Former Wrestling Star Facing Second-degree Murder Charges

About three weeks ago, we reported that retired wrestler Billy Jack Haynes had been arrested after a brief standoff with police (SWAT was actually called in to apprehend him).

After he was finally taken into custody, police found his dead wife inside the home.

Haynes recently appeared in court where he learned he is being charged with second-degree murder.

Shocking Death

Police were called to the home after shots were heard by neighbors.

When they initially showed up, Haynes resisted, but he eventually was taken without incident.

When police checked the home, they found his wife, 85-year-old Janette Becraft, dead in the home, the victim of gunshot wounds.

At the time of his arrest, local police stated, “He is in police custody at a local hospital while he is being treated for a medical condition unrelated to the homicide or his contact with law enforcement.

“Once he is released from the hospital, which may be days from now, he is expected to be booked into jail. Haynes’ charges will be released once he is booked.”

In addition to the murder charge, Haynes has been charged with unlawful use of a weapon.

Haynes first entered the ring in 1982 at the age of 28, which is a bit late for most wrestlers.

Even so, after only about four years of earning his stripes, he made it to the WWF, which is now the WWE.

Two of his more famous matches were against Randy “Macho Man” Savage for the Intercontinental Championship, which Savage held very dear to his heart.

He also wrestled against Hercules Hernandez in “The Battle of the Full Nelsons,” the match was dubbed that because both wrestlers used the Full Nelson as their finishing move, although Hernandez was far more polished than Haynes.

Haynes’ time in the WWE did not last long, moving on to the independent circuit in 1988, where he continued to wrestle until his retirement in 1996.

Haynes was part of a 2014 lawsuit against the WWF, which claimed "egregious mistreatment of its wrestlers for its own benefit, as well as its concealment and denial of medical research and evidence concerning traumatic brain injuries suffered by WWE wrestlers."

It concentrated on the same medical issues that NFL players have experienced, but the suit was eventually dismissed.