guilty of murder in the first degree.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

AN AMERICAN HERO.

By the age of twenty-four, Air Force Staff Sergeant Mike Severance had already survived a series of missions in Afghanistan and Iraq. But his life back at home, in Texas, would prove a lot more dangerous…

A WOMAN WITH A DEADLY PLAN.

In the winter of 2005, Mike’s wife, a veterinarian named Wendi Mae Davidson, reported him missing. Wendi told police that Mike had been acting erratically—visiting local clubs, staying out late, sometimes not coming home at all. She filed for divorce the very next day.

A CASE THAT SHOCKED THE NATION.

Eventually Mike’s body turned up in a stock pond on a private ranch. Investigators described a corpse that was weighted down with two cinder blocks, a rock, a boat anchor, and other equipment. It had also been stabbed forty-one times with a knife. But an autopsy report told a different story: That the cause of death was exposure to pentobarbital and phenobarbital, drugs commonly used in veterinary medicine. All the evidence pointed to Wendi…and soon she would  be found guilty of murder in the first degree.

About the Author

Diane Fanning is the author of the Edgar Award finalist Written in Blood: A True Story of Murder and a Deadly 16-Year-Old Secret That Tore a Family Apart. Her other works of true crime include the best-selling Mommy’s Little Girl, The Pastor’s Wife, Gone Forever and Through the Window. She has been featured on 48 Hours, 20/20, Court TV and the Discovery Channel, and has been interviewed on dozens of radio stations coast to coast. Before becoming a nonfiction writer, Fanning worked in advertising, and she earned more than 70 Addy Awards. She lives in New Braunfels, Texas.

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: St. Martin's True Crime; First Edition edition (September 1, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312945078
• ISBN-13: 978-0312945077
• Product Dimensions: 6.9 x 4 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 2.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #811,105 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

I am the author of ten true crime books published by St. Martin's Press including the Edgar Award nominated WRITTEN IN BLOOD and the best-selling MOMMY'S LITTLE GIRL. Additionally, I have written five mystery novels including four in the Lucinda Pierce series from Severn House.

I have been featured on 48 Hours, 20/20, Forensic Files, the Deadly Women series, Court TV, Issues with Jane Velez-Mitchell, the Discovery Channel and local TV channels and have been interviewed on dozens of radio stations coast to coast.

I am an experienced non-fiction, fiction and commercial writer. I earned more than seventy Addy Awards in the twenty years I wrote for radio, television and print. I worked as an Executive Director at non-profit organizations for more than a dozen years. In that capacity, I served three terms by appointment of the Governor of Texas on the State Advisory Committee and received the 2002 NACG Freedom Fighter Award.

I was born in Baltimore, Maryland, lived more than two decades in Virginia and now live in New Braunfels, Texas with my husband and a cat with an attitude.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Not Too Satisfying, June 8, 2010

By 

S. Slaughter - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: A Poisoned Passion: A Young Mother, her War Hero Husband, and the Marriage that Ended in Murder (St. Martin's True Crime Library) (Mass Market Paperback)

"Wendi could not even bear to euthanize an animal that probably needed it...but yet she could commit murder casually? And for why? Those 2 bits of info are VERY conflicting pieces of info and the author contradicts herself."

This was written by a previous reviewer and I have to say - Sorry, but the author does NOT contradict herself by giving these two rather contrary behaviors in one person. I happen to know that my own wife would rather shoot a man who was beating a dog with a shovel than to shoot a dog that was biting a man. Me too, for that matter.
Also, yes - it is a bit frustrating because it is heavily sided against the defendant. But reason tells me that nobody from her side would ever talk to the author because they all know deep down inside that SHE DID IT, and their steadfast, noble defense of "family" took whatever integrity they had and flushed it down the toilet.
The writing of this case is rather bland, detached and redundant at times. Verbatim telephone conversations between a murder defendant and her family seems like it might be interesting, but these are not revealing much and tend to ramble on, just filling pages with dialogue. One or two would have been plenty.
I see that the author is usually well reviewed and I'll give her another chance.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Left out a lot, May 5, 2010

By 

Gecko (ALBUQUERQUE, NM, US) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: A Poisoned Passion: A Young Mother, her War Hero Husband, and the Marriage that Ended in Murder (St. Martin's True Crime Library) (Mass Market Paperback)

This book only provides small details. Gaining information from the local police and the Texas Rangers is only the half of it. They didn't know anything and were willing to close the case after the first week of him going missing. The information provided by San Angelo PD and the Texas Rangers was provided to them.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars repeat repeat repeat, December 19, 2009

By 

Kristal Baker "kristal" (Omaha Ne) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: A Poisoned Passion: A Young Mother, her War Hero Husband, and the Marriage that Ended in Murder (St. Martin's True Crime Library) (Mass Market Paperback)

Diane Fanning should be ashamed of herself. When she started out writing she was so good and did her research. Her last few book read like she copied the trial transcripts and published. This book is so repetitive it could of been a good read with all the players in the story but it was a really snooze. I hope this author will start writing like her earlier book because she is capable of writing a great true crime book.