CLEVELAND -- A probate court judge Friday ordered a psychiatric evaluation of singer-author Barry Sadler in a bitter family dispute between his mother and estranged wife over his guardianship.
Sadler, best known for his Vietnam-era hit 'Ballad of the Green Berets,' was severely injured in an ambush in Guatemala City four months ago and has been undergoing treatment in the Cleveland area since November.
At issue is control of his care, rather than a financial concern.
Lavona Ruth Sadler, Barry's wife, filed suit Tuesday in Nashville, Tenn., in an attempt to be declared the guardian of her husband. A hearing is scheduled for Wednesday in Nashville, Tenn.
Bebe H. Sadler of Denver, however, filed a petition for guardianship Jan. 5 in Cleveland and Judge John J. Donnelly ordered Friday that Sadler remain in the Cleveland area until a psychiatric examination is completed. The mother has being living in Cleveland while he has been receiving treatment.
Barry Sadler was not at Friday's hearing.
Joseph Meissner, a legal aid lawyer in Cleveland, has represented Barry Sadler since being contacted by the man's mother.
'He indicated he wanted to stay in Cleveland,' Meissner said of his conversations with Sadler. 'He did not want to go back to Tennessee.'
James Davis, a Nashville attorney representing Sadler's wife and his son, said. 'There's some concern about undue influence placed on him by other members of his family.'
'Mr. Sadler needs medical care,' Meissner said. 'His family in Tennessee is quite concerned about him. His mother here in Cleveland is quite concerned about him.'
A bitter side to the dispute emerged following the hearing when Bebe Sadler was asked a question about her daughter-in-law.
'I hate her guts and if I could, I would kill her,' Bebe Sadler said before Meissner led her out of the courtroom.
Sadler's son, Thor, 24, was appointed his father's temporary guardian Tuesday by a probate judge in Nashville. He was expected to visit his father in Cleveland Friday afternoon.
'I just want him to get the care he needs,' Thor Sadler said. 'They assume he's going to an old folks home. He's going to a reabilitation center.'
Donnelly said that if it is determined that Barry Sadler is not able to make his own decision, the matter of jurisdiction in the case will have to be decided.
The examination should be completed in about one week, Donnelly said.
