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WWE.com is reporting that the Benoit family has been found
dead
"The WWE just told its talent and released on its web site that Chris Benoit was found dead by Atlanta police. Benoit, wife Nancy aka Woman and son Daniel were all found dead. We have no other details at this moment. All plans for Raw tonight have been scrapped and they will do a show on the life of Benoit."
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I am in complete and utter shock. Chris Benoit, by far the best professional wrestler today, and his family are gone. There are no details as of yet. As soon as anything becomes available I will post it here.
No one wants to hear my long winded thoughts on Chris or Nancy. Let me keep it brief.
Anyone who knows me knows that I had a crush on Nancy since the first time I saw her exiting the ocean (as Angel Dust) in Florida. I followed her from Angel Dust to Fallen Angel to Robin Green to Woman. She was a sweetheart. The first time I ever met her (and took the above photo), I was so in awe that when she asked me my name, all I could do was say "Uh, Mmm, I forgot." She told me to come back when I remembered. About 30 minutes later I mustered up enough courage (and got over the embarassment) to go back to her. She immediately said, "Do you know your name now?" Thankfully, I did.
After that first meeting I was lucky enough to get to see her hundreds of more times at all her ECW appearances in Philly, New York and around the area. She was always a pleasure and always put forth a hell of a lot of effort at ringside and in her interviews (which is a lot more than most valets and managers were doing at that time).
I became a fan of the Pegasus Kid when I used to trade bootleg Japan videos. His matches were unlike anything I had ever seen before. When he debuted in ECW, I was on cloud nine. Thankfully, I had the opportunity to see him wrestle in person many times. Every time was a different experience as his in ring skill, dedication, and ability was beyond comparison.
One of the highlights of Chris' tenure in ECW, and one that made him loved by the internet fans was during a show in PA. On the way to the show, the bus carrying the convention fans got stuck at the bottom of the main road that led to the building. Not only did this hold up the fans, but it held up many wrestlers (and the ring) which had to try and get around the bus to make it up the hill. The bus finally made it to the show. The show started late. Chris Benoit came out and got on the mic asking "How did you Internet fuckheads like the bus ride up?"
Later, when Chris Benoit came out for his match, the crowd chanted in unison, "We're Still Fuckheads!" Chris had to fight back a smile and some laughter.
Throughout my years of following professional wrestling I have always had three all time favorite wrestlers; Owen Hart, Chris Candido, and Chris Benoit. Now all three are gone and nothing I can say or write here will ease the pain of Chris, Nancy, and their son Daniel's death. My thoughts and prayers are with the Benoit family and all his family and friends at this difficult time.
Anyone with any thoughts, memories, or stories they would like to share can feel free to email them to me and I will post them.
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The Stro posted the following on his blog:
..Words can't define how deeply I am saddened to hear about the passing of Chris Benoit and his family. No amount of words could ever describe what a great man Chris Benoit was inside and outside of the ring. He ate, slept, breathed and lived every second for the professional wrestling business. Admiring his work in Japan, trying out with him for the WWE , and being on the road with him in WCW, Benoit was one of the biggest inspirations I have ever had in this business. Chris Candido would tell me what a machine Benoit was to wrestle with inside the ring. I remember having my tryout match with Scotty Riggs for the WWE back in 95 and afterwards all the boys gathered around and watched the monitor as Chris and Owen Hart were about to have another classic. Ironically both of us later would be wrestling in WCW. One of my first matched on WCW Thunder in San Diego, California, I was working out in the back warming up for my match with Prince Iakea. Chris came up to me and fired me up more than any coach ever could. I went out there with Iakea and both of us worked our tails off. Afterwards, some of the boys came up to me and asked what fired me up so much, I said one word "Benoit". Remembering seeing the emotion in both Chris and Bret Hart when they made their tribute match to the passing of another heroof mine, Owen Hart. Bret and Chris put on one of the greatest matches I have ever witnessed....When Chris Benoit won the World title at Wrestlemania and he was in the ring with his family andthen WWE champion Eddie Guerrero, I thought to myself this was "wrestling heaven"..... Chris was very passionate about every aspect of the industry. Giving advice or asking for it, his goal every night was to perform at peak level. We had talked several times and felt we had similar technical styles and have always wanted to some great matches together. Teaching at my wrestling school, I reference to Chris a lot as a great role model for the younger generation to look up to. He meant so much to every last one of us. Chris Benoit was my hero, my friend, my brother, my inspiration....I love you forever Chris!
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Wrestling Champ Chris Benoit Found Dead
with Family
Death Comes a Day After Wrestler Canceled Pay-Per-View Appearance
June 25, 2007 — Wrestling star Chris Benoit, his wife, Nancy, and their 7-year-old son Daniel were found dead in their suburban Atlanta home Monday. Authorities are investigating the deaths as homicides.
Benoit, 40, was scheduled to spar against C.M. Punk in a pay-per-view event Sunday night in Houston for the Extreme Champion Wrestling title. But Benoit canceled before the event, citing personal reasons.
Lt. Tommy Pope of the Fayette County Sheriff's Department told ABC News that Benoit had missed several appointments over the weekend, leading concerned parties to ask police to do a "welfare check."
When sheriffs arrived at the Benoit home, they found the wrestler, his wife, and their son dead.
There was no sign of gunshot wounds or stabbing, according to Pope. But they are not ruling out other causes, such as poisoning, suffocation, or strangulation. Pope noted he was not confirming any of these causes... just not ruling them out at this time.
An autopsy has been scheduled for Tuesday morning at 10 a.m. However,
it could be weeks before there is a result.
A native of Edmonton, Alberta, Benoit was known in the ring as the "Canadian
Crippler."
Following the announcement of the discovery, World Wrestling Entertainment issued a statement: "Chris was beloved among his fellow superstars, and was a favorite among WWE fans for his unbelievable athleticism and wrestling ability. He always took great pride in his performance, and always showed respect for the business he loved, for his peers and towards his fans. This is a terrible tragedy and an unbearable loss. WWE extends its sincere condolences and prayers to the Benoit family and loved ones in this time of tragedy."
WWE announced that it would drop its planned line-up on the USA Network to air a three-hour tribute to Benoit.
In a sport known for bravado and bullying, Benoit was very much beloved and respected by his peers. He was passionate about his profession and served as a mentor to many younger, up-and-coming performers. As an indication of how much the fans enjoyed him, when the crowd in Houston's Toyota Center learned Sunday night that he wouldn't be there, they chanted, "We want Benoit!"
Benoit's wife was also in the wrestling business as a valet and manager. She was known as "Woman." The two met while they both worked for the now-defunct World Championship Wrestling, which was owned by Ted Turner until Vince McMahon's WWE bought it out.
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Canadian wrestler Benoit, family found dead
Updated Mon. Jun. 25 2007 8:51 PM ET
Associated Press
STAMFORD, Conn. -- Canadian pro wrestler Chris Benoit has been found dead at his suburban Atlanta home along with his wife Nancy and son, World Wrestling Entertainment said Monday.
"There are no further details at this time, other than the Benoit family residence is currently being investigated by local authorities,'' the WWE said in a statement on its website.
WWE said information about the deaths came from "authorities'' in Fayetteville County, Ga. A spokesman for the Peachtree City Police Department said he had no information on the report, telling a reporter to contact his superior on Tuesday.
The WWE planned to air a tribute show to Benoit instead of its regular "Raw'' TV show on Monday night. Benoit, 40, was born in Montreal and also lived in Edmonton.
"WWE extends its sincerest thoughts and prayers to the Benoit family's relatives and loved ones in this time of tragedy,'' the website statement said.
Benoit was scheduled to wrestle at the Vengeance pay-per-view Sunday night in Houston, but was replaced at the last minute because of what announcer Jim Ross called "personal reasons.''
Benoit, a five-foot-11 220-pounder, was often described as a rabid wolverine in the ring. "The Canadian Crippler'' had a chiselled physique and was known for his superior technical skills. The "Crippler Crossface'' was one of his signature moves, along with a flying headbutt from the top rope and triple German suplex.
"Chris was beloved among his fellow superstars, and was a favourite among WWE fans for his unbelievable athleticism and wrestling ability,'' the WWE said on its website. "He always took great pride in his performance, and always showed respect for the business he loved, for his peers and towards his fans. This is a terrible tragedy and an unbearable loss.''
Benoit began his career in 1985 after training with Stu Hart and family in Calgary. He competed for Hart's Stampede Wrestling promotion in the late 1980's and later wrestled in Japan and for the National Wrestling Alliance, World Championship Wrestling and Extreme Championship Wrestling. He joined WWE in 2000.
Benoit held several titles over his career but realized his dream at Wrestlemania 20 in 2004, defeating Shawn Michaels and champion Triple H in a triple threat match at Madison Square Garden to win the WWE world heavyweight championship for the first time.
"He was a man of few words, but his passion for the sports-entertainment business was almost unrivaled,'' the WWE said. "Whether loved or hated, Benoit was always well-respected by our fans and his peers for his in-ring ability, his trademark toothless grin and his no-nonsense attitude.
"The sports-entertainment world has truly suffered a loss with his
passing, as one of the all-time greats was taken well before his time.'
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Chris Benoit and family found dead: reports
'Canadian Crippler' once lived in Edmonton, Sherwood Park
Professional wrestler Chris Benoit was found dead along with his family this afternoon in his Atlanta home, according to published reports.
The Atlanta-Journal Constitution is reporting authorities confirmed that Benoit, 40, his wife, Nancy, and their 7-year-old son were found dead at the home on Quarters and Redwine roads in Fayetteville.
