Former wrestling star Billy Jack Haynes has been arrested in connection to murder. The retired pro wrestler grappled with Ric Flair and Randy Savage during his nearly 15-year career in the ring. However, the former wrestler made headlines after police apprehended him.
Haynes allegedly fatally shot his wife in their Oregon home on Thursday, February 8, 2024. The 70-year-old retired wrestler is in police custody at a hospital. The Portland Police Bureau said the hospital is treating Haynes for a condition unrelated to the shooting.
William Albert Haynes, famous as Billy Jack Haynes, was a prominent figure in national wrestling in the ’80s. He was a pro in the World Wrestling Federation, which later became WWE. Also, Haynes made an appearance at Wrestlemania III, according to reports.
Officers responded to reports of a shooting on Thursday, February 8, at a house in the 6000 block of Southeast 100th Avenue in the Lents neighborhood. According to the police, a “potential suspect” inside the home was not cooperative. Hence, they set up a security perimeter in the area.
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Also, officials asked residents to “remain sheltered inside with doors locked.” Afterward, they learned that Billy Jack Haynes was inside the residence. However, he refused to come out. With the help of SWAT teams, officials took Haynes into custody without incident after a two-hour standoff.
Then, police identified the dead victim found inside the home as his wife, Janette Becraft, 85. “The Medical Examiner determined Becraft died of homicide by gunshot wound,” police said in an update. “He is in police custody at a local hospital,” police said after the arrest.
The police said in a statement that they will book Haynes into jail after he is out of the hospital. Then, they will release his charges. Hence, it’s unclear if Billy Jack Haynes has an attorney yet.
According to the couple’s long-time friend and neighbor, they were fixtures in the local community. The couple’s friend said Haynes often regaled local wrestling fans with war stories from his glory days. “It’s just a huge tragedy,” Brelynn Matthieu said.
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“I was pretty close to both of them and loved them very much. It’s a really sad day all around.” The victim’s daughter, Kim Becraft, also took to Facebook to discuss the incident. “You are now flying with the angels,” Kim wrote. “They are lucky to have such a beautiful soul. Love you, Mom.”
Billy Jack Haynes is famous for his run in the World Wrestling Federation from 1986 to 1988. Then, he earned a spot on the famed 1987 Wrestlemania Ill card in Detroit. After brief tenures in several smaller promotions, he eventually hung up his trunks in 1995.
Born William Haynes Jr., the wrestler has given frequent retrospective interviews since his retirement. Also, he acknowledged his involvement with cocaine trafficking rings during the 1980s. Afterward, in 2018, Billy Jack Haynes claimed he witnessed the 1987 death of two Arkansas teens after they stumbled on a drug deal.
However, the authorities never confirmed his recollections. Like several other ex-wrestlers, Haynes unsuccessfully sued Vince McMahon’s WWE in 2021. Once released from the hospital, authorities will charge Billy Jack Haynes with murder.
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