- Retired wrestler Billy Jack Haynes has been officially charged with murder
- Haynes, who performed at WrestleMania III in 1987, retired in 1996
- DailyMail.com provides all the latest international sports news
Retired wrestler Billy Jack Haynes has been officially charged with murder in the fatal shooting of his wife, Janette Becraft, at their home in Portland, Oregon on February 8.
70-year-old William Albert Haynes Jr. is facing one count of second-degree murder and one count of unlawful use of a weapon following his two-hour standoff with SWAT teams earlier this month. Police entered the home and discovered that 85-year-old Becraft had been shot to death.
Haynes was taken to a local hospital for “a medical condition unrelated to the homicide or his contact with law enforcement,” police said.
According to Portland police, Haynes was released from the hospital on Wednesday and taken to the Multnomah County Detention Center. He is expected to appear in court for the first time on Thursday.
No motive has been released for the alleged killing.
Billy Jack Haynes, 70, is suspected of shooting and killing his wife
Janette Becraft, 85, was found shot to death in her Portland, Oregon, home on February 8
Haynes refused to cooperate with police, leading to a two-hour standoff with Portland police
Haynes, who performed at WrestleMania III in 1987, retired in 1996 and married Becraft in 2022.
Becraft was actually the mother of another wrestler, Tod Ruhl, who was reportedly best friends with Haynes before he passed away in 2021.
Haynes was reportedly married three times before Becraft, including a one-year union with English wrestler Jeanie Clarke, who performed as Lady Blossom.
Becraft’s family responded to her death on social media.
Becraft’s daughter, Kim Becraft Finlay, wrote on Facebook: “You’re now flying with the Angels. They are lucky to have such a beautiful soul. Love you mom.”
Her niece, Sue Becraft, referred to unspecified past abuse that Becraft and her daughter suffered: “When a family member is murdered, like my Aunt Jan was killed last Thursday morning in Portland, the only thing that comes back is the endless work that her daughter did. Get her away from her abuser.
Haynes competed in the WWE from 1986 to 1988, including a bout at WrestleMania III
“I can hear the pain and sadness in her voice as she tells me, ‘He shot her this morning, she didn’t make it.’
‘She loved her mother very much and did everything she could, but the services she called to help her left her and Jan alone.’
Haynes was a mainstay for several wrestling promotions before joining the WWF (now WWE) in 1986, where he wrestled everyone from “Macho Man” Randy Savage to Ric Flair.
He later admitted to cocaine trafficking, which began in 1977 and continued into the 1980s, according to reports from several media outlets, including KARK in Arkansas.