Professional Wrestler Chris Benoit, Wife, and son found dead.

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As police continue to search for a motive in the double murder-suicide of pro wrestler Chris Benoit that also claimed his wife and child, World Wrestling Entertainment chairman Vince McMahon addressed the matter of "'roid rage" – and eased up on his organization's earlier statement that "steroids were not and could not be related" to the tragedy."

On Thursday, McMahon told the Today show's Meredith Vieira, "Steroids may or may not have had anything to do with this, It's all speculation until the toxicology reports come back."

"This is not an act of rage," McMahon said of Benoit's asphyxiations of wife Nancy and 7-year-old Daniel. "This is an act of deliberation. ... a horrific tragedy. It happened in pro wrestling. There's a rush to judgment. There's almost a hysteria around us."

He also pointed a finger to the prescription medications investigators discovered in the house, and mentioned his organization's "wellness program," launched in February.

Within the WWE, said McMahon, Benoit was known as "a mild-mannered individual. ... There was no way of telling this man was a monster."

Meanwhile, new details have been emerging about the troubles in Benoit's life.

On Wednesday, an attorney for the WWE told the Associated Press Benoit and his wife had argued over the care for their son, who the WWE says suffered from a rare disorder.

According to WWE attorney Jerry McDevitt, Daniel Benoit had Fragile X Syndrome, a genetic condition often associated with cognitive disabilities and autism.

"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," McDevitt told the AP. "We do know it was a source of stress and consternation."

Nancy Benoit, 43, didn't want her husband, 40, to quit wrestling, McDevitt said, 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." Daniel had recently finished kindergarten, and friends and relatives said his parents were struggling with where to send Daniel to school, he added.

Fayette Co. District Attorney Scott Ballard earlier told PEOPLE that Daniel was "somewhat significantly undersized" and needle marks in his arm suggested he may have been receiving injections of a growth hormone.

Anabolic steroids, for which Benoit had prescriptions, were found in the home, leading to speculation that "'roid rage" may have had a role in the slayings, although WWE said in a statement Tuesday that Benoit tested negative on April 10, the last time he was tested for drugs, and that the evidence indicates "deliberation, not rage."

Benoit's personal physician, Dr. Phil Astin, had been treating the wrestler for low testosterone levels, most likely resulting from previous steroid use, Astin told the AP Wednesday.

"He was in my office on Friday to stop by just to see my staff," Astin said. "He certainly didn't show any signs of any distress or rage or anything. I'm still very surprised and shocked, especially with his child Daniel involved."

Investigators pursuing a motive generally consider family health issues, marital troubles and work and financial woes. "Those are the basics you look for," Fayette Co. Sheriff's Lt. Jimmy Pope tells PEOPLE. "We don't have any new theories we're looking at or any new direction at this time." He adds, "It's hard to understand what his motive was or what his intentions were. But in some cases in a suicide situation, that's never known."

:(

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

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

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

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

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

weird
 
Lally1011 said:
Hilton out...Benoit in.....

Sadly, not even :sigh:.


I decided not to comment in here for a while because I needed time. This is really, really hard for me to cope with. Like I said earlier, when I used to watch wrestling he and Sting were my two favorite, and Benoit was someone my dad and I used to cheer for for an inside joke sort of reason. Even my dad was a little choked up when he heard he was dead. On the other hand, I don't know how to feel because, what he did was horrible, and pretty much unforgivable. I wish there was more information, some reason to explain why the hell this happened, but I'm afraid we will never get one.

Anyways I can't contribute very much except to say that everyone who said wrestlers' lives are hard, and tiring, it's true. As a joke last Christmas my mom bought me Sting's autobiography, and I actually read it, and it's unbelievable what kind of hell these guys have to go through to even make it to the big time, and how awful it still is while they're there.

Ok, I'm done rambling now...I just hope this all gets cleared up soon. :(
 
Channel 2 Obtains Picture Of Benoit At Doctor's Office

POSTED: 3:55 pm EDT June 28, 2007
UPDATED: 3:59 pm EDT June 28, 2007

ATLANTA -- WSB-TV Channel 2 has obtained a photograph of a a smiling Chris Benoit at his doctor's office Friday afternoon just hours before he went home and killed his wife and son and then committed suicide.

The picture was snapped by a wrestling fan at Dr. Phil Astin's office in Carrollton.

Federal drug agents and sheriff's officials raided that office Wednesday night in search of records and other items in a warrant.

The fan who took the picture described Benoit as soft-spoken and "nice." He signed an autograph for the woman.

