In the 1970s, Waldhauser/Davis was the middleman in four insurance- and inheritance-driven contract murders in Houston.
In 1980, after confessing to his role in the killings, Waldhauser/Davis was given three concurrent 30-year sentences. (Two other players in the killings were sentenced to death.) After serving less than 10 years in prison, Waldhauser was placed on parole and was required to report to his parole officer in person on a monthly basis. A year later he was placed on annual report, which meant he had to contact his parole officer only once a year via the mail.
Beginning with an article published last fall in the Observer and Press ["Death merchant," October 22] the papers reported that Waldhauser/Davis had surfaced in Dallas in the viatical business. A viatical company buys the life-insurance policies of people who are terminally ill, usually AIDS patients, for a fraction of the value and then collects the full amount of the benefits when the person dies. According to state Department of Insurance records, Waldhauser was involved with at least two such companies: Southwest Viatical and First American Fidelity Corp.
Shortly before Thanksgiving, Waldhauser/Davis was arrested on charges that he had violated the terms of the annual reporting. Following a revocation hearing last month, a parole board hearing officer recommended that Waldhauser/Davis be released. A three-member board panel concurred. However, the panel also added several new conditions to the terms of Waldhauser/Davis's parole.
Instead of being on annual report, Waldhauser/Davis must once again report to a parole officer on at least a monthly basis. The killer will also wear an electronic monitoring device--an ankle-bracelet transmitter--at all times. The parole board also forbids Waldhauser/Davis to work in "any position involving financial responsibility" or to engage in "buying, selling or trading with any insurance company." Additionally, he is to have no contact with fellow ex-con Hoyt Steven Wauhob, the president of the apparently now-defunct Southwest Viatical.
Waldhauser/Davis has repeatedly refused requests for interviews. Kevin Clancy, one of his attorneys, was not available. His other lawyer, Mark Watson, refused to comment.