The Montreal-born Benoit, who moved to Edmonton when he was 12 years old, lived in Sherwood Park as recently as May 2000.
World Wrestling Entertainment issued a release over Benoit's death.
"World Wrestling Entertainment is deeply saddened to report that today Chris Benoit and his family were found dead in their home," the statement reads.
"There are no further details at this time, other than the Benoit family residence is currently being investigated by local authorities.
WWE spokeswoman Cheryl Kong in Toronto said Monday night’s “Raw” TV program would serve as a tribute to Benoit and his family.
Benoit was a former world heavyweight champion, Intercontinental champion and held several tag-team titles over his career.
Benoit was scheduled to wrestle at the Vengeance pay-per-view Sunday
night in Houston, but was replaced at the last minute because of what
announcer Jim Ross called “personal reasons.”
-With files from Canadian Press
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WWE wrestler Chris Benoit, his wife and son found dead in Georgia; homicide suspected
FAYETTEVILLE, Ga. (AP) -- WWE wrestler Chris Benoit, his wife and son were found dead Monday and police said they were investigating the deaths as a homicide.
Lt. Tommy Pope of the Fayette County Sheriff's Department said the three were found at their home about 2:30 p.m., but refused to release details.
Pope said results of autopsies on Benoit, his wife Nancy, and 7-year-old son Daniel were expected Tuesday.
Benoit, 40, was a former world heavyweight champion, Intercontinental champion and held several tag-team titles over 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."
Benoit, a Canadian native, 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.
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Wrestler Chris Benoit and His Family Murdered
June 25, 2007 11:06 PM EDT
Authorities say pro wrestler Chris Benoit, his wife and seven-year-old son were found slain on Monday at their Fayetteville home.
Detective Bo Turner told Atlanta television station WAGA that the case is being investigated as a murder-suicide, but said that cannot be determined until the evidence is examined by a crime lab. The station says investigators believe Benoit killed his wife and the boy, Daniel, sometime over the weekend, and then himself sometime today. A concerned neighbor called police. The bodies were found in three different rooms.
The lead investigator, Fayette County sheriff's Lieutenant Tommy Pope, said only that the deaths were being investigated as homicide. He said the cause of death awaits autopsy results on Tuesday. The 40-year-old Benoit, a native of Canada, was a former world heavyweight champion, Intercontinental champion and held several tag-team titles over his career. 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." Benoit maintained a home in metro Atlanta from the time he wrestled for the defunct World Championship Wrestling.
The federal-style house is in a secluded neighborhood set back about 60 yards off a gravel road, surrounded by stacked stone wall and double-iron gate.
Courtesy: Associated Press
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Wrestler Chris Benoit, wife and child found dead
By DEBBIE NEWBY
Associated Press Writer
June 25, 2007, 11:30 PM EDT
FAYETTEVILLE, Ga. -- Pro wrestler Chris Benoit, his wife and 7-year-old
son were found slain Monday at their Fayetteville home, authorities said.
Detective Bo Turner told television station WAGA that the case was being investigated as a murder-suicide, but said that could not be confirmed until the evidence was examined by a crime lab.
WAGA reported that investigators believe Benoit killed his wife and son over the weekend, and then himself sometime Monday.
A concerned neighbor called police. The bodies were found in three different rooms.
The lead investigator, Sheriff's Lt. Tommy Pope, told The Associated Press that the deaths were being investigated as homicide, and said the cause of death awaited autopsy results on Tuesday.
Pope said the three were found about 2:30 p.m., but he would release no other details about the deaths at the house in a subdivision near White Water Country Club.
World Wrestling Entertainment, based in Stamford, Conn., said on its Web site that Benoit, 40, his wife, Nancy, and son, who was named Daniel, were found dead, but also had no other details.
Benoit, a native of Canada, was a former world heavyweight champion, Intercontinental champion and held several tag-team titles over 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."
Benoit 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.
Benoit's wife managed several wrestlers and went by the stage name, "Woman," The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported on its Web site.
They met when her then-husband drew up a script that had them involved in a relationship as part of an ongoing storyline on World Championship Wrestling, the newspaper said.
Benoit has two other children from a prior relationship.
The federal-style house is in a secluded neighborhood set back about 60 yards off a gravel road, surrounded by stacked stone wall and double-iron gate.
Monday night, the house was dark except for a few outside lights. There
was a police car in front, and two uniformed officers.
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Sources in the Fayette County Police Department are now working under the theory that Chris Benoit killed Nancy on Saturday, son Daniel on Sunday, and then killed himself earlier today.
Benoit was found dead in his weight room. Nancy was found dead in the living room. Daniel was found dead in his bedroom, according to an unnamed source in the department.
Lt. Tommy Pope told ABC News "the instruments of death were located on the scene," but didn't specify what those were or where they were found. Pope said the department was not actively searching for any suspects outside the house.
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Benoit's death part of a double murder-suicide
Written: June 25, 2007According to lead investigator Lt. Tommy Pope, of
the Fayette County Sheriff’s Department, in Fayetteville, Ga., the
deaths of WWE Superstar Chris Benoit, wife Nancy and son Daniel were the
result of a double murder-suicide, WWE.com has learned.
Benoit failed to appear both at Saturday’s live event in Beaumont, Tx., and WWE’s Vengeance: Night of Champions in Houston Sunday night, after informing WWE of a family emergency. Several curious text messages sent by Benoit early Sunday morning prompted concerned friends to alert Richard Hering, VP of Government Relations for WWE, Inc.
Hering, in turn, spoke with Fayette County sheriffs Monday, and requested that they respond to the Benoit residence to check on him and his family.
Authorities representing the Sheriff’s Department initially had a difficult time entering Benoit’s new Fayetteville home Monday afternoon, which had been guarded by two large German Shepherds roaming freely around the property. Once authorities entered the residence, they quickly located the bodies of Benoit, Nancy and Daniel. WWE was notified of the discovery at approximately 4 p.m.
At 10 p.m. Monday night, Lt. Pope held a press conference in conjunction with Scott Ballard, the district attorney for Fayette County. The press conference officially ruled authorities’ findings as a double murder-suicide from within the home.
WAGA, a FOX-owned and operated television station in Atlanta, reported that investigators believe Benoit killed his wife and 7-year-old son over the weekend, then himself on Monday.
The three bodies have been received by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation’s crime lab, in Decatur, GA., where autopsies will be performed Tuesday morning. Toxicology reports will not become available for at least two weeks.
WWE.com has further information relating to both the investigation and
the cause of death, but the Fayette County Sheriff’s Department has
requested that WWE.com not release any additional details at this time.
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Pro wrestler, family found dead in Fayetteville home
By Saeed Ahmed, Kathy Jefcoats
The Atlanta-Journal Constitution
Published on: 06/25/07
In its ongoing attempt to constantly outdo itself, the World Wrestling Entertainment recently staged the "death" of its chairman in an apparent limo explosion.
Monday night, the largest wrestling organization in the world grappled with a real-life murder mystery: What led to the apparent murder-suicide of superstar wrestler Chris Benoit, his wife and child inside their expansive Fayetteville home?
Officials have not disclosed how the family died, other than to say the deaths did not involve a gun.
"The details, when they come out," said Fayette County District Attorney Scott Ballard, "are going to prove a little bizarre."
Deputies checking on the family at the behest of Benoit's employer discovered the bodies of the 40-year-old wrestler, his wife, Nancy Benoit, 43, and their 7-year-old son, Daniel, on Monday afternoon at their home on Green Meadow Lane.
Benoit, a Canada native, maintained a residence in metro Atlanta from
the time he wrestled for the now-defunct Ted Turner-owned World Championship
Wrestling organization.
Most recently, Benoit performed as part of World Wrestling Entertainment.
He was scheduled to appear in a pay-per-view title match Sunday night,
but was a no-show because of a "family emergency," the WWE said
during the broadcast.
His employers, apparently worried, asked deputies to check in on the family”
leading to the discovery, said Sheriff's Lt. Tommy Pope.
Murders are rare in Fayette County, particularly so in areas like Green Meadow Lane, a rural stretch of the county where multi-acre mansion-style homes dot the landscape. In 2006, the sheriff's office didn't investigate a single murder.
Fans tried to cope with the news Monday evening as the blogosphere erupted in reader disbelief.
"Obviously, all sorts of speculation are running rampant but I have
talked to so many people and nobody really knows," said Bryan Alvarez,
who runs Figurefour Weekly, a wrestling newsletter and Web site, from
Linwood, Wash.
Benoit began his career in Calgary more than 20 years ago. He wrestled
in Japan before moving back to North America.
While working in Atlanta with WCW, he met his wife, Nancy, who managed several wrestlers and went by the stage name, "Woman."
At the time, her then-husband drew up a script that had the couple involved in a relationship as part of an ongoing storyline.
Soon after, the two became romantically involved in real life and married. Benoit has two other children from a prior relationship.
He joined WWE in 2000, and four years later, won its world heavyweight championship.
The family had moved into the Fayetteville neighborhood last summer, said neighbor Alaina Jones.
None of the neighbors recalled seeing police at the house before. Monday night, about half a dozen cars idled on the circular driveway. Deputies stood guard outside the wrought-iron gates of the residence. A car full of youngsters who stopped to gawk at the scene were pulled out by deputies, frisked and sent on their way.
The Monday night broadcast of WWE's "Raw" on the USA Network was supposed to have been a who-dunit into the "death" of Chairman Vince McMahon, whose limousine burst into a fiery explosion moments after he stepped into it after a bout in Wilkes-Barre, Pa., two weeks ago.
The organization scrapped the storyline following Benoit's death, and instead televised a three-hour retrospective on Benoit's career.
