WWE Wrestler dead after killing wife and child

[I_Want_That_One]

Police: Benoit Killed Wife, Child Before Suicide

Josh Grossberg Wed Jun 27, 4:04 AM ET

Los Angeles (E! Online) - "This is a terrible tragedy and an unbearable loss."

So proclaims World Wrestling Entertainment after one of its marquee superstars, Chris Benoit, apparently killed his wife and seven-year-old son in their Georgia home over the weekend before taking his own life.
At a press conference Tuesday, officials with the Fayetteville County Sheriff's Department said that based on the autopsies and evidence found at the scene, Benoit strangled his wife, Nancy, Friday night in a home office and then smothered his son, Daniel, early Saturday morning in the child's bedroom.
According to the WWE, Benoit sent five text messages to some of his co-workers between 3:51 a.m. and 3:58 a.m. Saturday.
Messages one, three and four read, "My physical address is 130 Green Meadow Lane, Fayetteville, Georgia. 30215."
Message five just gave his address, and message two read, "The dogs are in the enclosed pool area. Garage side door is open."
Sometime between then and early Monday, he went down to his basement weight room and hanged himself using a pulley cord from one of his workout machines.
Based on the text message and worried about Benoit's welfare after he failed to show up for a wrestling event in Beaumont, Texas, Saturday and WWE's "Vengeance: Night of Champions" in Houston on Sunday, one of Benoit's friends alerted the WWE, which in turn contacted the authorities in Fayetteville.
Investigators initially had difficulty entering the home; the perimeter was guarded by two German shepherds. But by Monday afternoon, officers had discovered the three bodies.
The cause of death for all three was asphyxiation.
The sheriff said there are no other suspects and Benoit did not leave a suicide note.
Detectives found several legally obtained prescription drugs, including anabolic steroids. Investigators say it will take up to two weeks to determine what drugs Benoit had in his system. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation's crime lab is conducting a battery of tests, including toxicology.
"WWE was stunned and saddened by the details released today by local authorities and is continuing to monitor the investigation," the organization said in an additional statement released Tuesday evening.
Although medical studies have linked steroid use to behavioral changes, including overly aggressive mood swings, paranoia, depression and angry outbursts—commonly known as "'roid rage"—the WWE had earlier cautioned against any rush to judgment.
"There is no current evidence that Benoit even had steroids or any other substance in his body," the organization said in a lengthy statement attempting to quell "sensationalistic reporting and speculation."
"On the last test done on Benoit by WWE's independently administered drug-testing program, done on April 10, 2007, Benoit tested negative."
The statement continued, "The physical findings announced by authorities indicate deliberation, not rage."

full story @
http://news.yahoo.com/s/eonline/200...57823dd2bbe;_ylt=AqhOsmAyk_8LPnBmzahw0d5xFb8C

 

[softgrey]

nauseating...

 

[missjackee]

that's just shocking and tragic......r.i.p. to chris benoit and his family...

 

[zembla]

He was injecting his son with human growth hormones...sick...

 

[*Happiness*]

disturbing!

 

[Trista]

As a wrestling fan, I've been bombarded with headlines about this for the past two days and I just wanted to weigh in. Yes, there had been problems in the marriage in the past. Nancy Benoit had filed a restraining order in 2003. Yes, Daniel suffered from a genetic disorder that is similar to autism. But those do not seem to be reason for him to murder his wife and son.

I don't know if this is going to break rules here, but this shows that the WWE's "Wellness Policy" (suspending and firing wrestlers who use steroids, among other things) is a two-faced joke. You have the wrestlers who are filling the undercards who when they are caught using the steroids, they are suspended or fired. However you have the big names who get the prescriptions and the WWE turns a blind eye to it. Hypocritical, no? Studies have shown that deep periods of depression can be caused by it. Maybe he couldn't handle things anymore. But I don't understand why he had to take his wife and son along with him. It's a shame that a man who for 20 years had worked and EARNED the accolades as being one of the best technical wrestlers of our time will now be erased from the history books and his entire reputation will be blackened as that of a murderer.

Yes, it is sickening what was done. But I'm in no place to pass judgement on this.

 

[Libra Skye18]

It's still so hard for me to wrap my head around all of this. I've been a wrestling fan since I was a small child and had been a fan of Chris Benoit's since he worked in the now defunct WCW even though I was more of a WWF (now WWE) fan.

This is such a tragic horrible event. I wish I could continue to differentiate Chris Benoit the amazing wrestler from Chris Benoit the man who murdered his wife and youngest son but I cannot.

As I watched "Raw" Monday night I had no knowledge that Chris had died- though I had been on a few sites earlier in the day the only thing that I read was that another wrestler (Johnny Nitro) had replaced him in a match during the Vengeance PPV on Sunday - tears immediately sprang into my eyes for a person that while I did not know personally, I had watched for many years and considered- as I previously mentioned- myself to be a fan of.

Upon finding out that not only he died but Nancy and their son (Who was Chris's youngest son) had also passed my heart ached. Now knowing what I know my heart still aches and tears come and go but they are now more than anything for a mother and her child.

I know the media would like to pinpoint this unfortunate incident on steroids but I think that Chris was dealing more than anything with a mental health issue. One that he hid so well considering many of his friends, family members, coworkers et cetera have been speaking out on never seeing him angry or in a bad mood.

It's all just so heartbreaking...

 

[fashionicon]

This is just way too disturbing...

 

[SomethingElse]

Horrible horrible horrible. To take the life of a child is beyond the beyond. What incredibly unforgiveable selfishness - criminal!!

I can only imagine what the family and friends of these people must be enduring now.

 

[erin_k]

Isnt it weird that the WWE is now throwing him under the bus because of the steroid accusations? they are distancing theyselves as far as possible from him, like steroid use and wrestling arent related, when just the other day they had a whole show dedicated to how much of a great guy he was. I will never feel the same about chris benoit as i was a big fan of him as a kid (being canadian). out of all the most random people to do such a terrible, horrific crime, i would've never thought it would be him.

 

[seanutbutter]

From foxnews.com:

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

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.

In related news, FOXNews.com also has learned, through widely posted Web reports, that former pro wrestler Sherri Martel, who was found dead on June 15, was linked to former wrestler Kevin Sullivan — ex-husband of Nancy Benoit.

Martel, who had a reputation as one of the top managers in pro wrestling, was found dead at her mother’s home in near Birmingham, Ala., on June 15. She was 49.

Investigators, who have not yet determined Martel's cause of death, say foul play is not suspected but that Martel did not die of natural causes.

 

[cosmogrl5]

^ I just read that on perezhilton.com. It really gives me the creeps. Then I read about how the doctor that prescribes his medication had his license revoked for over-prescribing.

 

[erin_k]

yikes

 

[novella]

What a disturbing tragedy!

There's really not much I can say after that unfortunately...

 

[kissmesweet]

This is terrible and we don't know what exactly happened. I just hope they Rest in Peace.

 

[seanutbutter]

Foxnews.com:

Wrestler Chris Benoit's Doctor Surrenders to Federal Agents
ATLANTA — The personal doctor of Chris Benoit surrendered to federal agents in Atlanta Monday as investigators probe the deaths of the professional wrestler and his family, FOX affiliate WAGA reported.

 

[kissmesweet]

^^ Oh God, I hope they don't do the whole Anna Nicole thing again. Let the dead rest in peace.

 

[sogangsta]

this whole story is just so upsetting

 

[CherryBomb01]

Shocking story!