Chris Benoit double homicide/suicide

[Steeb]

From the AP:

Benoit Strangled Wife, Smothered Son
Jun 26, 3:25 PM (ET)
By GREG BLUESTEIN


ATLANTA (AP) - Pro wrestler Chris Benoit strangled his wife and smothered his son before hanging himself in his weight room, a law enforcement official close to the investigation told The Associated Press on Tuesday.

Authorities also said they are investigating whether steroids may have been a factor in the deaths of Benoit, his wife and their 7-year-old son. Steroid abuse has been linked to depression, paranoia, and aggressive behavior or angry outbursts known as "roid rage."

"We don't know yet. That's one of the things we'll be looking at," said Fayette County District Attorney Scott Ballard. He said test results may not be back for weeks.

Autopsies were scheduled Tuesday by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.

Authorities were investigating the deaths at a secluded Fayette County home as a murder-suicide and were not seeking any suspects. The official who described the manner of death spoke on the condition of anonymity because the information was to be released at a news conference later Tuesday.

Investigators believe Benoit (pronounced ben-WAH) killed his wife, 43-year-old Nancy, and son Daniel during the weekend and then himself Monday. 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.

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.

Fayette County Coroner C.J. Mowell did not return calls seeking comment. The answering service for his funeral home said he was out of town.

Asked about the condition of the interior of the house, sheriff's Sgt. Keith Whiteside said investigators found "nothing really out of the ordinary." He said Benoit was found in the home's weight room, his wife in an office and the son in an upstairs bedroom.

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.

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 authorities asked that it not release further information on the deaths.

Benoit, born in Montreal, was a former world heavyweight champion, Intercontinental champion and held several tag-team titles. His names in the ring included "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.

"He was like a family member to me, and everyone in my family is taking it real hard," said fellow Canadian Bret Hart, a five-time champion with the World Wrestling Federation. The federation has since changed its name to World Wrestling Entertainment.

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.

Benoit's wife managed several wrestlers and went by the stage name "Woman." They met when her then-husband drew up a script that had them involved in a relationship as part of a story line on World Championship Wrestling, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported.

Benoit has two other children from a prior relationship.

[jaymzbo]

awful, just awful

This just keeps getting sadder with each new report

[Musashi]

It's never a good sign when a wrestler suddenly no-shows at a PPV or TV show. We had no idea how bad this time.

I might pay some tribute in the near future by watching Benoit v. Eddie Guerrero from ECW One Night Stand '05; that was a great one.

[Steeb]

Originally Posted by Musashi

I might pay some tribute in the near future by watching Benoit v. Eddie Guerrero from ECW One Night Stand '05; that was a great one.

Why would you want to pay tribute to a man who murdered his own little boy?

[Aaron]

Originally Posted by Steeb

Why would you want to pay tribute to a man who murdered his own little boy?

I was wondering the same thing.

[GasCat]

The authorites have raided Benoit's doctor office searching for records. When someone commits a double murder the authorities will go after whoever they can. Given the number of deaths of young men in the WWF I expect them to investigate there also.

There is a problem and the WWF is not doing the correct thing they are trying to minimize the problem. About a dozen wrestlers have died now. I saw the Senate go after the Baseball players for steroids. They were extremely angry and threatened to enact legislation. I think this is going to be the thing that tips the scales.

Imagine if the problem would have been negated before; all those people would still be alive. If nothing is done, more people will die. It's sad.

[zombieking]

Originally Posted by GasCat

If someone kills themselves it is very sad but it is their choice. If someone murders innocent people while committing suicide any grief or admiration should evaporate. Apparently he killed a woman 8 days older than me and his own 7 year old son. There is no one that can admire someone who killed their own son like he allegedly did.

But was this him or was it all the drugs he ingested? We need legislation and have all athletes tested for performance enhancing drugs. We all know these guys are on massive steroids and testosterone. It's the only way for them to compete and it turns them into raging madmen at times.

Authorities will perform autopsies. Performance enhancing drugs will be found. An investigation into how he obtained those drugs will be conducted. Prosecutions against people will be made. People will snitch on one another. We can't let this same thing happen again. I hope we can learn from his death and it will not be completely in vain.

I feel so sad for his wife and son right now. I can just see the kid looking up at his enraged father right before dying. It's just too painful to think about beyond that.

I have to agree. As a father with a 2 year old son I can't see how a father could even do something like that. I'm sure they'll find the whole incident was roid rage induced. sure maybe he was a great athlete/performer, but I have no respect for the man in a situation like this.

[djvinevibez]

yeah especially when there son was mentally retarded.. i just read that.

[Mr. Joshua]

There is so much speculation at this point. Has anyone given thought that Chris Benoit may have murdered his wife and son due to his own shortcomings. Look at his physique. Chris Benoit appears to have a type of dwarfism. I've always suspected this due to his build. What has been released so far is that his son had needle marks in his arms from growth hormones and his wife had filed for divorce in 2003 due to physical abuse from Chris. I have a theory that Chris was afraid his son would be a dwarf and he blames himself and Nancy was at odds to not give their son hormones. That may be why all the steroids were in the house. WWE officials say Benoit had been tested in April and had no Steroids in his system at that time.

My conclusion is Chris lost it and murdered his wife for no longer agreeing giving their son steroids, and that Chris murdered his son so he would not suffer as a dwarf. Just my take on the information at hand. He committed suicide for the guilt of his shortcomings to his son and for the murders of his family....