And unlike the two-page, hyperbole-filled news release it sent out after its chairman's "death," the statement announcing Benoit's real-life passing was curt and matter-of-fact:
"Chris Benoit and his family were found dead in their home. There are no further details at this time."
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Police: Benoit killed wife, son, later hanged himself
Superstar wrestler's wife once claimed abuse, filed for divorce
By S.A. REID, KATHY JEFCOATS
The Atlanta-Journal Constitution
Published on: 06/25/07
Superstar wrestler Chris Benoit strangled his wife and smothered his son before hanging himself in his weight room, according to a law enforcement source quoted by the Associated Press.
The couple and their 7-year-old son were found dead Monday in their home on Green Meadow Lane just east of Peachtree City. Nancy Benoit and her son, Daniel, were killed during the weekend and Benoit died Monday, police said.
Benoit and his wife went through a period of turbulence early in their
marriage that included her claiming domestic abuse and filing for divorce,
court records show.
The couple, who had lived together since 1997 and were married in 2000,
had separated when Nancy Benoit, a wrestling manager who worked under
the stage name "Woman," filed for divorce in May 2003.
In the accompanying petition for protection from domestic abuse, Nancy Benoit, 43, claimed she was intimidated by threats of violence from her 40-year-old, 5-foot-10, 220-pound husband, who was known as the "Canadian Crippler."
Benoit, the petition said, "lost his temper and threatened to strike the petitioner and cause extensive damage to the home and personal belongings of the parties, including furniture and furnishings. Petitioner is in reasonable fear for petitioner's own safety and that of the minor child."
In another count, she claimed Benoit had destroyed furniture in the home.
On May 12, 2003, the same day the divorce and protective order petitions were submitted, a judge issued a restraining order against the wrestler and barred him from the family home in Peachtree City.
On Aug. 19, 2003, Nancy Benoit filed to have the divorce and protective petitions dismissed, and both were.
Police on Tuesday said no gun was used in the killings, but they have
declined to say how the three died. Autopsies were scheduled for Tuesday
at the GBI Crime Lab in Decatur.
"The details, when they come out, are going to prove a little bizarre,"
Fayette County District Attorney Scott Ballard said Tuesday.
Police also revealed Tuesday that a text message was sent from Chris Benoit's cellphone.
Fayette Sheriff's Lt. Tommy Pope said the message was sent at 4:30 a.m. Saturday, but he decline to disclose the message's content or recipient.
Benoit's employer, World Wrestling Entertainment, said on its Website
Tuesday that Benoit had sent
"several curious text messages" to friends, but police on Tuesday
said they had identified only the one.
Authorities initially had trouble getting to the home because of two large German shepherds on the property, the WWE said. Sheriff's deputies were standing guard at the home on Tuesday morning, keeping back the media and the curious.
Benoit was found in the home's weight room, his wife in an office and
his son in an upstairs bedroom.
Benoit failed to appear at Saturday's live wrestling event in Beaumont,
Texas., and at WWE's "Vengeance: Night of Champions" in Houston
Sunday night. WWE said Benoit had a "family emergency."
As news of the death's spread, the wrestling blogosphere erupted in disbelief.
"Obviously, all sorts of speculation are running rampant but I have talked to so many people and nobody really knows," said Bryan Alvarez, who runs Figurefour Weekly, a wrestling newsletter and Web site, from Linwood, Wash.
The WWE issued a statement Monday night:
"Chris was beloved among his fellow Superstars, and was a favorite among WWE fans for his unbelievable athleticism and wrestling ability. He always took great pride in his performance, and always showed respect for the business he loved, for his peers and towards his fans. This is a terrible tragedy and an unbearable loss. WWE extends its sincere condolences and prayers to the Benoit family and loved ones in this time of tragedy."
A native of Canada, Benoit maintained a residence in metro Atlanta from the time he wrestled for the now-defunct Ted Turner-owned World Championship Wrestling organization.
He began his career in Calgary more than 20 years ago and had wrestled
in Japan before moving back to North America.
While working in Atlanta with WCW, he met his wife, Nancy, who managed
several wrestlers and went by the stage name, "Woman."
At the time, her then-husband drew up a script that had the couple involved in a relationship as part of an ongoing storyline.
Soon after, the two became romantically involved in real life and married. Benoit has two other children from a prior relationship.
He joined WWE in 2000, and four years later, won its world heavyweight championship.
The family had moved into the Fayetteville neighborhood last summer, said neighbor Alaina Jones.
None of the neighbors recalled seeing police at the house before. Monday night, about half a dozen cars idled on the circular driveway. Deputies stood guard outside the wrought-iron gates of the residence. A car full of youngsters who stopped to gawk at the scene were pulled out by deputies, frisked and sent on their way.
The Monday night broadcast of WWE's "Raw" on the USA Network was supposed to have been a who-dunit into the "death" of Chairman Vince McMahon, whose limousine burst into a fiery explosion moments after he stepped into it after a bout in Wilkes-Barre, Pa., two weeks ago.
The organization scrapped the storyline following Benoit's death, and instead televised a three-hour retrospective on Benoit's career.
Staff writer Saeed Ahmed and the Associated Press contributed to this
report.
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Wrestler Killed Family and Self, Police Say
By GREG BLUESTEIN,AP
Posted: 2007-06-26 16:42:01
ATLANTA (June 26) - 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.
Associated Press writers Debbie Newby and Jason Bronis contributed to
this report.
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WWE® shocked at latest developments in Benoit
tragedy, concerned by sensationalistic reporting
Written: June 26, 2007
STAMFORD, Conn., June 26, 2007 – World Wrestling Entertainment is stunned and saddened by the details released by local authorities concerning the double homicide-suicide involving Chris Benoit, his wife, Nancy, and his son, Daniel.
However, WWE is concerned with the sensationalistic reporting and speculation being undertaken by some members of the media following the press conference held by the Fayette County Sheriff’s Department and the District Attorney. During the press conference, the investigating authorities made the following points, all of which run contrary to the media speculation that "roid rage" was a factor in the senseless murders and suicide:
1. The authorities stated that all drugs found in the house were believed to be legal prescriptions.
2. Steroids were not, and could not, be related to the cause of death (asphyxiation). Authorities had no factual basis to speculate as to Benoit’s state of mind, and rightly did not do so.
3. Toxicology tests have not even been completed, so there is no current evidence that Benoit even had steroids or any other substance in his body. In that regard, on the last test done on Benoit by WWE's independently administered drug testing program, done on April 10, 2007, Benoit tested negative.
4. The physical findings announced by authorities indicate deliberation, not rage. The wife's feet and hands were bound and she was asphyxiated, not beaten to death. By the account of the authorities, there were substantial periods of time between the death of the wife and the death of the son, again suggesting deliberate thought, not rage. The presence of a Bible by each is also not an act of rage.
5. WWE strongly suggests that it is entirely wrong for speculators to suggest that steroids had anything to do with these senseless acts, especially when the authorities plainly stated there is no evidence that Benoit had steroids in his body, pending the toxicological reports, and that they had no evidence at this time as to the motive for these acts.
WWE is continuing to monitor the ongoing investigation being conducted by local authorities.
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Below is a detailed WWE/Chris Benoit timeline from Saturday to Monday:
Saturday, June 23, 2007
Chris Benoit was scheduled to appear at the WWE SmackDown/ ECW live event in Beaumont, Texas.
3:30 pm - A co-worker received a voice message from Benoit. The message from Benoit stated he missed his flight and over slept and would be late to the WWE Live Event. The co-worker called Benoit back, Benoit confirmed everything he said in his voice message and sounded tired and groggy. Benoit then stated, “I love you”. The co-worker stated that it was “out of context.”
3:42 pm - The same co-worker was concerned with Benoit’s tone and demeanor and called Benoit for a second time. Benoit did not answer the call and the co-worker left a message stating “just call me back.”
3:44 pm - Benoit called the co-worker back stating he didn’t answer the call because he was on the phone with Delta changing his flight. Benoit stated he had a real stressful day due to Nancy and Daniel being sick with food poisoning. They discussed travel plans for the WWE Tour of Texas with Benoit still sounding groggy at this point according to the co-worker.
4:30 pm - A co-worker who consistently travels with Benoit, called Benoit from outside Houston airport and Benoit answered. Benoit told the co-worker that Nancy was throwing up blood and that Daniel was also throwing up. Benoit thought they had food poisoning. Benoit stated he changed his flight and he would be arriving into Houston at 6:30 pm. Benoit told the co-worker to drive onto the WWE event.
5:35 pm - Benoit called WWE Talent Relations stating that his son was throwing up and that he and Nancy were in the hospital with their son, and that Benoit would be taking a later flight into Houston, landing late, but would make the WWE live event in Beaumont.
6:10 pm - A representative of Talent Relations called Benoit. The representative from Talent Relations asked Benoit what time Benoit was getting into Beaumont. Benoit responded he was leaving Atlanta at 9:20 pm Eastern time arriving into Houston at 9:24 pm Central time.
The representative from Talent Relations advised Benoit that it would be too late to make the WWE live event in Beaumont. Benoit apologized citing he had a family emergency. The representative from Talent Relations suggested to Benoit that instead of going to the WWE live event in Beaumont, Benoit should take the flight to Houston, rest up and be ready for the Vengeance Pay-Per-View event.
6:13 pm - The representative from Talent Relations called Benoit to reconfirm the travel plans with no answer from Benoit. The representative from Talent Relations left a voice message to take the flight and rest up.
