Inset: Oron Beebe (Gardner Funeral Home). Background: Luke Humphrey, 18, in the red singlet wrestling in his first match of the season after being charged with manslaughter for allegedly killing New Jersey father Oron Beebe with a fatal punch (Hometown Athletic Network/YouTube).
A high school wrestler from New Jersey, characterized by a “propensity for aggression” and “violence,” allegedly fatally attacked a father outside a bar after being ejected from the establishment where he had been drinking with his parents, according to a lawsuit filed by the victim’s wife.
The 18-year-old, charged with manslaughter as an adult, continues to participate in his school’s wrestling program despite the serious allegations against him.
“This is a disgrace,” expressed Jennifer Trexler, a close friend of Jennifer Beebe, the widow of the alleged victim Oron Beebe. Beebe was reportedly punched by Luke Humphrey, a senior at Delsea Regional High School. In a conversation with NJ.com, Trexler remarked, “I’m furious. He should not be rewarded in any manner.”
Last month, Jennifer Beebe initiated legal action against Humphrey, who was 16 at the time of the incident, and the bar, Bobby Ray’s Black Horse Tavern, holding them accountable for her husband’s death in 2024. According to her legal complaint, Oron Beebe, aged 46, was attacked by Humphrey in a parking lot across from the Camden County bar.
The complaint details that as Oron Beebe approached his vehicle, Humphrey “suddenly and without justification physically attacked, struck and punched [Beebe] in the head,” leading to Beebe falling and suffering catastrophic head trauma. These injuries eventually resulted in his death.
The document further claims that Humphrey had a history of aggressive behavior, including a restraining order and numerous disciplinary issues, prior to the alleged attack.
Oron Beebe and his wife were with a friend that night and “sought to leave the bar due to conduct being permitted within it” by Humphrey and his parents, according to the complaint. The teen and other wrestlers from the area were allegedly invited by the Black Horse Tavern “in an effort to increase business and its customer base” to watch the NCAA wrestling championships.
Bar workers “permitted minors,” including Humphrey, to be “present on the premises while alcohol was being served and consumed, and permitted or failed to prevent the service and/or consumption of alcoholic beverages by such minors and/or by persons who were visibly intoxicated and disorderly,” the complaint alleges.
Humphrey and his parents were “forced” to leave the bar due to disruptive behavior, according to Jennifer Beebe, “for the safety of the patrons” inside.
This was done, however, without bar staff “implementing any reasonable measures to separate, secure, monitor, or otherwise protect other invitees, including [Oron Beebe] from foreseeable confrontation, violence, or retaliation by defendants,” the complaint says.
A criminal complaint obtained by NJ.com says Humphrey’s parents told police who were called to the scene that the teen acted in self-defense. Humphrey’s father claimed Beebe threatened to “bury” the boy; a witness reported hearing Humphrey “shouting that he knocked out the victim because the victim had threatened him,” according to the complaint.
Humphrey was arrested and charged with “recklessly causing the death of Oron Beebe” in October 2024, NJ.com reports. A Camden County jury indicted him in April 2025, according to online court records.
Attorney Robert Agre, who is representing Humphrey in the civil suit, told NJ.com that the teen did not consume alcohol on the night of the alleged attack.
“That’s strongly denied,” Agre said. “He didn’t have any alcoholic beverages to drink.”
Asked about the drinking allegations, Black Horse Tavern owner Bobby Ray Harris told NJ.com, “Absolutely did not happen.”
Harris added, “None of these kids were drinking. We made sure as soon as they came in, I met with the staff and said, ‘Listen, be very careful. I don’t even want any of their parents’ drinks on their table at all.’”
Humphrey’s wrestling coach, meanwhile, said the teen is being allowed to wrestle because “he works hard” and “he’s earned the right to be here just like every other kid,” according to NJ.com. A spokesperson for the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association told the outlet that there are no rules that make students eligible due to pending criminal charges.
“On matters such as this, the NJSIAA relies on its member schools as the first point of review to address student eligibility and participation and to determine whether any court-imposed restrictions exist,” the spokesperson said. “We defer to the courts, and nothing in NJSIAA rules prohibits participation based solely on pending charges. If a student is lawfully attending school, has not been suspended and there are no restrictions from law enforcement or the courts, we respect those determinations.”
Humphrey, who is out on bail, is scheduled to go on trial in March.
