A former Portland wrestling star who is accused of shooting and killing his wife has been deemed unfit to stand trial.
www.kptv.com
A former Portland wrestling star who is accused of shooting and killing his wife has been deemed unfit to stand trial.
William Albert Haynes, who also goes by Billy Jack Haynes, appeared in court Wednesday for a status check, and Judge Angela Lucero found Haynes mentally unfit to proceed. Haynes will undergo further evaluation and treatment at Oregon State Hospital until he can be deemed fit to proceed.
Haynes is accused of shooting and killing his wife, 85-year-old Janette Becraft, in the Lents neighborhood on Feb. 8, 2024.
Neighbors that FOX 12 spoke with the day of the shooting say they were shocked to hear the news.
“A great community around here. A lot of veterans. My dad’s a vet as well and so is Billy. I did love him dearly, and we loved Jan as well. It’s a tragedy all around,” Brilynn Matthieu said.
Haynes, 71, used to star in the “Old Portland Wrestling Promotion” that aired on KPTV and went on to wrestle in what’s now known as WWE in the 1980s.
Haynes suffered many injuries in the ring, which led to national headlines a decade ago. He lead a class action lawsuit with 50 other former wrestlers against the WWE, claiming the organization failed to protect them against repeated head injuries, leading to long-term brain damage.
The case went all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court before being dismissed.
Haynes will now stay in the Oregon State Hospital until he is deemed fit to proceed in the trial. A fitness to proceed hearing is now set for May 20.
Trial, should Haynes become fit to proceed, remains set to begin on Dec. 21, 2025.