Agent Chuvalo Truesdell, a spokesman for the Drug Enforcement Administration in Atlanta, said Thursday that the raid at Astin's office in Carrollton began Wednesday night and concluded early Thursday morning.

Truesdell said a search warrant obtained by the Fayette County Sheriff's Department in connection with the Benoit investigation was executed there.

He said records and other items were being sought, but he said he could not immediately be more specific. Truesdell also was unable to say what was seized. No arrests were made.

Benoit had been under the care of Astin, a longtime friend, for treatment of low testosterone levels. Astin said yesterday the condition likely originated from previous steroid use.

Astin prescribed testosterone for Benoit in the past but would not say what, if any, medications he prescribed when Benoit visited his office on Friday.

Over the weekend, Benoit killed his wife and son and then killed himself at their home in Fayetteville.

Anabolic steroids were found in Benoit's home, leading officials to wonder whether the drugs played a role in the slayings. Some experts believe steroids cause paranoia, depression and violent outbursts known as "roid rage."


heres the pic:

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Could the Wiki entry change have been done by Benoit himself? This case is getting more and more bizarre.

Wikipedia notes death of Benoit's wife before body found
POSTED: 9:38 p.m. EDT, June 28, 2007

ATLANTA, Georgia (AP) -- Investigators are looking into who altered pro wrestler Chris Benoit's Wikipedia entry to mention his wife's death hours before authorities discovered the bodies of the couple and their 7-year-old son.

Benoit's Wikipedia entry was altered early Monday to say that the wrestler had missed a match two days earlier because of his wife's death.

A Wikipedia official, Cary Bass, said Thursday that the entry was made by someone using an Internet protocol address registered in Stamford, Connecticut, where World Wrestling Entertainment is based.

An IP address, a unique series of numbers carried by every machine connected to the Internet, does not necessarily have to be broadcast from where it is registered. The bodies were found in Benoit's home in suburban Atlanta, Georgia, and it's not known where the posting was sent from, Bass said.

Benoit strangled his wife and son during the weekend, placing Bibles next to their bodies, before hanging himself on the cable of a weight-machine in his home, authorities said. No motive was offered for the killings, which were discovered Monday.

Officials raid office of Benoit's doctor

Also Thursday, federal drug agents said they had raided the west Georgia office of a doctor who prescribed testosterone to Benoit.

The raid at Dr. Phil Astin's office in Carrollton began Wednesday night and concluded early Thursday, said agent Chuvalo Truesdell, a spokesman for the Drug Enforcement Administration. No arrests were made.

Hours before the raid, Astin told The Associated Press he had treated Benoit for low testosterone levels, which he said likely originated from previous steroid use.

Among other things, investigators were looking for Benoit's medical records to see whether he had been prescribed steroids and, if so, whether that prescription was appropriate, according to a law enforcement official speaking on condition of anonymity because records in the case remain sealed.

Astin prescribed testosterone for Benoit, a longtime friend, in the past but would not say what, if any, medications he prescribed when Benoit visited his office Friday.

State medical records show that Astin's privileges were suspended for three months in 2001 at a Georgia hospital for "reasons related to competence or character."

Astin did not return calls to his cell phone from the AP on Thursday.

Anabolic steroids were found in Benoit's home, leading officials to wonder whether the drugs played a role in the killings. Some experts believe steroids cause paranoia, depression and violent outbursts known as "roid rage."

Fayette County District Attorney Scott Ballard said in a statement Thursday that he could not immediately comment on the raid.

Benoit's page on Wikipedia, a reference site that allows users to add and edit information, was updated at 12:01 a.m. Monday, about 14 hours before authorities say the bodies were found. The reason he missed a match Saturday night was "stemming from the death of his wife Nancy," it said.

Reporters informed the Fayette County district attorney's office of the posting Thursday, and the agency forwarded the information to sheriff's investigators, who are looking into it, a legal assistant said in an e-mail to the AP.

WWE attorney Jerry McDevitt said that to his knowledge, no one at the WWE knew Nancy Benoit was dead before her body was found Monday afternoon. Text messages released by officials show that messages from Chris Benoit's cell phone were being sent to co-workers a few hours after the Wikipedia posting.

WWE employees are given WWE e-mail addresses, McDevitt said, though he did not know whether Chris Benoit had one.

"I have no idea who posted this," McDevitt said. "It's at least possible Chris may have sent some other text message to someone that we're unaware of. We don't know if he did. The phone is in the possession of authorities."

