Former AEW coach BJ Whitmer indicted on domestic violence charges, pretrial hearing set
Benjamin “BJ” Whitmer was arrested in June and subsequently released from AEW, and the former star has now officially been indicted.
As originally reported by Fightful, Whitmer was arrested by the Boone County Sheriff’s Department on June 4. He was quickly charged with first-degree strangulation and second-degree burglary. Whitmer was then released on a $25,000 bond before AEW officially parted ways with the former coach.
According to Fightful‘s Sean Ross Sapp, BJ Whitmer had a hearing on Sept. 6, 2023, and was officially indicted. Both charges are classified as C Class felonies. Whitmer’s victim is currently under an EPO (Emergency Protection Order) and working with AEW. Whitmer will reportedly return to court on Oct. 4, where he will appear for a pretrial hearing.
Interestingly, BJ Whitmer was notably praised by his peers in the promotion earlier this year. Prominent AEW star Anna Jay (of Dark Order and Jericho Appreciation Society) credited him for achievements in the women’s division. As a coach, Whitmer likely helped the women get into gear for their matches and made sure everything ran smoothly.
The alleged victim gave a harrowing account of her assault at the hands of the former AEW coach
In an interview with Fox19, the victim–who has remained anonymous–recalled the incident in striking detail. The victim claimed to be a former girlfriend of BJ Whitmer, and that the two dated while he was still signed to AEW.
“I was literally fighting for my life,” she said. “I came into my house, and he was standing at the top of my steps waiting for me. And he squeezed tighter and said, ‘I’m going to f****** kill you. Do you hear me? I’m going to kill you!’ And once we got to the point of where we stopped moving, and then he continued choking me, I absolutely knew. Instead of coughing, I lied and said, ‘I already called the cops,’ and the second I said that he let go.”
(H/T: Fox19).
This account will likely play a vital role in determining the end result of Whitmer’s case once he goes on his final trial. At this stage, there are still no further reports on how long he could potentially be sentenced if found guilty on all charges. BJ Whitmer notably produced many well-received AEW Women’s matches, and it remains to be seen if the promotion has already filled his position or not.
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