Portland woman's estate accuses ex-wrestler husband, murder suspect of elder abuse
PORTLAND, Ore. () — The former wrestler who was involving his wife's death has been sued by her estate.
In a complaint filed with the Multnomah County Circuit Court on May 23, Janette Elaine Becraft's estate accused William 'Billy Jack' Albert Haynes Jr. of elder abuse. Haynes, who started his career as a professional wrestler in 1982, was 70 years old when his 85-year-old wife died in the Lents neighborhood last year.
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In February 2024, the Portland Police Bureau ordered a shelter-in-place in the Lents neighborhood after a fatal shooting at 6000 SE 100th Ave. Authorities later identified Becraft as the shooting victim, and revealed that Haynes was arrested as the potential suspect .
He has with second-degree murder and unlawful use of a weapon.
The new lawsuit against Haynes alleges he abused his disabled wife mentally, physically and financially in the five years leading up to her death. Plaintiffs claimed the suspect isolated Becraft from friends and family, coerced her into abandoning treatment from her own medical providers and influenced her to consume substances like heroin and methamphetamine.
'Defendant even deprived her of normal nutritional support, even when her family attempted to arrange food deliveries and prevented such interventions, and refused to allow her to spend her own funds on appropriate food,' Portland-based attorney Daniel Lorenz wrote.
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Plaintiffs also alleged Haynes coerced his wife into withdrawing hundreds of thousands of dollars from her bank accounts and accessing a firearm he couldn't legally own due to his criminal record, among other claims. Becraft's estate is seeking $750,000 in damages.
Earlier this month, Multnomah County Circuit Court Judge Angela Lucero ruled Haynes was unfit to help in his own defense 'due to a qualifying mental disorder.' He is now being held in Oregon State Hospital.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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