On Thursday afternoon, the Wikipedia page about Benoit carried a note stating that editing by unregistered or newly registered users was disabled until July 8 because of vandalism.

In other developments Thursday, Ballard told the AP that 10 empty beer cans were found in a trash can in the Benoit home. An empty wine bottle was found a few feet from where Benoit hanged himself, Ballard said.

It could take several weeks for toxicology tests to be completed on Benoit to see what substances, if any, were in his system.

Benoit took four months off from work in 2006 for undisclosed personal reasons, McDevitt said.

"He was feeling depressed, that kind of thing," McDevitt said.

In the days before the killings, Benoit and his wife argued over whether he should stay home more to take care of their mentally retarded 7-year-old son, according to an attorney for the WWE wrestling league.

The child had a rare medical condition called Fragile X Syndrome, an inherited form of mental retardation often accompanied by autism.

Chris Benoit's father, Michael Benoit, declined to comment on the slayings when reached Thursday by telephone in Alberta, Canada. Funeral arrangements were incomplete.

Copyright 2007 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
 
supposedly it was just a coincidence

By JASON BRONIS Associated Press Writer
ATLANTA Jun 29, 2007 (AP)

Share Investigators had not yet discovered the bodies of pro wrestler Chris Benoit, his wife and their 7-year-old son when someone altered Benoit's Wikipedia entry to mention his wife's death, authorities said.

An anonymous user with the same IP address as the person who made the edits confessed early Friday on an online discussion page attached to the Web site, saying the changes were based on rumors and speculation, not hard evidence.


"I just can't believe what I wrote was actually the case, I've remained stunned and saddened over it," the user wrote.

According to Wikinews, an online news source connected to Wikipedia, the Internet protocol address of the individual is identical to that of the user who edited Benoit's profile early Monday morning. An IP address is a unique series of numbers carried by every machine connected to the Internet.

Benoit's page on Wikipedia, a reference site that allows users to add and edit information, was updated at 12:01 a.m. Monday, about 14 hours before authorities say the bodies were found. The reason he missed a match Saturday night was "stemming from the death of his wife Nancy," it said.

Wikipedia confirmed the authenticity of the time stamp and said entry was made by someone using an IP address registered in Stamford, Conn., where World Wrestling Entertainment is based. The anonymous user acknowledged being from Stamford, but claimed no connection to WWE.

Wikipedia referred all further questions to authorities investigating the deaths. Messages left for Fayette County District Attorney Scott Ballard were not immediately returned Friday.

Benoit strangled his wife and son during the weekend, placing Bibles next to their bodies, before hanging himself on the cable of a weight-machine in his home, authorities said. No motive was offered for the killings.

Also Thursday, federal drug agents said they had raided the west Georgia office of a doctor who prescribed testosterone to Benoit.
 
some one posted this on a wrestling forum i frequent:

Notes from Meltzer...


-Dave confirmed he used a form of the Crippler Crossface on Daniel. This is interesting since Bryan was adamant that the story was .. Apparently investigators found marks on the boys arm and face that they didn't understand and upon watching a tape of a Benoit match and seeing the move it made sense. There were no marks on the neck. They just said it was a "choke" as to not further sensationalize an already sensationalized story.

-Dave said Bryan was closer to Benoit (he found his writing hilarious) then he was and that Dave hardly ever talked to Chris (while Bryan seemed to indicate semi regular contact). Thought that was interesting as we rib Bryan about getting all his sources through Dave but I never thought he'd have more access to someone like Benoit then Dave.

-Benoit got a prescription for the anti-depressant Xanax at the doctor's visit on Friday.

-Benoit started going downhill after Eddy died because he lost the one guy who he could confide in and shared his problems with. Apparently close friends always knew Benoit had the same problems as Eddy (pills, etc.) and suggested Benoit seriously needed to see a therapist but no one suggested it since he wasn't the type to be open to that sort of thing.

-Apparently the death of Johnny Grunge hit Benoit even harder then Eddy since they were neighbors and him and Nancy fighting was somewhat common and he'd be the one to come over and defuse situations and make Chris laugh. After he died, Chris didn't have that buffer when things got out of control.

-Chris and Nancy had recently separated for a period of time, and Dave received a change of address form for an apartment different then their house (I believe Bryan mentioned he got a different address too).

-Chris recently opened up a new life insurance claim naming his ex-wife and his older 2 kids as the beneficiaries and refused to include Nancy or Daniel.