[yellowletmello36]

Web Time Stamps Indicate Nancy Benoit's Death Reported on Web at Least 13 Hours Before Police Found Bodies in Her Home
Thursday , June 28, 2007

By Blane Bachelor

An anonymous user operating a computer traced to Stamford, Conn. — home to World Wrestling Entertainment — posted an entry to pro wrestler Chris Benoit's biography on Wikipedia.org announcing the death of his wife Nancy at least 13 hours before police in suburban Atlanta said they found her body along with her husband's and that of their 7-year-old son, FOXNews.com has learned.

Employees at Wikipedia.org said the posting went live on their site on Monday at 12:01 a.m. Eastern Standard Time. Police, however, said they found the bodies Monday at 2:30 p.m. EDT.

The posting reads: “Chris Benoit was replaced by [[Johnny Nitro]] for the ECW Championship match at Vengeance, as Benoit was not there due to personal issues, stemming from the death of his wife Nancy.” According to a Wikipedia.org report published after FOXNews.com made inquiries, the edit was reversed just under one hour later with the comment:

"Need a reliable source. Saying that his wife died is a pretty big statement, you need to back it up with something."

The posting apparently was made in reference to Benoit's scheduled appearance on Sunday night at an Extreme Championship Wrestling event in Texas.

An employee from Wikipedia.org told FOXNews.com that he called and left a message with investigative authorities in Fayetteville, Ga., at around 11 a.m. EDT on Tuesday, after the posting was brought to the attention of the St. Petersburg, Fla.-based Web site.

“I chat with other editors on IRC — Internet relay chat — and somebody pointed it out to me on a relay chat and that it came from a Stamford connection, and that it took place at midnight Eastern Standard Time on Monday morning,” said Wikipedia.org volunteer coordinator Cary Bass. “I called and left a message with the police department.”

The computer-generated time and date stamp of the Benoit entry are listed as 4:01, 25 June 2007. Wikipedia.org lists its entries according to Universal Time, also known as Greenwich Mean Time.

Further investigation, according to Wikipedia.com, shows that one hour after the first edit reversion, another anonymous edit by 125.63.148.173 using unwiredAustralia.com.au, a wireless Internet service provider, was made adding about the aforementioned personal issues: "which according to several pro wrestling websites is attributed to the passing of Benoit's wife, Nancy."

That edit was reverted less than 20 minutes later, with the following comment: "Saying 'several pro wrestling websites' is still not reliable information." The second edit was made by a computer in Australia from a wireless network, according to Wikipedia.org.

A message left by FOXNews.com with Lt. Tommy Pope of the Fayette County Sheriff’s Department was not immediately returned.

Investigators so far have ruled the Benoit killings as a double homicide-suicide.

Wikipedia.org claims to be one of the largest reference Web sites, and is written collaboratively by users from around the world. Approved users can make submissions and change entries that are posted on the site almost immediately. Bass said the site is constantly monitored to correct inaccuracies.

Bass said when there is a high-profile case, such as the Benoit killlings, Wikipedia.org limits postings to registered users, which is now indicated at the top of the Benoit entry. According to the listed history on the Benoit entry, the computer used to post the 12:01 a.m. entry had a Stamford, Conn., Internet Protocol — or IP — address, a numeric designation that is assigned to every computer with an Internet connection, and that same address has been used to post about a dozen other messages on the site, dating back to May 16, 2007.

http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?...ldid=140442953

[Wondermaker]

Originally Posted by Steeb

Why would you want to pay tribute to a man who murdered his own little boy?

I tweaked the title of the thread since the "R.I.P." wasn't fitting for such a case as this.

[jaymzbo]

I am still shocked by what happened here. All of my thoughts first go to his wife and child and then extended family. Lost is all of my former respect and admiration for this man who made a unfathomable choice. IMO, no matter what his mental state was like at that time, whether it be maligned by drugs, depression or other mental illness, interpersonal problems, whatever, it was still his choice in the end.

That being said, I also wanted to comment on what I feel is a disservice to the medicinal use of growth hormone. Rumors and gossip are abound all over the net about how "Benoit was juicing his kid with roids" and then partly basing that assumption on the fact that growth hormone was found in his house (apparently along with anabolic steroids). Now given Benoit's history, it is certainly within the realm of possiblity. But the child in question did suffer from Fragile X Syndrome and the proper usage of prescribed growth hormone would be indicated in that case. My own adoptive brother has pituitary dwarfism and is required to have a daily injection of growth hormone to have a chance for somewhat normal growth.

Again, I'll never be able to explain or justify in my mind what Chris Benoit chose to do at the end of his life. I would like to be able to say that some good might yet come out of this whole mess such as much tighter scrutiny and regulation over the whole professional wrestling industry. Unfortunately, I doubt it as many pro wrestlers have led sad lives and have met with tragic and premature endings. And the cycle just keeps repeating itself. I just don't want to see the proper and doctor-prescribed usage of growth hormone be marred by this tradegy as GH has positively helped many with genetic and pituitary disorders.

[movies3]

Originally Posted by nyg

I couldn't agree more. I knew nothing of this man before this homicide/suicide but I can't fathom how anyone can be so depressed, and apparently pissed off, as to kill their family before taking their own like. What a lowlife.

i agree, lowlife pisses me off

[Filterlab]

Never heard of him, but I know he's a cock.

Amazing, tossers like him can find the love of a family and then completely destroy it because of 'shortcomings' (as if we don't all have those!) and yet thousands of genuinely good people miss out due to circumstance.

Still, I've never really understood certain things in this life and I believe I probably never will.

Sad.