Sunday, June 24, 2007
Text messages sent to co-workers from Chris Benoit and Nancy Benoit’s cell phones:
Text Message 1
Sent to: Two Co-Workers (the same who had verbal correspondence with Benoit
the day before)
From: Benoit’s cell phone
When: 6/24 at 3:53 am from
Message: C, S. My physical address is 130 Green Meadow Lane. Fayetteville
Georgia. 30215
Text Message 2
Sent to: Two Co-Workers (the same who had verbal correspondence with Benoit
the day before)
From: Benoit’s cell phone
When: 6/24 at 3:53 am
Message: The dogs are in the enclosed pool area. Garage side door is open
Text Message 3
Sent to: Two Co-Workers (the same who had verbal correspondence with Benoit
the day before)
From: Nancy Benoit’s cell phone
When: 6/24 at 3:54 am
Message: C, S. My physical address is 130 Green Meadow Lane. Fayetteville
Georgia. 30215
Text Message 4
Sent to: Two Co-Workers (the same who had verbal correspondence with Benoit
the day before)
From: Nancy Benoit’s cell phone
When: 6/24 at 3:55 am
Message: C, S. My physical address is 130 Green Meadow Lane. Fayetteville
Georgia. 30215
Text Message 5
Sent to: A Co-Worker who consistently traveled with Benoit
From: Nancy Benoit’s cell phone
When: 6/24 at 3:58 am
Message: My address is 130 Green Meadow Lane. Fayetteville Georgia. 30215
WWE made several attempts to contact Benoit via phone and text messages, as well as, the local hospitals in the Atlanta area. As of 11:00 pm Sunday night there was no contact made with Benoit.
Monday, June 25, 2007
12:30 pm -WWE was notified of text messages sent to the two co-workers.
12:45 pm - WWE contacted the Fayetteville County Sheriff’s office and requested them to go to Benoit’s residence
4:00 pm - WWE received a call from the Fayetteville County Sheriff’s
office, advising that they entered the house of Benoit and found 3 deceased
bodies (a male, a female and a child). The Fayette County Sheriff’s
office has secured the house as a “major crime scene” and that
the Fayette County Sheriff’s Office had no further information.
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Murder-suicide rocks wrestling fans, Fayette
By KEVIN DUFFY, KATHY JEFCOATS
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 06/27/07
In the ring, wrestler Chris Benoit, the "Canadian Crippler," would vault from the ropes to pancake an opponent. Or grab a wrestler from behind before slamming him to the mat.
It was all in fun, part of the smackdown entertainment that millions of wrestling fans enjoy.
And Benoit was one of the best, crowned World Wrestling Entertainment champion in 2004. He performed on pay-per-view events that were broadcast worldwide.
But away from the limelight, the 40-year-old Fayette County resident was struggling with family issues he couldn't defeat. The results were tragic.
Over the weekend, Benoit strangled his wife, Nancy Benoit, 43, and smothered their son, Daniel, 7, and placed Bibles next to their bodies before hanging himself with cord from a weight machine, authorities said Tuesday.
She was found in an upstairs den at the family's 2-year-old traditional frame home, wrapped in a towel, her wrists and feet bound. Daniel, who had recently completed classes at the First Baptist Church school in Peachtree City, was in his bed.
Fayette County Sheriff's Lt. Tommy Pope said steroids were found at the house.
"There were some prescription medications ... that we believe at this time were legal prescriptions," Pope said.
Toxicology test results may not be available for weeks or even months, said District Attorney Scott Ballard. As for whether steroids played a role in the crime, he said: "We don't know yet. That's one of the things we'll be looking at."
Benoit received drug deliveries from a Florida business that sold steroids, human growth hormone and testosterone on the Internet, according to the Albany County, N.Y., District Attorney's Office, which is investigating the business, MedXLife.com.
Six people, including two of the pharmacy's owners, have pleaded guilty in the investigation, and 20 more have been arrested, including doctors and pharmacists.
The WWE, based in Stamford, Conn., issued a statement Tuesday saying steroids "were not and could not be related to the cause of death."
"The physical findings announced by authorities indicate deliberation, not rage," the company said, adding that Benoit tested negative April 10, the last time he was tested for drugs.
Police said Benoit, a native of Montreal, probably killed his wife of seven years Friday and his son Saturday before hanging himself in the basement of their home Saturday.
No note was left, and people who knew Benoit were at a loss to explain the carnage.
"The Chris I know couldn't have done this," said James Robison, a manager at Partners Pizza in Peachtree City, where the Benoits would go on the Fourth of July before the fireworks began.
"They'd sit right over there in that booth," he said, pointing to a booth by the window in the shopping center restaurant. "I definitely won't be here on that night. It'll be too painful."
"I met them in 2004 and I used to tease Chris about wrestling being fake," said Angela Hall, holding a disposable camera and wiping away tears during a visit to the Benoit home Tuesday. She knew them as shoppers at the Publix just outside Peachtree City, where she worked at the deli. "I told him, 'You sure make it look real.' "
"It's indescribable," she said of the killings. "I still don't believe it.'
The Rev. Kenneth Brown, pastor of First Baptist Church, called them "a regular family." First Baptist school workers are putting together information packets to help parents and children deal with the grief.
Deputies went to check on Benoit after his employer, World Wrestling Entertainment, told them he had missed out-of-state engagements. Benoit failed to appear at Saturday's live wrestling event in Beaumont, Texas, and at WWE's "Vengeance: Night of Champions" in Houston on Sunday night. WWE told Sunday's pay-per-view fans that Benoit had a "family emergency."
The Benoits had been together since 1997 and were married in 2000. He had two other children from a former marriage.
Benoit met his future wife while wrestling for Ted Turner's defunct World Championship Wrestling.
At the time, she was Nancy Sullivan, married to someone else and managing several wrestlers under the stage name "Woman."
Her then-husband dreamed up a story line in which she and Benoit were romantically involved. That fantasy soon turned to reality.
Signs of trouble in the Benoit marriage became apparent in May 2003, when Nancy Benoit filed for divorce and sought court protection from her husband.
In the protective order petition, she said Benoit "lost his temper and threatened to strike the petitioner and cause extensive damage to the home."
But three months later, the couple reconciled and the petition was dismissed.
Chris Benoit's only other known brush with the legal system occurred in September 1998, when Peachtree City police arrested him on a DUI charge.
He was observed parked late at night in front of a house on Fairfield Drive. "Mr. Benoit stated that he used to live in the house until his divorce a year ago," the police report says. "He stated he was sitting there 'reminiscing.' "
The Benoits lived on eight acres in a semi-rural area east of Peachtree City. Their house, soft brown with white trim, is set well back from the road behind a stacked stone wall and iron gate.
Dave Meltzer, publisher of the Wrestling Observer newsletter, said medication is a part of the pro wrestling culture. Benoit broke his neck about six years ago, which put him out of action for more than a year.
"I know [his wife] was concerned about the drugs -- painkillers and the steroids," Meltzer said. "That was a problem."
Ballard said Benoit had sent two text messages to acquaintances, one saying that his wife and son were sick. The other, to a neighbor, said the door to the house was open and that the pets were outside, The Associated Press reported Tuesday night. The prosecutor said the messages appeared to be an attempt to get someone to the home to find the bodies after his suicide.
The boy had old needle marks in his arms, Ballard said. He said he had been told the parents considered him undersized and had given him growth hormones.
"The boy was very small, even dwarfed," Ballard said.
Benoit was just under 6 feet and about 230 pounds. Meltzer said he was a wrestler's wrestler, more technique than show.
"He wasn't the biggest star," he said, "but if you ask me who the best wrestler was ... that would be the name I would say -- Chris Benoit."
While a teenager in Edmonton, Alberta, Benoit fell in love with wrestling after seeing the Dynamite Kid.
He wrestled in Japan in the early 1990s as the Pegasus Kid before heading to the United States in 1994 and becoming the Canadian Crippler.
He was an "enigma," according to his attorney in the divorce proceeding, Stanley Levitt, because the Crippler "was one of the most gentle and soft-spoken people I had run across in a very long time."
Robison, the pizza manager, would agree. They met several years ago while checking in for a tanning bed appointment. Robison joked Benoit was trying to push ahead.
"Chris just stepped back and apologized over and over again. He was so sorry," Robison recalled.
That was a far different time from last weekend.
"I know it happened," Robison said, "but it's a total
mystery."
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Benoit's doctor said he met with the wrestler day
of the killings
The Associated Press - ATLANTA
Professional wrestler Chris Benoit met with his personal physician hours before he allegedly killed his wife and son and then hanged himself in his basement, the doctor said Wednesday.
"He was in my office on Friday to stop by just to see my staff," said Dr. Phil Astin of metro Atlanta. "He certainly didn't show any signs of any distress or rage or anything."
Authorities say Benoit strangled his wife, suffocated his 7-year-old son Daniel and placed a Bible next to their bodies before hanging himself with a weight-machine pulley over the weekend. No motive was offered for the killings, which were spread out over the weekend and discovered Monday.
Astin, who said he was Benoit's longtime friend and physician, said he had prescribed testosterone to Benoit because he suffered from low amounts of the hormone. He said the condition likely originated from previous steroid use. He would not say what, if any, medications he prescribed the day of the meeting.
"I'm still very surprised and shocked, especially with his child Daniel involved," said Astin. "He worshipped his child."
Investigators said Benoit's 43-year-old wife was strangled Friday with what appeared to be a cable in an upstairs family room, and her feet and wrists were bound and there was blood under her head, indicating a possible struggle. Daniel was probably killed late Saturday or early Sunday, and his body was found in his bed, the district attorney said.
Before the killings, the family was struggling with how to care for the child, who suffered from a rare medical condition called Fragile X Syndrome, an inherited form of mental retardation, said Jerry McDevitt, an attorney for World Wrestling Entertainment.
