William Albert Haynes ex WWE star arrested in shooting death of wife, Janette Becraft. Former 80’s star wrestler was suffering from dementia and had previously filed suit alleging brain damage.
A former 80’s ‘larger than life’ Wrestlemania star has been arrested following a two hour stand off in Portland, Oregon following allegations he shot and killed his wife at their home last week.
Officers responded to a shooting in Portland’s Lents neighborhood, Thursday night, where William Albert Haynes, 70, refused to come out of his home for some two hours before eventually being detained, FOX 12 Oregon reports.
Upon making their way inside the residence of the former WWE star, cops came across the pro wrestler’s shot up wife, 85 year old woman, Janette Becraft.
Former wrestling star settled in Portland where he recalled his ‘glory days’
The former ‘icon’ was taken to a local hospital for conditions unrelated to the shooting or arrest, cops said. Haynes was expected to be booked with the woman’s shooting murder upon his transfer to jail.
Haynes is best known for his run in the World Wrestling Federation from 1986 to 1988, when he earned a spot on the famed 1987 Wrestlemania III card in Detroit. His wrestling career spanned 15 years and put him in the ring alongside popular wrestling stars including Ric Flair and Randy Savage.
Haynes eventually walked away from the ‘sport’ in 1995 after brief tenures in several smaller promotions.
Becraft was the mother of another pro-wrestler, Tod Becraft, who fought under the name Tod Ruhl.
Haynes and Tod were best friends and met when they were nine years old. When Becraft’s husband Dwight died, she married Haynes.
Afflicted with dementia
A long time friend and neighbor said the ‘angel’ couple was a fixture in the local community, with Haynes often regaling local wrestling fans with war stories from his glory days.
‘It’s just a huge tragedy,’ Brelynn Matthieu told KOIN. ‘I was pretty decently close to both of them and loved them very much. It’s a really sad day, all around.’
But it wasn’t all glory days in the present.
The former wrestling star’s neighbors told FOX12 that Becraft struggled with dementia, and that Haynes had recently been hospitalized for broken ribs after a fall. The neighbor said Haynes ‘suddenly checked out to be with his wife.’
Brain damage
Dementia is the cognitive condition of ongoing memory loss, language, problem-solving and other thinking abilities which increasingly interfere with with daily life. Depending on the severity of the disease, expected life span is severely impacted.
The illness gets worse over time. It mainly affects older people but not all people will get it as they age.
Haynes was one of several former pro wrestlers who filed lawsuits against World Wrestling Entertainment, alleging it failed to protect them from repeated head injuries that led to long-term brain damage. The lawsuits were dismissed because they were filed too late, and the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear their appeals.
No motive has been released for the alleged killing of Haynes’ wife.
