Wrestler Benoit, wife and son found dead..

[SL-10]

Wrestler Benoit, wife and son found dead

By DEBBIE NEWBY, Associated Press Writer 39 minutes ago

FAYETTEVILLE, Ga. - WWE wrestler Chris Benoit, his wife, and son were found dead Monday and police said they were investigating the deaths as a murder-suicide.

Detective Bo Turner told television station WAGA that the case was being treated as a murder-suicide, but said that couldn't be confirmed until evidence was examined by a crime lab.

The station said that investigators believe the 40-year-old Benoit killed his wife, Nancy, and 7-year-old son, Daniel, over the weekend, then himself on Monday. A neighbor called police, and the bodies were found in three rooms.

Lead investigator Lt. Tommy Pope, of the Fayette County Sheriff's Department, told The Associated Press the deaths were being investigated as homicide, and that the causes of death awaited autopsy results on Tuesday. Pope said the bodies were discovered about 2:30 p.m., but refused to release details.

The house is in a secluded neighborhood set back about 60 yards off a gravel road, surrounded by stacked stone wall and a double-iron gate. On Monday night, the house was dark except for a few outside lights. There was a police car in front, along with two uniformed officers.

Benoit was a former world heavyweight and Intercontinental champion. He also held several tag-team titles during his career.

"WWE extends its sincerest thoughts and prayers to the Benoit family's relatives and loved ones in this time of tragedy," the federation said in a statement on its Web site.

Benoit was scheduled to perform at the "Vengeance" pay-per-view event Sunday night in Houston, but was replaced at the last minute because of what announcer Jim Ross called "personal reasons."

The native of Canada maintained a home in metro Atlanta from the time he wrestled for the defunct World Championship Wrestling.

The WWE canceled its live "Monday Night RAW" card in Corpus Christi, Texas, and USA Network aired a three-hour tribute to Benoit in place of the scheduled wrestling telecast.

"My relationship with Chris has extended many years and I consider him a great friend," Carl DeMarco, the president of WWE Canada, said in a statement. "Chris was always first-class — warm, friendly, caring and professional one of the best in our business."

[heavyd]

Wirelessly posted (m610 BLADE KILLER: Samsung-SPHM610 AU-MIC-M610/2.0 MMP/2.0 Profile/MIDP-2.0 Configuration/CLDC-1.1)

Shame anyone died,but too bad it was not just a suicide. Chicken *****

[kulnet]

This is most unfortunate indeed. I'll admit it. I'm a huge wrestling fan. Yes, I know it's fake. Anyway, I really hate that this happened.

[Brandon]

Wow...that is sad...i haven't watched wrestling since i was old enough to see it was fake...but thats really unfortunate...

[king_koopa]

They held a tribute for someone that killed his wife and 7-year old son and committed suicide? The irony is this.. On Monday Night Raw, if someone keeps up with WWE knows that they were going to hold a tribute to Vince McMahon's death in the current storyline. Vince McMahon had to evacuate the building along with the crowd and announced that he was not dead and that the plot-line was indeed "stupid." Instead they ended up holding a tribute for Chris Benoit.

[davids2004]

They held a tribute for someone that killed his wife and 7-year old son and committed suicide? The irony is this.. On Monday Night Raw, if someone keeps up with WWE knows that they were going to hold a tribute to Vince McMahon's death in the current storyline. Vince McMahon had to evacuate the building along with the crowd and announced that he was not dead and that the plot-line was indeed "stupid." Instead they ended up holding a tribute for Chris Benoit.

They held a tribue becuase they were not sure exactly what happened. Him killing his wife and kids has just been brought to the surface today.

[Cheatachu72]

roid-rage?

[tbakergobuck]

roid-rage?Looks like it and I think I read that they found roids at there house. To bad his wife didn't divorce him in 2003. Can't beleave he killed his 7 yr old son.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/more/06/25/wrestler.dead.ap/index.html?cnn=yes

[reemusk]

roid-rage?


steroids can cause severe mood swings.

[SL-10]

From the other thread, being it has updated info:

Officials: Wrestler Strangled Wife, Suffocated Son, Hanged Self

Tuesday, June 26, 2007


Professional wrestler Chris Benoit strangled his wife and smothered his 7-year-old son, placing bibles at their sides, before hanging himself from a pulley in his weight room, authorities said Tuesday.

Police ruled the death a double homicide-suicide and are investigating whether steroids may have been a factor in the deaths.

Authorities said they found prescription anabolic steroids in the home among other legal prescriptions. Steroid abuse has been linked to depression, paranoia, and aggressive behavior or angry outbursts known as "roid rage."

"There was a lot of prescription medication that he had received from doctors with what we believed to be at this time legal prescriptions," said Lt. Tommy Pope of the Fayette County Sheriff's Department.

Police said that Nancy Benoit died of asphyxiation on Friday, said Fayette County District Attorney Scott Ballard. She was found in an upstairs family room with her legs and wrists bound and blood under her head, perhaps indicating a struggle, he said.

The Benoits' son, Daniel, died of asphyxiation sometime Saturday morning, Ballard said. He was found in his bed upstairs. Both mother and son had bibles placed at their sides.