"Him and Nancy were clearly struggling about this whole issue, about how to take care of Daniel," said McDevitt.
"I don't know what he confronted when he went back into the house," he said. "No one really knows that. We'll have to see. Clearly this issue of the son was a stressor on both of their relationships for some time."
District Attorney Scott Ballard said the autopsy indicated that there were no bruise marks on his neck, so authorities are now assuming he could have been killed using a choke hold. "It's a process of elimination," he said.
Anabolic steroids were found in Benoit's home, leading officials to wonder whether the drugs may have caused the muscle man nicknamed the "Canadian Crippler" to kill his wife and child and then himself.
Meanwhile, Fayette County authorities are investigating a link between Benoit and a Florida business that may have supplied him with anabolic steroids.
Benoit received drug deliveries from Signature Pharmacy and MedXLife.com, a Florida business that sold steroids, human growth hormone and testosterone on the Internet, Albany County, N.Y., District Attorney David Soares said in a statement Wednesday.
"As we have seen, the effects of this type of drug abuse can have devastating effects on individuals and their families, and we will continue to prosecute all those who illegally distribute narcotics and controlled substances to Albany citizens," he said in the statement.
Six people, including two of the pharmacy's owners, have pleaded guilty in the investigation, and 20 more have been arrested, including doctors and pharmacists.
"That's something that sounds like we ought to be investigating," Ballard told the AP on Wednesday. "We ought to be in touch with Albany folks. Certainly we need to corroborate with them, see if we've got anything that helps them and they have anything that helps us."
A lawyer for MedXLife co-owner Dr. Gary Brandwein scoffed at the allegations that his client's company sold steroids to Benoit.
"I've only read that in the paper. I have no direct information about that whatsoever," Terence Kindlon said Wednesday, adding that Albany County prosecutors were trying to "distract everyone's attention from the fact that their case is disintegrating."
Brandwein, a 44-year-old osteopath from Boca Raton, Fla., has pleaded not guilty to six counts in New York state court related to the criminal sale of a controlled substance. He was accused of signing and sending prescriptions without ever seeing patients.
Telephone messages left for attorneys for Brian Schafler and Greg Trotta _ two other co-owners of MedXLife _ were not immediately returned on Wednesday. The two men have pleaded guilty to felony third-degree diversion of prescription medications and prescriptions, admitting they helped get drugs in 2006 for customers in upstate New York who had no medical need for them.
The WWE, based in Stamford, Conn., issued a news release saying steroids "were not and could not be related to the cause of death" and that the findings indicate "deliberation, not rage." It also added that Benoit tested negative April 10, the last time he was tested for drugs.
"The drugs they had found in there, including the steroids, were all pursuant to legitimate prescription. We know they know which doctor prescribed it," McDevitt told the AP on Wednesday. "There's no question, none of these drugs are out there, none of these drugs came from Internet pharmacies."
While steroids can cause the paranoia and explosive outbursts known as "roid rage," the drug is also associated with deep and lengthy bouts of depression.
"Just as you have the extreme high of when you're on steroids, you can get the opposite," said Dr. Todd Schlifstein, a clinical assistant professor at the New York University School of Medicine. "You can have a dramatic difference in mood swings. You can feel there's no hope, there's no future."
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I received the following email today from someone in the business who wishes to remain anonymous.
I haven’t had much to say about the wrestling business, not even when I was in the business, but I have to say now that I am outraged at the WWE. For a company that claims that its’ workers are one big extended family, I feel they are handling the Chris Benoit situation very poorly. Benoit was an ordinary man, who put his pants on the same way any other person does, one leg at a time. He was also a person who had many great accomplishments that included his family, fans, friends and he was loved. Every person in their life at one time or another has found themselves in the need for a friendly voice or in a situation that they felt was hopeless. Not every person acts on those emotions and although it looks like the evidence points to all negative things nobody really knows for sure what happened over the weekend, they can only speculate, there are only three and perhaps, God willing only two people who really know what happened and those people are no longer around to tell the story. If it were any other person or news story like this, people would look at it and say “Oh my, that’s a terrible thing” and they would move on with their lives. So to the WWE who claims to care for their people, someone lost a daughter, an aunt, a cousin, a son, an uncle, a brother, a father or just a friend, don’t disrespect their memory or their loss. Don't publicize the events or the time line, if your eliminating everything that has to do with Benoit. But for the families, fans and friends don't eliminate Benoit, don't turn your back on him for what might very well be the biggest human error a person can make, a moment of weakness, rather say we wish we would have seen the signs or known so we could have helped in some way, because the families, fans and friends they will always have the questions, they will always feel the pain, and they will always feel the joy of knowing such wonderful people while they were here but they will also have to heal and for them life will have to go on.
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Wrestler and Wife Argued Over Child Care
Wednesday June 27, 5:45 pm ET
By Greg Bluestein, Associated Press Writer
Wrestler and Wife Argued Over Care of Retarded 7-Year-Old Son
ATLANTA (AP) -- In the days before pro wrestler Chris Benoit killed his wife and child and hanged himself, the couple argued over whether he should stay home more to take care of their mentally retarded 7-year-old son, an attorney for the wrestling league said Wednesday.
"I think it's fair to say that the subject of caring for that child was part of what made their relationship complicated and difficult, and it's something they were both constantly struggling with," said Jerry McDevitt, an attorney for World Wrestling Entertainment. "We do know it was a source of stress and consternation."
McDevitt said the wrestling organization learned from the couple's friends and relatives that the Benoits were struggling with where to send the boy to school since he had recently finished kindergarten.
He also said Benoit's wife didn't want him to quit wrestling, but she "wanted him to be at home more to care for the kid. She'd say she can't take care of him by herself when he was on the road."
The child suffered from a rare medical condition called Fragile X Syndrome, an inherited form of mental retardation often accompanied by autism, McDevitt said.
Over the past weekend, authorities said, Benoit strangled his wife, suffocated
his son and placed a Bible next to their bodies before hanging himself
with a weight-machine cable in the couple's suburban home. No motive was
offered for the killings, which were discovered Monday.
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Benoit’s son suffered from Fragile X Syndrome;
speculation over whether pressure was too much
Written: June 27, 2007
WWE.com learned from an interview conducted Tuesday by Vancouver’s News1130 that Chris Benoit’s son Daniel possibly suffered from Fragile X Syndrome, a genetically passed-on condition that results in impairments ranging from physical and learning disabilities, to more severe cognitive or intellectual disabilities.
In the interview with News1130, Pam Winthrope, whose own 12-year-old son suffers from Fragile X Syndrome, recounted how she and her husband talked to Benoit about the condition five years ago.
“We talked to him because I was trying to set up a support group in B.C. and in Canada; we only have a couple of them,” she said. “My husband was struggling when we got diagnosed with our son, and Chris was struggling with his. They talked for a few minutes, and then he said he didn’t want to be a public face for Fragile X. He just wanted to keep it really, really quiet.”
A source close to Benoit recalls similar conversations with him, where he described his son’s condition as “a learning disability much like autism.” This source quotes Benoit as saying “Daniel wasn’t capable of interacting with other children and was afraid of other children. Daniel also had a hard time making eye contact with everyone, which was another symptom of his disability.” Benoit also claimed that his son was on medication for this condition.
Winthrope discussed the pressures facing parents of children diagnosed with Fragile X syndrome. During her interview with News1130, she stated that families can be torn apart by the disease because it's very difficult to find help and support. Winthrope added, "You as a parent have to go out there and find what's available and it's not easy -- they don't tell you."
A co-worker and long-time friend of the Benoits speculates that perhaps the pressures of home and Daniel’s illness had gotten to him, causing him to snap and take the lives of his wife and son before taking his own.
“Is it possible that after Chris killed Nancy (for whatever reason),
he felt Daniel wouldn't be able to get the care and attention he required
as a special needs child (if that is indeed true) with no mother and a
father either in jail or dead? Did he then decide that the only way he
could protect and take care of his son was to take him to the next world
and go with him? In his warped and twisted state, did he think this was
the only way to shield his son from a difficult life of pain and hardship?
It doesn't condone or justify a damn thing, but it's the best reason I
can think of. I'm trying to put together some semblance of logic for his
actions, but it's an impossible task trying to explain this.”
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Wrestler, wife had argued over mentally disabled
son, lawyer says
By KEVIN DUFFY, SAEED AHMED
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 06/28/07
Just days before professional wrestling star Chris Benoit killed his wife, his son and himself, the couple argued over caring for their mentally disabled child, who suffered from a rare medical condition, a lawyer with World Wrestling Entertainment said Wednesday.
"As we went back to the time line of events, it became pretty obvious from several different sources that Nancy and Chris had tension in their relationship," said the lawyer, Jerry McDevitt. "I don't know what they said to each other, but they were constantly struggling with the difficulties of raising a child who, from all indications, may well have had Fragile X Syndrome."
RELATED:
• Couple had struggled over son's mental disability, lawyer says
• Benoit left trail of calls, online messages | Video
• Chokehold may have killed Benoit's son
• Murder-suicide rocks wrestling fans, Fayette
• Video: Steroids a factor?
• Wrestling remains big draw on TV
• Blog: I'll miss Chris Benoit
• 'Magnum T.A.' shocked
• Reaction from fan Web sites
• Do you need help?
Fragile X Syndrome is the most common inherited form of mental impairment,
affecting boys twice as often as girls, according to the Emory University
School of Medicine's Department of Human Genetics. It can lead to autistic-like
behavior, and there is no known cure.