-When there were rumors of him leaving for TNA, Dave asked him about it and Chris was paranoid thinking Dave had inside info that WWE was going to release him. He apparently may have thought ECW was a demotion and the next step would be out the door. He was reportedly obsessed with establishing himself at the HHH/HBK level. He had grown increasingly paranoid that someone was out to get him and didn't let Nancy leave the house at night or Daniel to play outside and would take different routes from the airport home each time in case he was being followed.

-Nancy confided to a friend in wrestling days before the murders that she feared for her life and the friend told her to go take Daniel to her parents place in Florida (as she had done before when Chris became violent) but she didn't this time. Apparently she had a lockbox at the bank with notes indicating if something happened to her, it was Chris.

-Theory is that she told him she was leaving him for good and taking Daniel and that's when he snapped on her. Loved his son and when she filed for divorce all he wanted was joint custody. Theory is he killed Daniel because in his mind he couldn't bare to let him be alone without his parents and in his condition so it was a "mercy killing".

-Someone in WWE informed Dave before the RAW show that Chris had killed them, but others in the company were unaware but at least someone high up knew before the tribute show was put on the air.

-Dave says he can't write a proper obit/career retrospect and doesn't know if he ever will.


-Nancy visited Dr. Astin on Thursday asking questions about how she could raise Daniel on her own.

-Dave gave a description of the common profile of men who kill their whole families and it was eerily similar to Benoit (hard working, driven, experienced a loss, a few friends but no real support system, anxiety, etc."

-Said Chris was constantly anxious about something. When he was at home he was worried about wrestling, when wrestling he was worried about his family.

-How's this for eerie. When Vince called all the guys in the ring before RAW to give the news, the stage had been decorated with a casket, reefs, candles with Vince's picture, etc. like a funeral. Talent was told to bring dark suits like a funeral to the taping. I'm sure that was a blast. Vince apparently handled it really well, told anyone who wanted to go home would not be disciplined but guys were basket cases and trying to think of some rationalization (carbon monoxide, etc.)

-Regal was a neighbor of Benoit's and Grunge and would have know about the home troubles so that sheds some light on his "tribute".
 
-How's this for eerie. When Vince called all the guys in the ring before RAW to give the news, the stage had been decorated with a casket, reefs, candles with Vince's picture, etc. like a funeral. Talent was told to bring dark suits like a funeral to the taping. I'm sure that was a blast. Vince apparently handled it really well, told anyone who wanted to go home would not be disciplined but guys were basket cases and trying to think of some rationalization (carbon monoxide, etc.)

could you explain that again , i didnt understand it
 
A few weeks ago there was a storyline were the Mr McMahon charater was supposed to have died in a limo explosion.

This past episode of RAW was to be a special 3hour memorial show for him, so the wrestlers would've been dressed in suits and such like you would at a real funeral.
But with the early reports of Benoit's death, the show was first cancelled and then later became a Benoit tribute show.

Where it says about carbon monoxide, it was speculated that Benoit returned home because he said that his wife and son were coughing up blood, hence the 'family emergecy' he claimed as the reason why he did'nt make it to the event on Saturday.
 
waynetravis said:
-Theory is that she told him she was leaving him for good and taking Daniel and that's when he snapped on her. Loved his son and when she filed for divorce all he wanted was joint custody. Theory is he killed Daniel because in his mind he couldn't bare to let him be alone without his parents and in his condition so it was a "mercy killing".

-Dave gave a description of the common profile of men who kill their whole families and it was eerily similar to Benoit (hard working, driven, experienced a loss, a few friends but no real support system, anxiety, etc."

this all makes a hell of a lot more sense than the theory that benoit went on some prolonged roid rage fueled killing spree.

but of course it isn't sexy, so the media won't play it up like they have with the juice.
 
I agree with this theory to a certain extent. Chris did have a support system, but he didn't wish to fully utilize it. Chris's major problem was that he was an extremely private man, so he didn't really let too many of his close friends in on his troubles at home with Nancy and with Daniel's condtion.
Also, if you mix enough drugs together, bad things are going to happen. The police found empty beer bottles, an empty wine bottle, bottles of prescription painkillers as well as legally prescribed steriods.
I agree, you can't just blow this whole thing off and say it was 'roid rage. Chris had other problems as well.
 
While this may not be a case of "rage" steroids most certainly still could have contributed. ( the paranoia, depression, etc.) It strikes me as strange that so many want to write off steroid abuse, even though they were "prescribed", in this case. This man obviously had a litany of problems he was attempting to deal with. While this profile from Dave, whoever he is, seems to fit Benoit, wouldn't it be irresponsible not to look into the combination of medication he was on? To me, this isn't a matter of "sexy" or not sexy. What was that quack doctor prescribing for this guy and how did it affect his already unstable state of mind?
 
