William Albert Haynes III, 70, known to wrestling fans as Billy Jack Haynes, was arrested on Thursday after reports of a standoff with police after a shooting at 6000 SE 100th Avenue in Portland, Oregon.
News station KOIN Channel 6 first reported that Haynes was not cooperative with police and people who lived in the area were told to shelter in place as a special tactical team worked to get him out of the house where it was later learned that his wife Janette Becraft, 85, was found dead by a gunshot wound. Haynes was not immediately identified by police but video recorded of his arrest by KOIN clearly shows that Haynes was the person arrested after the standoff. He is expected to be charged with murder. Initial reports described the suspect as a “former pro wrestler.”
Haynes was a major star in the Portland territory. He became known to fans on a national stage when he wrestled for the World Wrestling Federation. While not renowned for his in-ring work, he had a great look that many believed would propel him to become a top star in the promotion. At his peak, he wrestled Hercules at WrestleMania III, the biggest event in the company’s history at the time but he was out of the company by 1988 he continued to wrestle on the independent scene for years but never gained the same level of fame as he had in the WWF. He also had a brief run with WCW in the early 90s as the masked Black Blood.
Haynes was part of a class action CTE lawsuit that was filed in 2014 and dismissed in 2019. Over the last 15 or so years, he did shoot interviews where he would make outlandish claims about people in the industry. He made headlines several years ago when he claimed to have witnessed the infamous “Bous on the Tracks” murder in Little Rock, Arkansas. Haynes remains in police custody as of this writing.
Billy Jack Haynes allegedly arrested for Murder pic.twitter.com/j5jlGcsmdk
— Sunday Sinner (@ElStonerWrestle) February 9, 2024