Investigators think Benoit, 40, killed his wife Friday and his 7-year-old son Daniel Saturday. He placed Bibles next to their bodies, authorities say. Sometime Sunday he hanged himself using a weight-machine pulley. The bodies were found Monday at the Benoits' exclusive Fayette County home near Peachtree City.
McDevitt said Benoit's wife didn't want him to quit wrestling but wanted him to stay home more often. She had recently undergone surgery on her neck and was in pain, he said.
"It's very difficult to raise a child this way. There's a lot of guilt," McDevitt said. "Chris was traveling on the road; she was trying to deal with the problems on her own."
Gail Heyman, who co-founded the Fragile X Association of Georgia, acknowledged that having a child diagnosed with the syndrome can put a strain on the family. But, she said, it's a matter of choice how a couple handles the challenge.
"You can either accept the differences and to be more tolerant of each other, or have it work against you," said Heyman, 50, of Marietta. Benoit and his wife had told friends and their physician that they were worried about where to send Daniel to school. The boy had just finished kindergarten at First Baptist Church School in Peachtree City.
"When they moved into this new area [last summer] and the child has to be placed in a new district, I gathered the tension somewhat exacerbated," McDevitt said.
The pastor of First Baptist, the Rev. Kenneth Brown, said Daniel was a well-liked student. "Our observations were of a caring, loving family," he said.
Pam Winthrope, whose 12-year-old son has been diagnosed with the syndrome, said her late husband reached out to Benoit about five years ago to see whether he would help them start a support group in greater Vancouver, where she lives.
"My husband asked him whether he wanted to be a public face for Fragile X," Winthrope said Wednesday night. "But he wanted to remain very, very private about it."
The two men then talked briefly about what it meant to be dads to a child with the syndrome, she said.
"It's easier for mothers to accept it because we carry the child for nine months and learn to love them," she said. "Fathers have a problem with assumptions of what they can and cannot do. 'Can they play football with me?' "
Last messages
New details about the killings emerged Wednesday.
Daniel appeared to have been killed in a chokehold because he had internal neck injuries but no visible bruises, according to Scott Ballard, district attorney for Fayette County.
Nancy Benoit, 43, had bruises on her back and stomach, indicating her husband had his knee in her back as he pulled on a cord that was around her neck.
Benoit killed himself by wrapping a cord around his neck that was attached to a weight machine. He released the weights — about 240 pounds — to cause strangulation, Ballard said.
During the weekend, Benoit made groggy calls to co-workers and left text messages, according to the WWE.
On Saturday, he said he was delayed in catching his flight to an event in Beaumont, Texas, because of family health issues, the WWE said. In one call he said "I love you" to a co-worker, who called it "out of context," the organization said.
In other calls, Benoit said his wife and son were sick with food poisoning and that they had gone to the hospital, WWE said.
On Sunday, Benoit sent text messages to friends from his cellphone and his wife's cellphone. The last text message was sent at 3:58 a.m. Sunday, according to WWE.
The WWE lawyer tried to get inside the mind of the wrestling star to explain why he would kill his child.
"The time gap between the death of Nancy and the time he was with this child, it doesn't take much to figure out what was going on in his mind," McDevitt said. "The mother can't take care of [Daniel], he'd killed her. He was going to jail. There was nobody left to take care of this little boy."
McDevitt could not find any other explanation why Benoit would take Daniel's life. The boy adored his father and had his pictures in his room, McDevitt said.
Also Wednesday, Benoit's longtime physician, Dr. Phil Astin, said he had prescribed testosterone for the wrestler in the past but would not say what, if any, medications he prescribed the day of their meeting.
"He was in my office on Friday to stop by just to see my staff," Astin, of Carrollton, said. "He certainly didn't show any signs of any distress or rage or anything."
Not a 'roid rage'
That the violence went on for an extended period indicates it was not a "roid rage" sparked by steroid use, according to WWE and others.
Toxicology results from Benoit's autopsy won't be available for weeks.
Benoit received drug deliveries from a Florida business that sold steroids, human growth hormone and testosterone, according to the Albany County, N.Y., district attorney's office, which is investigating the business, MedXLife.com.
"This gentleman may have had other significant mental health problems," said Gary Yesalis, an epidemiologist at Penn State University. "The death of Benoit and his family wasn't spontaneous. I don't see steroids had much if anything to do with this."
At the gate and stacked stone wall at the family's 8-acre home, flowers, stuffed animals and wrestling figurines were left by fans.
And so were notes.
One was written by a child in pencil on lined notebook paper. "I will miss you, we will always love you," it says. "I left you my [toy] wrestler. See you in heaven."
Staff writers Mike Morris, Kathy Jefcoats and Bill Hendricks, researchers
Sharon Gaus and Nisa Asokan and The Associated Press contributed to this
article.
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This is the latest Blog from Victoria
blog.myspace.com/victoria_lisamarievaron
Wednesday, June 27, 2007
June 26th Blog
Hey All.
I had planned on starting off talking about a recent trip to an arena football game, but I would be remiss not to address the Chris Benoit situation. Everyone who knew anything about wrestling knew of his in-ring contributions. I truly don't know what I can say and not get in trouble with the WWE. Anyone who reads my blogs regularly knows how much I love wrestling, and being part of the WWE. But I think what I have to say is more important. His son, Daniel, came to many shows. We bonded. He a was a cute little boy. What Chris did was selfish and hurtful. I fear that him being a superstar in some way glamorizes the situation. That's not what suicide is. It is selfish and hurtful. As long as you have a breath to breathe, you can make change to improve your life.
You can talk to family, or friends, or clergy.
And if you're not comfortable with any of them, here are two phone numbers for a Suicide and Crisis Hotline. 1-800-784-2433 (1-800-SUICIDE) or 1-800-273-8255 (1-800-273-TALK). They take calls 24/7. You always have options.
Maybe someday I'll be able to forgive Chris, but not today.
God Bless Us All, Lisa Marie
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The senseless and tragic death of the 3 people in the double murder-suicide that occurred over the weekend in the Benoit’s home in an Atlanta suburb is a nightmare that one still wants to awake from. For those of us that knew Chris, Nancy, and Daniel on a personal level it is still hard to believe that this horrific event could even occur much less why.
The last time I saw the three of them together was at Wrestlemania 23 and my wife and I had a long visit with the Benoits and at no time could one detect that there were any issues whatsoever. I even had the occasion to speak at length privately to Nancy and she said things were fine at home. As well as Nancy and I knew each other, if that had not been the case, she would have inferred otherwise I assure you. Like so many others who attended the event on that night, the Benoit family was happy and enjoying the moment.
So what happened? I do not know. No one knows. We will hopefully know more when the toxicology reports are completed. Until then all anyone has, including the media, is supposition based on speculation. To garner ratings, the media will continue to make this as huge a story as possible, even without all the facts. That’s the business in which they are involved. Remember when the media, without all the facts, essentially convicted the Duke Lacrosse team several months ago only to find out that there was no case but in the spirit of ratings and to scoop the competition, the three young men from the Duke Lacrosse team were in essence ruled guilty by the media?
I know this damn sure isn’t a Duke Lacross matter or even remotely close, because two innocent people are dead. But again we hear the media rush to judgment about why and how this horrific chain of events came to pass, but still without the evidence or a valid motive. So then why are three people dead? What caused this irrational and totally uncharacteristic behavior from an individual who hereto for had never demonstrated such tendencies in his workplace, not even once? I don’t know and neither does anyone else until the medical examiner can provide more information and then there will be most likely questions in this matter than may never be answered. I know this, God knows and he will deal with this matter accordingly.
Plus, some of those who have or are loosely associated with wrestling and who are making statements with little or no background of the facts of this matter or who simply want another 15 minutes are in a large sense pathetic.
The bottom line is that a woman and a small child are dead of murder and that is an utter shame. That act is inexcusable. The victim’s families need to be held close to our hearts and in our prayers. Let’s consider putting forth as much passion and effort in prayer and reflection as some are in playing amateur detective and wannabe investigative reporters. Let’s spend a little more time with our own families while we are at it, because there are no guarantees about tomorrow and we should covet every day we are blessed to have with our loved ones. I know this, I am going to do all I can to spend more time with family and friends than ever before as this sad situation has slapped me in the face in more ways than one.
I have had friends who questioned the Benoit-themed Monday Night Raw, especially in light of the events that occurred in the Benoit home. For all those who seem to know all the answers and seemingly like to give the appearance of having 20/20 vision after the fact let me add this; when we went on the air at 7 p.m. central time, all we knew was that the police, at the WWE’s urging, had gone to the home and had found three dead bodies in the Benoit home Monday afternoon. This information was confirmed to us late in the day Monday in Corpus Christi and that was all we knew. There was no talk from the authorities themselves of a double murder suicide that was relayed to us in Texas. The facts came out as the night progressed and more facts are still being released several days after this unspeakable nightmare.
Obviously, and in my opinion, if the WWE had known the information of what had actually happened in suburban Atlanta over the weekend, a different decision regarding Monday’s three hour retrospective to Benoit’s career would have obviously been different.
I know that Benoit’s behavior was totally uncharacteristic of him, as I knew him over so many years as he was one of the most professional and polite men with which I have ever been associated. I don’t know why this sickening chain of events happened, but murder, especially taking one’s own child’s life, is unpardonable. I am anxious to read the results of the toxicology reports as the next curious individual but the bottom line is that 3 people are dead including a mother and her son.
It is not too late for all of us to change how we deal with our own families and our friends and to honor every day we have the privilege of being on this earth. Remember, we are all only passing through, so take every day as a gift and continue to count all one’s blessings.
Today can truly be the first day in the rest of our lives. God Bless
all of you that are suffering. Lean on God…He can handle it.
J.R.