Authorities found the pro wrestler dead in the basement, hanging from the pulley of a weight machine. He died sometime late Saturday or Sunday, Ballard said.

"In a community like this, it's bizarre just to have a murder suicide -- certainly involving the death of a 7-year-old child," Ballard said.

Nancy Benoit filed for a divorce in May 2003, saying their three-year union was irrevocably broken and alleging "cruel treatment." But she later dropped the complaint, as well as a request for a restraining order in which she charged that Benoit had threatened her and had broken furniture in their home.

In the divorce filing, she said Benoit made more than $500,000 a year as a professional wrestler and asked for permanent custody of Daniel and child support. In his response, Benoit sought joint custody.

"He was like the dad you always wanted to have," Bill Apter, a pro-wresting writer and friend of Benoit, told FOX News. "I just don't get this."

Apter called Benoit pensive and quiet, adding: "Chris Benoit was not the type of guy that you would profile to do anything of what is being alleged to have happened."

The World Wrestling Entertainment wrestler canceled a pay-per-view appearance at the "Vengeance" event in Houston because of "personal reasons" a day before the trio were found dead.

The bodies were found Monday afternoon in three separate rooms of the house, off a gravel road about two miles from the Whitewater Country Club.

Neighbors said the Benoits led a low-key lifestyle.

"We would see Chris walking in his yard from time to time. He wasn't rude, but he wasn't really outwardly warm," said Alaina Jones, who lives across the street.

Jimmy Baswell, who was Benoit's driver for more than five years, placed a white wreath at the Benoits' gate. "They always seemed like they were the happiest people," he said.

Whiteside said toxicology tests could take up to a week or longer to complete.

Text messages from the wrestler seem to have prompted the police to visit the home.

"The sheriff's department will only confirm that he sent one text message sometime around 4:30 a.m. Saturday, and I know that the WWE is saying that he sent several others, which is what prompted them to contact the sheriff's office to go do a welfare check at the house," Saeed Ahmed of the Journal-Constitution told FOX News.

World Wrestling Entertainment said on its Web site that it asked authorities to check on Benoit and his family after being alerted by friends who received "several curious text messages sent by Benoit early Sunday morning."

The WWE, based in Stamford, Conn., said it had been asked by authorities not to release further information on the deaths.

Benoit was born in Montreal. He was a former world heavyweight champion, Intercontinental champion and held several tag-team titles over his career. He was known by several names including "The Canadian Crippler."

"WWE extends its sincerest thoughts and prayers to the Benoit family's relatives and loved ones in this time of tragedy," the company said in a statement on its Web site.

Benoit had maintained a home in metro Atlanta from the time he wrestled for the defunct World Championship Wrestling. The Fayette County Tax Assessors Office lists the value of the house, situated on more than 8.5 acres, at nearly $900,000.

The WWE canceled its live "Monday Night RAW" card in Corpus Christi, Texas, and USA Network aired a three-hour tribute to Benoit in place of the scheduled wrestling telecast on June 25.

Benoit's wife managed several wrestlers and went by the stage name "Woman," The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported.

They met when her then-husband drew up a script that had them involved in a relationship as part of an ongoing story line on World Championship Wrestling, the newspaper said.

Benoit has two other children from a prior relationship.

Benoit became a standout at an early age among wrestling prospects who trained in the dungeon basement of the house where fellow Canadians and professional wrestlers Owen and Bret Hart trained. Owen Hart was killed during a wrestling event in 1999.

"He was like a family member to me, and everyone in my family is taking it real hard," said Bret Hart, a five-time champion with the now-defunct World Wrestling Federation.

[Cheatachu72]

steroids can cause severe mood swings.

i know....i posted that before the info about the steroids being found in his house was released to the public. By looking at professional wrestlers, i would assume 100-120% of them have used steriods at some point.

it appears my guess was a good one :indiff:

i wouldnt be surprised if meth was involved too....you dont kill a 7 year old kid unless you are under the influence of something

[Studintx]

Very tragic he was a one of my favorites to watch. He was the last one I would of expected to do this

[Jake]

This is truly devastating. Somehow, something doesn't add up. If he was in a rage, it seems strange to me that he would take the time to place bibles by their side. There has to be more to the story than what we know thus far.

[hardliner]

I believe there is more to the story than we will ever know. We can assume steriods was the cause but that's a simple solution for what to blame. We'll know more when the toxicology comes back. What will the media say when it comes back that he didn't have any in his system? The lab is covering from Benoit, WWE, or some other excuse or is the media going to accept the fact that this was a man that had something building and building inside of him for a long time, never telling any of his co-workers of his problems, and something happened?

Here are some of the questions I have surrounding this situations:

1. Who was the co-worker at WWE that received the text messages?
2. Who was the employee that modified the Chris Benoit wikipedia article before the police even found the bodies?
3. What was the workout equipment that Chris was found hanging himself from? Someone 5'9", 200, that is p
4. Why would Chris send such cryptic text messages from his cell phone then from his wives? (We may never know the answer to this one but just curious.)
5. Did Chris or Nancy use their cell phones, i.e. phone calls, text messages, etc., from the time Chris got home from being on the road and who were they too and when?
6. If they did, have those people been questioned on what was Chris and/or Nancy's moods that day?