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Inset: Jack Willhoit (Reno Police Department). Background: The motel where Willhoit beat his wife to death in Reno, Nev. (Google Maps).
A Nevada resident has been sentenced to life imprisonment for the grisly murder of his spouse, as confirmed by state officials.
This week, 44-year-old Jack Willhoit admitted to committing first-degree murder in the killing of his 49-year-old wife, Evelyn Willhoit. The Washoe County District Attorney’s Office disclosed the plea agreement, and Judge Kathleen Drakulich handed down a sentence of life without the chance of parole.
The tragic event unfolded on the night of May 21, 2024, at the Parkway Lodge, a motel situated on Park Street in Reno.
The Reno Police Department arrived at the motel around 9:30 p.m. following a 911 call reporting a woman in distress. Once inside, they discovered the victim with severe injuries. Despite efforts to revive her, she was declared dead at the scene.
On the night of the incident, the perpetrator himself dialed 911, claiming his wife was experiencing a drug overdose and might be deceased. However, this explanation quickly unraveled during the investigation.
The violence was intense. Telltale splotches of crimson littered the motel room, authorities noted, describing “blood staining and splatter throughout” including on the walls and lid of a trash can.
Evelyn Willhoit was found on the floor with cuts and bruises all over her face, according to a probable cause affidavit obtained by Reno-based ABC affiliate KOLO. The victim also had a large cut on the left side of her neck surrounded by several smaller cuts, police said.
When officers arrived, the woman was bleeding from multiple wounds on her head, face, and neck. There was also the presence of what appeared to be burn marks on her chest and left arm, police said.
The defendant, for his part, is said to have been cooperative with investigators and even stayed at the motel after the attack, according to previous reporting by Reno-based NBC affiliate KRNV.
“Detectives in the case noticed that the defendant had swelling on his knuckles, as well as small cuts and scratches on his hands and forearms,” the DA’s press release reads. “An autopsy described Mrs. Willhoit’s cause of death as multiple blunt and sharp force injuries due to physical assault.”
The implements of the murder likely included household appliances, a handheld torch, a knife, a screwdriver, and even the victim’s own walking cane — because blood was found all over those objects, according to law enforcement.
During his initial interview with investigators, Jack Willhoit recalled filling a prescription at Walgreens, buying a bottle of rum at Paradise Liquor, and then returning home on the day in question. The defendant went on to claim his wife took most of the pills and drank most of the booze — while he only took two shots.
The since-convicted man insisted his wife eventually started “acting crazy and hitting him” on the head with the liquor bottle, according to charging documents obtained by Reno-based CBS affiliate KTVN.
Jack Willhoit also told police both he and the victim lived with bipolar disorder and schizoaffective disorder and took prescription medication.
Eventually, after long insisting he loved his wife and did not touch her that evening, the defendant admitted to punching her.