Inset: Jack Willhoit (Reno Police Department). Background: The motel where Willhoit beat his wife to death in Reno, Nev. (Google Maps).
A Nevada man will spend the rest of his life behind bars for the exceedingly brutal murder of his wife, Silver State authorities announced.
This week, Jack Willhoit, 44, pleaded guilty to one count of murder in the first degree in the death of 49-year-old Evelyn Willhoit, according to a press release issued by the Washoe County District Attorney's Office. He was subsequently sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole by Judge Kathleen Drakulich.
The underlying incident occurred late on the night of May 21, 2024, at the Parkway Lodge, a motel located on Park Street in Reno.
The Reno Police Department responded to the motel around 9:30 p.m. to a 911 call about a woman being hurt. Inside the unit, however, the victim was found suffering from extensive injuries. Lifesaving efforts proved futile and she was pronounced dead at the scene of the crime.
On the night of the murder, the defendant himself called 911 to report his wife was overdosing on narcotics and possibly dead, according to the district attorney's office. That story quickly went by the wayside.
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.
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