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Former professional wrestler William Albert “Billy Jack” Haynes Jr. has been taken into police custody in connection with the death of his wife in Portland, authorities said.
Portland police said in a statement that Haynes, 70, was in police custody at a local hospital, receiving treatment “for a medical condition unrelated to the homicide or his contact with authorities.”
Deborah Thomas / AP
The police said Charges would be announced when Haynes enters jail.
Haynes was identified by police as the suspect in the fatal shooting of 85-year-old Janette Becraft. Police said they responded Thursday to reports of a shooting in a Portland neighborhood and requested help from special teams, including crisis negotiators. CBS affiliate KOIN-TV reported that Haynes was detained two hours after two hours of negotiations. Police found Becraft dead inside the home.
A police spokesman did not respond Monday to questions about the case, including whether Haynes had been released from the hospital, citing the ongoing investigation. It was not known if Haynes had an attorney who could speak on his behalf.
Police said Becraft’s family asked for privacy.
Neighbor Brelynn Matthieu told KOIN-TV who knew the couple.
“It’s just a great tragedy. I was quite close to both of them and loved them very much. It’s a really sad day,” Matthieu said.
Haynes performed as Billy Jack Haynes during a career that included competing in the World Wrestling Federation, now known as World Wrestling Entertainment. TO professional wrestling website said Haynes had an up-and-down career, battling such well-known figures as Ric Flair and Randy “Macho Man” Savage during the 1980s.
“He was telling me all kinds of stories about old wrestling and I told him I used to go watch him,” neighbor Steve Odry told KOIN-TV.