Former professional wrestler Billy Jack Haynes (William Albert Haynes Jr.) is set to stand trial for murder for the 2024 shooting of his wife.
Judge Angela Lucero scheduled the proceedings for April 26 through May 7, 2027. She finalized the dates following a recent competency ruling. First reported by KATU, on Friday the court established a two-week window for the trial.
Lucero based the decision on a certified evaluator’s report and observations of his behavior. She previously ruled him mentally unfit in May 2025, resulting in his transfer to the Oregon State Hospital for treatment.
Police arrested Haynes in February 2024 following a multi-hour standoff at his Portland home in the Lents neighborhood. Officers discovered his 85-year-old wife, Janette Becraft, deceased from a gunshot wound. Authorities formally charged him with second-degree murder and unlawful use of a weapon.
Becraft suffered from dementia prior to the shooting. Neighbors noted that Haynes had recently returned home to recover from broken ribs. The estate of Becraft filed an elder abuse lawsuit against Haynes in May 2025.
The 72-year-old competed as Billy Jack Haynes for WWE in the 1980s. He later served as the lead plaintiff in a class-action lawsuit against the promotion. Court documents alleged that the company failed to protect wrestlers from repeated head injuries. That federal case reached the U.S. Supreme Court before facing dismissal.
Both legal teams will now proceed with pretrial deadlines and evidence exchanges. Judge Lucero retains the authority to revisit the competency status of Haynes before the trial begins.
