Pro Wrestler & Family Found Dead

[Screamin' Eagle]

By Saeed Ahmed, Kathy Jefcoats
The Atlanta-Journal Constitution

Published on: 06/25/07

A well-known professional wrestler and his family were found dead inside their house in Fayette County Monday afternoon.

Authorities confirmed that Chris Benoit, his wife Nancy and their 7-year-old son, Daniel, were found dead at the home on Quarters and Redwine roads in Fayetteville about 4 p.m.


Chris Benoit

• World Wrestling Entertainment Web site


Officials would not say how the family died, other than to say they weren't shot to death.

Benoit, a 40-year-old Canadian native maintained a home in metro Atlanta from the time he wrestled for the now-defunct World Championship Wrestling.

Most recently, Benoit fought as part of the World Wrestling Entertainment organization. WWE canceled its live show in Corpus Christi Monday night, and its broadcast of "Raw" on the USA Network was a three-hour retrospective on Benoit's career.

"Obviously, all sorts of speculation are running rampant but I have talked to so many people and nobody really knows [whether the couple was having marital troubles]," said Bryan Alvarez, who runs Figurefour Weekly, a wrestling newsletter and Web site, from Linwood, Washington.

Benoit was scheduled to appear in a pay-per-view title match Sunday night, but was a no-show due to a "family emergency," the WWE said during the broadcast.

Benoit's wife, Nancy, 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 an ongoing storyline on World Championship Wrestling.

Soon after, the two became romantically involved in real life and married, Alvarez said.

Benoit has two other children from a prior relationship.

[ms_tapestry]

What a shame. . .

[Suecuda]

This is really sad....fame, fortune and then this.:hide1:

[aintgotnun]

dang........

[Chopper]

more on this


http://www.prowrestling.com/news/images/wwflogo.jpg WWE Notified At 4 p.m.; More Details On The Discovery
Date Added: June 26, 2007
Story By: Ryan Gray (http://www.prowrestling.com/php-bin/contact/index.php?email=pwryang@gmail.com)
WWE.com has just updated their article that confirmed this was a Double Homicide-Suicide. It reads the following:

According 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.

[ms_tapestry]

God save me from ever feeling that sad and that hopeless. . .

[aintgotnun]

God save me from ever feeling that sad and that hopeless. . .

Amen

[sonoffatboy]

God save me from ever feeling that sad and that hopeless. . .

well no body should ever get that low...but if they do...its their choice to jump off a cliff...but ffs....leave the wife and kid to live on...

maybe i am cold...but i have no sympathy for that asswipe....just sorry for the wife and innocent child..

[txhawg]

Why won't they say how they died other than they weren't shot? I think that's weird.

[aintgotnun]

Why won't they say how they died other than they weren't shot? I think that's weird.

They are waiting for the official autopsy report. I'm betting he strangled his wife and kid. Then probably overdosed himself on something. The asswipe was a huge roid monster.

[ms_tapestry]

Greg, you were almost right. . .

Police: Wrestler Killed Family, Hanged Self
Police Confirm Deaths As Murder-Suicide

UPDATED: 3:20 pm CDT June 26, 2007

FAYETTEVILLE, Ga. -- A Georgia law enforcement official said that pro wrestler Chris Benoit hanged himself in his weight room after his wife and son died by asphyxiation.

Police are treating the deaths as a double murder-suicide.

Sheriff Tommy Pope said that Nancy Benoit was killed Friday, as was Daniel, the 7-year-old son of her and Chris Benoit. Benoit then hanged himself Saturday night or early Sunday morning, Pope said.

Pope would not elaborate on the method of death of Nancy Benoit and her son. The Associated Press reported earlier Tuesday that she was strangled and her son was smothered.

Chris Benoit was found hanged in his weight room by the cable of a weightlifting machine, according to District Attorney Scott Ballard.

Authorities also said they are investigating whether steroids may have been a factor in the deaths.

"Lots of prescription medications were found from doctors, with what we believe to be legal prescriptions," Pope said.

He confirmed that anabolic steroids were among the medications found.

Ballard said test results may not be back for weeks or months.

Ballard said Nancy Benoit's feet were bound and that Bibles were placed next to the bodies of both her and Daniel.

"I'm baffled about why anybody would kill a 7-year-old," Ballard said. "I don't think we'll ever be able wrap our head around that."

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."

WWE said that people from the Fayette County Sheriff's Department, in Fayetteville, Ga., initially had a difficult time entering Benoit's new Fayetteville home Monday afternoon, because it was guarded by two large German shepherds roaming freely around the property.

Pope said the three were found about 2:30 p.m. Monday in three different rooms of their home south of Atlanta.

WWE also said on its Web site that it has further information on the deaths but has been asked by authorities not to release it.

The 40-year-old Benoit is a native of Canada. His wife, Nancy, was 43.

Benoit was a former world heavyweight champion, Intercontinental champion and held several tag-team titles during his career. His names in the ring included "The Canadian Crippler."

WWE issued a statement extending "its sincerest thoughts and prayers to the Benoit family's relatives and loved ones in this time of tragedy."

"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 said on its Web site.

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

The 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."

Benoit has two other children from a prior relationship.

Divorce Filings

Records show Nancy Benoit filed for divorce from Chris Benoit more than four years ago, alleging "cruel treatment."

But she later dropped the complaint, as well as a request for a restraining order in which she charged that Chris Benoit had threatened her and had broken furniture in their home.

In the 2003 divorce filing, she said Chris Benoit made more than $500,000 a year as a professional wrestler, and she asked for permanent custody of their son and child support.

[aintgotnun]

Greg, you were almost right. . .


what a shame........

[sonoffatboy]

what a shame........

yeah a shame he just off himself...and left the mother and son to live..

strange, at about same time this wrassler was doing his crap.. some jamician up here who had moved in with this lady did the same thing....wife kid and grandmother then himself...

cuz he was depressed and lost his job...man these people are walking around us on a daily basis and you just never know eh?

count yer blessings ...

[ms_tapestry]

I just heard on the radio that this fool may have been injecting his 7 years old son with the human growth hormone because he was small for his age. . . this a-hole was just sick.

[aintgotnun]

I just heard on the radio that this fool may have been injecting his 7 years old son with the human growth hormone because he was small for his age. . . this a-hole was just sick.

Why can't people just let kids be kids?? I don't care that the fugger offed himself but taking his wife and kid with him........ He'll burn in hell for that.

[ms_tapestry]

Why can't people just let kids be kids?? I don't care that the fugger offed himself but taking his wife and kid with him........ He'll burn in hell for that.
One can hope.

[sonoffatboy]

I just heard on the radio that this fool may have been injecting his 7 years old son with the human growth hormone because he was small for his age. . . this a-hole was just sick.

no way!....jeezuz, what goes on behind closed doors eh?

[ms_tapestry]

no way!....jeezuz, what goes on behind closed doors eh?
Boggles the imagination, doesn't it? And there are people that don't believe evil exists. . .lucky for them they just haven't met it yet. . .

[sonoffatboy]

Boggles the imagination, doesn't it? And there are people that don't believe evil exists. . .lucky for them they just haven't met it yet. . .

yeah most of em are frigging politictians living in ivory towers...

[aintgotnun]

yeah most of em are frigging politictians living in ivory towers...

yep

[ms_tapestry]

yeah most of em are frigging politictians living in ivory towers...
You said the 'p' word. . .right out here on this open forum. . . I haven't met a politician that was worth his salt yet. . . liars. . .all of them.

[sonoffatboy]

. . I haven't met a politician that was worth shit... . . liars. . .all of them.

what tapi meant to say but being a lady....:olderrr: