Waldon Navy Troubles Told by Prosecutor

In the second day of the cross-examination of accused murderer Billy Ray Waldon, it was revealed that the primary reason Waldon was discharged from the Navy was because he suffered from severe depression.

Deputy Dist. Atty. Mike Carpenter read from a Navy doctor’s report that said Waldon suffered from “major depression with psychological features of melancholia.” While stationed in Florida, Waldon spent time in the psychiatric ward of a military hospital.

Waldon’s March, 1984 discharge was also granted because of an addiction to a decongestant, and because Waldon suffered from cardiac arrhythmia, allergies, a degenerative disease in his left knee, and a calcium condition on bone in his right heel, according to the report.

The Navy paid Waldon $20,000 when he was released from service.

Waldon joined the Navy in 1973 and worked as a electronic warfare technician and a hospital corpsman at Balboa Naval Hospital.

Waldon, 39, is acting as his own defense attorney in the trial in which he is accused of three murders and 21 other crimes in 1985 and 1986. In addition, Tulsa, Okla., police say that Waldon, an Oklahoma native, is a suspect in four robberies and assaults and one slaying in the Tulsa area.

During Wednesday’s examination, Carpenter asked Waldon to identify several items found in his car when he was arrested June 16, 1986.

Two large plastic bags of dirty clothes were placed in front of Waldon, and he took out each piece of clothing and described it.

He said a Rolling Stones beach towel, a bath towel, a shirt and a couple of jackets were his. He also claimed a motorcycle helmet and a black wig.

Many items--including street maps of San Diego and Los Angeles, a flashlight, glue, glass cleaner and matchbooks--were among the items Waldon said were his or might have been his.