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Matt Hardy posted the following on his MySpace.com blog
I haven't always agreed with every decision Vince McMahon has made, but I do agree with everything he's done dealing with this situation thus far. Out of respect for the sudden death of Benoit's family and his contributions to the business, I think Vince did the right thing by canceling the scheduled Raw. When the decision was made to make Raw a Chris Benoit tribute show, the WWE was only doing what seemed respectful and right at that time. When more information was discovered, the WWE took a different and appropriate stance towards their programming. The ECW and Smackdown shows this week were dedicated to our great fans. Wrestling fans who were grieving and confused over this tragedy needed us, including me, to entertain them. I feel it is my responsibility, as well as my pleasure, to put smiles on people's faces and give them an escape from reality. I know Vince feels that way as well.
Chris Benoit was always kind, considerate, and professional when I interacted with him. Like everyone else, I was shocked when everything came out. I can't believe Chris Benoit and his wife and child are dead as I type this. As of now, all of the strange pieces of this puzzle haven't been put together yet. My thoughts and prayers go out to Benoit's other two children as well as the immediate family and friends of the deceased. More than anything, I feel terrible for little Daniel--he was as innocent as any human being could possibly be. This is a terrible and sad tragedy.
I am very disappointed with how many media outlets are lapping the entire population of professional wrestlers into this situation. There are many outstanding, wonderful people that do so many great things for the world that I work and wrestle with. It's not fair or accurate.
Tell the people you love that you love them, and never lose sight of what's really important in life. We may not ever understand why this tragedy happened, but we have to learn from it. Stay strong--life is too precious and too short. I have much more I want to say about the activities of the last few days. If it's appropriate, I definitely will. Be well my friends, I'll talk to you soon...
Eric Bischoff Comments On Benoit Tragedy
Former WCW President Eric Bischoff commented on the Benoit tragedy on his official website www.EricBischoff.com.
Bischoff posted the following
How Can This Be?
I can not begin to articulate my feelings about the tragedy in the Benoit
family. It is something I am really struggling to comprehend.
I heard the news late Monday afternoon just as I was sitting down in a
business meeting in Pittsburgh, I sat stunned as I listned to DDP on the
other end of the phone, trying to tell me what happened. My meeting went
very late into the evening and there was little new information when I
went to bed.
My phone rang at 7am on Tues and the caller ID revealed a 404 area code. Assuming it was someone that I used to work with in the area, I answered the phone. It was a local sports/talk show in the Atlanta area and they wanted to get my comments. I hesitated, but since the radio personality was a friend of a friend, I decided to go ahead.
The questions started out ok...what one would normally expect in a situation like this. However they quickly turned into a "who's to blame" line of questioning and went down hill from there.
It's really impossible anymore to be honest about something as tragic and emotionally charged as this issue without sounding like I have some kind of "hidden agenda". Its clear that the media wants to blame steroids, professional wrestling, Vince McMahon, or anyone or anything else that further sensationalizes this family tragedy.
I refuse to join the choir.
I don't have enough information. I wasn't there. I am not a psychiatrist.
I just can't imagine how or why this could have happened.
Kurt Angle's official website, KurtAngleTNA.com, issued the following
statement:
"Kurt hopes that you will join him
in extending condolences and prayers for
the survivors of the Chris Benoit Family.
This news is very sad for all of
us that knew and loved Chris.
It is a sad tragedy and we wish the best for
the family members that have to deal with this
situation and go forward from this."
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Web Time Stamps Indicate Benoit Death Reported About
14 Hours Before Police Found Bodies
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 about 14 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.com 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.
Wikipedia.org's computers are set to record Standard and Universal Time,
a spokesman told FOXNews.com.
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.”
The posting was apparently made in reference to Benoit's scheduled appearance
on Sunday night at an Extreme Championship Wrestling event in Texas, with
the last phrase noted in red to indicate an edit made to the original
entry.
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.
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.
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.
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Well, there’s no need to wait until we have our heads wrapped around this, because I doubt that’ll happen, so here it is. I know that a monster committed those terrible, unforgivable acts of horror. Just like everyone who knew Chris Benoit, I can’t think of him as a monster. Not Chris.
Chris was truly a role model’s role model. You simply had to respect him and admire his focus and unmatched discipline. If I ever got asked a question about who I looked up to the most in the business, you guessed it. That’s me sharing a real feeling with you. Not talking about bull shit that I have little interest in, like who would I like most to wrestle with, or what’s my favorite color, but who I actually looked up to in the dressing room. It’s Chris Benoit- in the ring and in the dressing room and with his family.
The last time I talked to Chris, a few weeks ago, he told me how much he respected me for stepping away from the business. His message now comes to me from beyond. He said “Some of us don’t know when to get out.” I told him that I always held a little contempt for him telling me back in 1992 that I was a dumb-ass for wanting to quit WCW, and mentioned the irony.
Over the last several years, on overseas tours I’d always see Chris in the gym when the other guys were recovering from the night before. He’d train hard and sometimes I’d see him allowing young wrestlers to follow his lead and get a guaranteed killer workout. He took pride in what he did and set a great example for others, myself included, to follow.
How many murderers…baby murderers at that… are praised so highly by EVERYONE who knew them? This is all so bizarre and new information seems to come out every few hours but I can’t imagine we’ll ever understand what happened here. It appears that Chris took the answers with him. To tell you the honest truth, the easiest thing for me to believe at this moment is that if no frame work was involved, he was taken over by demonic energies with no compassion. I have to believe this is often the case with such inhumane acts.
Nancy, Daniel and Chris’ tragic deaths obviously have affected a lot of people. Just remember, there’s enough hate in this world. Hateful thoughts do not move us in the right direction, so make a conscious effort to remember that. It’s important now and always.
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Benoit's doctor charged with improperly prescribing
drugs
The Associated Press - ATLANTA
Pro wrestler Chris Benoit's personal physician, who is faces federal charges improperly dispensing painkillers and other drugs to patients, prescribed a 10-month supply of anabolic steroids to Benoit every three-four weeks between May 2006 and May 2007, according to an affidavit made public Monday.
The Drug Enforcement Administration search warrant affidavit says that in a DEA investigation of a company called of RX Weight Loss, Benoit was identified as an excessive purchaser of injectable steroids, a controlled substance.
The affidavit also said Dr. Phil Astin was identified as the supplier of various controlled substances, including injectable anabolic steroids that were found in Benoit's home.
A seven-count indictment, unveiled Monday, said Astin dispensed drugs including Percocet, Xanax, Lorcet and Vicoprofen between April 2004 and September 2005.
The recipients were identified in the indictment by the initials O.G. and M.J. Benoit's initials were not listed.
A separate criminal complaint said Astin had written prescriptions for about 1 million doses of various controlled substances over the past two years, including "significant quantities of injectable testosterone cypionate, an anabolic steroid."
The criminal complaint by DEA Agent Anissa Jones said, "In my training
and experience, this is an excessive amount of prescriptions for a sole
practitioner medical office in a rural location such as Carrollton."
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Control issues cited instead of 'roid rage' in Benoit
killings
By KEVIN DUFFY
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 07/03/07
Domestic violence experts downplay the possible role of steroids in the Chris Benoit killings, saying the tragedy was more about Benoit's anger over control issues at home.
Steroid usage has been linked to angry outbursts called "roid rage," and depression when usage stops.
But in the case of Benoit, who apparently killed his wife and 7-year-old son during the weekend of June 24 before committing suicide, "that was a premeditated act and that's not rage," said Dr. Gary Wadler of New York, who studies the use of drugs in sports.
"I would wonder whether there was some underlying psychiatric abnormality that was unmasked by being on steroids," he said.
Kirsten Rambo, executive director of the Georgia Commission on Family Violence, said "it's exactly all about power and control. He was paid to be violent and he took that violence home with him. This is a guy who made a conscious choice to take three lives."
Whether Benoit, 40, had recently taken steroids when he killed his wife, Nancy, 43, and son Daniel, who was mentally impaired, is not yet known. A toxicology report due in a few weeks should answer that question.
Steroids were found at their Fayette County house near Peachtree City. World Wrestling Entertainment, his employer, said Benoit tested negative for steroids in April.
Law enforcement officials twice last week searched the Carrollton office of Benoit's doctor, Phil Astin, who was charged in a federal indictment Monday with selling excessive amounts of prescription drugs, but not steroids. Astin acknowledged he had prescribed testosterone, a steroid, for Benoit. Steroid use can enhance athletic performance.
The killings at the Benoit home occurred over an entire weekend, which does not point to rage, experts said.
"It's sort of counterintuitive that he's raging for three days straight," said Nancy Grigsby, executive director of the Georgia Coalition Against Domestic Violence. "Unfortunately, it looks like a garden variety domestic violence incident to me. It's a decision, and they're actually typically quite calm when they give themselves permission to do what they want to do."
Nancy Benoit filed for divorce in 2003 and sought court protection from her husband. In the protective order petition, she said her husband "lost his temper and threatened to strike the petitioner and cause extensive damage to the home." They reconciled later that year and the divorce action was dismissed.
"He wants control over the spouse and the children. When he doesn't get what he wants, he does the killing," DeKalb County Superior Court Judge Clarence Seeliger said. Seeliger is former chairman of the Georgia Commission on Family Violence.
"It's a question of disappointment in not being able to dominate his partner," Seeliger said. "He's a murderer. He killed two people. I don't see why he's getting sympathy."
'Medication is a vehicle'
Penn State University epidemiologist Gary Yesalis, who has studied steroids for 30 years, said "anabolic steroid rage is a spontaneous behavior. From what I've read, the death of Benoit and his family wasn't spontaneous. I don't see steroids had much, if anything, to do with this."
