Former Pro Wrestler Billy Jack Haynes Charged With Wife’s Shooting Murder
William Albert “Billy Jack” Haynes Jr., a former professional wrestler, was charged with murder Wednesday in the fatal shooting of his wife, authorities said.
The 70-year-old was taken to jail on charges of murder in the second degree and unlawful use of a weapon following the alleged killing at his home in Portland, Oregon, according to the Portland Police Bureau. He was booked into the Multnomah County Detention Center after being released from a hospital where he was being treated for a medical condition that was unrelated to the alleged homicide, the bureau added.
Former WWE Wrestler in Custody Over Wife’s Murder
Tactical teams rushed to Haynes’ home in Potland’s Lents neighborhood on Feb. 8 in response to reports of a shooting. Authorities advised neighbors to shelter in place during an hourslong standoff with the ex-wrestler, fearing that he could still have been armed inside the house. Haynes eventually emerged and was taken into custody.
Inside, officers found his deceased 85-year-old wife, Janette Becraft. A medical examiner determined that she died of homicide by gunshot wound, the bureau said.
Haynes rose to prominence in professional wrestling in the 1980s, going on to compete in the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) for two years before ultimately retiring in 1996. He was one of several ex-pro wrestlers who sued the promotion, later renamed WWE, alleging that it hadn’t sufficiently protected its athletes from head injuries that cause serious brain damage. Their class action lawsuit was eventually dismissed in 2019.
Haynes is scheduled to make his first court appearance on Thursday, according to KPTV.
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