The estate of
Janette Becraft
, the late wife of former pro wrestler
Billy Jack Haynes
, is suing the ex-WWF star for $750,000 for alleged elder abuse.
Haynes, 71, is accused of
second-degree murder
and unlawful use of a weapon in the fatal Feb. 8, 2024 shooting of Becraft in Southeast Portland’s Lents neighborhood.
In a civil complaint filed Friday, Becraft’s daughter, Kimberley Becraft Finlay, claims her 85-year-old mother had been subjected to “repeated mental, physical and financial abuse” by Haynes for years before her death, that Haynes isolated her mother, preventing her from “even going to the hairdresser,” and introduced her to illegal drugs such as heroin and methamphetamine.
It also asserts Haynes forced Becraft to marry him, drained more than $750,000 from her bank accounts and tried to cut her daughter out of her will.
Daniel Lorenz, the daughter’s lawyer, did not respond to a request for comment.
This month, Multnomah County Circuit Judge Angela Lucero found Haynes unfit to proceed in his criminal trial, currently set for December. His criminal defense lawyer, Jonathan Sarre, declined to comment on either case.
In the 1980s, at the height of his national wrestling fame, Haynes sustained multiple concussions. He filed an unsuccessful
class action federal lawsuit
against World Wrestling Entertainment in 2014. Haynes and other wrestlers appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court,
which declined to hear the case
.
— Quinton Prudhomme is a reporter on the public safety and breaking news team. Reach him at 503-221-8002 or
qprudhomme@oregonian.com
.
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Former pro wrestler Billy Jack Haynes sued in 2024 death of 85-year-old wife
Former pro wrestler Billy Jack Haynes sued in 2024 death of 85-year-old wife
Former pro wrestler Billy Jack Haynes sued in 2024 death of 85-year-old wife