"The outside medication is a vehicle, it is not the cause," said Dick Bathrick of Atlanta-based Men Stopping Violence. "He takes the drug. He knows the effect that it has. And he's making the choice to stay with that.
"There's a way in which the culture kind of excuses him — actually idolizes him — for his use of violence," Bathrick continued. "He's not been required to look at himself in the way he uses his power, particularly in terms of this relationship."
Bathrick said in 75 percent of domestic violence cases resulting in death, the victim was threatening to leave.
Benoit will have a private service in Alberta, Canada, in his hometown of Ardrossan, where his parents and ex-wife and two children live.
A memorial service for Nancy Benoit and Daniel is scheduled for July
14 in Daytona Beach, Fla., where her parents, Maureen and Paul Toffoloni,
live.
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I apologize for taking so long to get comments posted about this, but I wanted to make sure all the facts were uncovered before commenting. I think I now have a fairly solid grasp of the facts, yet doubt I will ever understand them.
I first found out about the Benoit family deaths around 5pm MST Monday evening when my wife called to inform me of the news. Very little was known at that time, apart from the three deaths. I had just one day earlier learned of the death of Shane Bower (Benoit’s old Stampede Wrestling tag team partner) and could not believe another wrestling tragedy could strike so soon.
I rushed home in hopes of finding more information and like most of you tuned into RAW Monday night to watch a tearful tribute. I got the news that this was not a tragic accident but in fact a murder-suicide just before the conclusion of RAW and turned the show off immediately. I was completely stunned and incapable of digesting this news. I spent the next several hours on line and on the phone getting all the information I could. The more information I got the more disturbed and confused I became; my grief was replaced with complete disbelief.
Over the past week I have thought and talked about nothing else and I think I have come to terms with the events as best I can. I doubt I will ever fully understand what happened but I have at least managed to accept the facts for what they are, inexplicable horrifying facts.
The Chris Benoit that I knew some how ceased to exist sometime before Friday June 22, because the Chris Benoit that I knew, could not have done what is now painfully clear he did do. I can offer no explanation or excuse for his actions and will not attempt to defend him. There is no acceptable defense for what he did. I have kids and I cannot even comprehend this act. I either never new the real Chris Benoit or something horrific happened inside of him prior to the 22nd. Many people are blaming drugs. I don’t accept that, and consider drugs an easy scapegoat. If drugs were a factor, then that blame must also fall on Chris Benoit, because from all accounts, he knowingly and willingly took those drugs.
I think one thing is clear, regardless of the role drugs played in Chris’ state of mind; the Pro-Wrestling industry has some serious drug issues that are going to have to be dealt with very soon. I have been very out spoken in the past and will continue to be in the future. We have seen deaths in this industry due to drug overdoses, drug related heart attacks, suicides due to possible drug related depression, and now perhaps even drug related murder. Something needs to be done and it needs to be done now!
I’m not sure what else can be said. This is the single most disturbing event I have ever had a connection too. As hard as this has been for me to deal with, I cannot even imagine how hard this must be for the families of Chris and Nancy Benoit. My heart goes out to their parents, and most importantly to Chris’s two surviving children. My condolences and deepest sympathies go out to them.
Lance Evers
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Ted Dibiase On Chris Benoit, Vince McMahon, Steroids
& The WWE
By Ted Dibiase
Jul 2, 2007
Ted DiBiase, the legendary "Million Dollar Man," was kind enough
to share his thoughts with tPC on Chris Benoit, Steroids, Vince McMahon
and the WWE. Here is the pro wrestling hall of famer's exclusive article.
Here's what I know about Chris Benoit, about the guy that I knew and that
many of my colleagues knew. We knew a man who was committed to his trade,
who made all the sacrifices necessary to become one of the very best,
who was unselfish, who went out of his way to help the other guys who
were coming up in the field to be the best that they could be.
He was an encourager and he was soft-spoken. Chris Benoit was never known as one to fly off the handle or to have outbursts. He was a very soft-spoken guy, a genuine family man. Chris was the kind of guy who was known to fly home for 7 hours, when it would have been much easier and cheaper just to stay wherever he was to get to wherever he was having to go the next day.
But he made that sacrifice to be with his family.
That's the character of the man all of us knew. That's why all of us are in such shock and bewilderment as to -- what is it? -- What is it in the man's psyche that made him snap?
As I've watched the coverage, some say it's what you call... "fair and balanced" well it's not, it's almost like it's lets' see if we can bury the WWE.
Where do we draw the line in the sand and make people responsible for their actions? It's like Geraldo has this crusade to bury the WWE or make it the WWE's fault that 60 wrestlers, or whatever the figure is, have died in the last 10 or 20 years.
I quit physically wrestling in 1993. They had a drug policy in place then, and when Eddie Guerrero died, I just so happened to be working for the company again, and they instituted what is called the wellness program. The WWE has gone out and hired an independent company, independent of their organization, to do all the testing. In other words, they don't have any say-so in it.
So this company randomly picks wrestlers and they randomly test whoever they want to who is employed by the WWE…tests them for steroids and all drugs.
Any drug that you can test for, you're tested for. I know their policy, and their policy is this: If you test positive the first time, you automatically are suspended 30 days without pay. If you need rehab, the company will pay to put you thru the rehab.
If you flunk yet a second test, then it's a 60 day suspension without pay, and then if it happens a third time, then you're out, you're fired; you're no longer employed by the WWE.
Now it's a 3 strike rule: How many times can you give somebody a chance to grow up? Be responsible for your own actions? And that's my contention.
I've been a part of this industry for my entire life, I grew up in it, and I watched the old WWF, which is what it was when I was there. It was this enormous entity and like any other company, and any other business, it has had its growing pains. I was around when the federal government tried to nail Vince McMahon to the wall, and tried to get the world to believe that he was supplying steroids or that he was making wrestlers take steroids. I was one of those athletes. And I was never encouraged to take anything. And at that time, if Vince McMahon were guilty of anything, it may have been just like all other sports… simply turning a blind eye to it and not seeing it.
But that's not the case. The WWE has grown into this huge company now, and Vince does have a concern for his people, which I think is evident by his policy. As a company, a corporation, what else do we want him to do? That's what I would ask Geraldo… what else would you like Vince McMahon to do?
If you are going to try and cast stones at the WWE, and try to put the blame for all these deaths in the industry on the company for it's "failure," then I say let's go to football, basketball, and baseball. And more than any of the others, let's go to Hollywood. Let's go to rock and roll. What institution, what governing body, or what record label has ever had any kind of drug testing policy to protect the people they have under contract? It's unheard of.
Again the point becomes... when do we make the individual responsible for their actions? As far as those former employees who have come out attacking the WWE or Vince, none of them have ever made any significant contribution to the industry so consider the source.
As a man of God, as a Christian, and as a minister of the gospel of Jesus Christ... when you come right down to it, I believe that every man is born with a void and an emptiness -- and I call it a God-sized hole in their life and in their heart - and that all of us will continue to try to fill that void with whatever it is… success, fame, money, position, power… whatever it is. And will do so insatiably. We will continue to repeat the very same mistakes in our lives, over and over, either until it kills us or until, in this case, we kill ourselves or somebody else... or until we realize that the only thing that's going to fill that void is Jesus Christ.
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WWE's Ross: Benoit murder was ‘terrible, inexcusable
act'
Even it what could be the most difficult time in the history of professional
wrestling, Jim Ross is still proud of his employer.
It's given him so much, he said, that he could never say much bad about the industry. But there are many eyes on World Wrestling Entertainment after the death of Chris Benoit, his wife and son in an apparent murder-suicide.
"I would never condone what Chris allegedly did even if you put a gun to my head,” Ross said. "It was a terrible, inexcusable act. But it's an act that I don't think anybody down here on Earth will completely understand or know why it happened.”
Ross, the Hall of Fame announcer for World Wrestling Entertainment, lives in Norman and follows the Sooner football team, and has focused on his soon-to-open barbecue joint in Norman, to keep his mind off of Benoit.
He talked about all that's swirling around the WWE in an interview Tuesday.
"I'm more than ever looking forward to being around the people,” said Ross, who along with being the voice of the WWE also served as the head of talent relations from 1996 to 2005. "I need to get back to having some fun again.”
Ross hopes that when he talks to his customers, their views of the wrestling won't be skewed. He hopes the diners will instead share memories of shows they attended and what matches they remember the most. The stuff that Ross wants wrestling to be known for.
Understandably, Ross and the rest of the WWE have been struggling for the last 10 days. Accusations of "Roid Rage” and uncontrollable wrestlers have been common themes of cable TV news, accusations Ross discounts. Shows Ross calls "infotainment” have badgered wrestling, calling for massive changes to the very core of the product.
"All anybody wants to hit is the negatives and the ‘evil world' of wrestling,” said Ross, who recruited and hired Benoit for the WWF in 2000. "Some of the news reports of the Geraldos, the Nancy Graces, the Greta Van Susterens, the Hannity and Colmes — people I used to watch with a modicum of respect. I look at those news shows in an entirely different light.”
What is easier to figure out is the kind of memories Ross has for Benoit. On TV, Ross would frequently call Benoit the "Rabid Wolverine.” He meant it as a compliment for an undersized competitor who excelled at grappling and high-risk maneuvers.
When Ross announces Monday Night Raw, he talks fast in his Oklahoma accent. The enthusiasm and love for what he is doing is obvious. But when Ross talks about Benoit, the accent slows to a drawl. The words are a little bit more deliberate, a little bit more careful. He's still trying to figure out how a man he called a close friend murdered his family.
"It's impossible. You can't reconcile it,&