Headache in a Suitcase said:
but of course it isn't sexy, so the media won't play it up like they have with the juice.

Haven't they backed off the steroid theory yet? I haven't been watching any news segments on this story in the past few days. It sure seems like the more details and background that comes out tends to negate the "roid rage" thing.

Although yeah, it's the news channels we're talking about, so I should be surprised if they HAVE backed away from that angle.
 
WildHoneyAlways said:
Dave, whoever he is

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dave_Meltzer


is it possible that his use of steroids created a chemical imbalance that aided in this whole episode? yes... just like it's possible that the xanax he was supposedly taking did the same thing, or that the combination of a variety of drugs he was taking... but the media has been portraying this as just about steroids... that he snapped because of roid rage... which is clearly not the case.

he was taking a number of prescribed medications, any one of which could have lead to the imbalance that, when combined with the stress of his job and the very real issues between him and his wife regarding their son, caused him to go off the deep end. what the media should have done is waited for the toxicology reports to come back before they jumped to their usual conclusions... but, of course, by the time the toxicology report comes back, they'll have moved on to something else... regardless of what it says.
 
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Headache in a Suitcase said:

Thanks for the link. :up: I didn't know if he was a doctor, psychologist, or what. I guess he qualifies as an "or what." :wink:

Steroids have been associated with professional wrestling for as long as I can remember. Vince McMahon jumped the gun by issuing his statement about this incident having nothing to do with steroids. My point was not to suggest that the only drug that could have caused this was a steroid but that to exclude steroids from this case would be irresponsible. While the media seemed to be focusing on "roid rage" at first they now have acknowledged that there were other serious issues in Benoits life. Who knows what combining other medication will do. Not to mention serious emotional distress. :shrug: The shady doctor business really bothers me.
 
I don't want to say one way or the other. I understand that the actions that took place were possibly too pre-meditated or whatever.

However, could it possibly be that the placing of the bible etc. were all done after the "rage" took place. Perhaps as in, he did what he did enraged, and then the guilt came on?

I am not on either side. I'm just thinking on both sides. To me, you cannot discount either as a possibility. I hate that this is my first post on this. It is such a sad story and I don't want to start an argument. I just see a possibility. But we probably will never know.
 
I heard today that his wife had done the same thing Nicole Simpson did. Put photos of her beaten body somewhere safe, and left a note saying if something happened to her, go straight to Chris. :ohmy:

Sounds like more than 'roids to me.

Maybe it's time to start castrating males. We are truly a disgusting lot, sad to say. :huh:
 
^Agreed. And I still can't get over the fact that he allegedly gave his 7-year-old the Crippler Crossface, which was his submission hold.

When I read that my heart just sank. I literally felt sick to my stomach. :sad: :(
 
I didn't mean my post to imply that I think it was roid rage. I just found it shocking that he was prescribed that much. The first thought that came to my mind was that he was the middle man in some distribution scheme. :shrug:
 
So apparently his son did not have Fragile X:

ATLANTA (AP) — A prosecutor investigating pro wrestler Chris Benoit, who killed his wife and son and committed suicide, is questioning World Wrestling Entertainment's early assertion that the boy had a form of mental retardation called Fragile X syndrome.
A spokesperson for WWE — which shortly after the killings deflected speculation about steroids by saying the Benoits had argued over whether the wrestler should stay home more to take care of the 7-year-old son — also backed away Tuesday from its statements about the boy's diagnosis.

Fayette County prosecutor Scott Ballard said in a news release Tuesday that some of the boy's medical records have been reviewed and "they do not mention any pre-existing mental or physical impairment."
 
Authorities to release toxicology results in Benoit case

The Associated Press - ATLANTA

The results of toxicology tests conducted on the body of former pro wrestler Chris Benoit will be revealed at a press conference Tuesday at 2:30 p.m., Georgia Bureau of Investigation spokesman John Bankhead said.

The test results are expected to shed more light on Benoit's last moments. Authorities said Benoit killed his wife and seven-year-old son in their metro Atlanta home last month, placed Bibles next to their bodies and then hanged himself on the cable of a weight machine.

Anabolic steroids were found in the Benoits' gated home, leading officials to wonder if the drugs played a role in the killings. Some experts believe steroids can cause paranoia, depression and violent outbursts known as "roid rage."

Toxicology tests have been conducted on Benoit's body to determine if steroids or other drugs were present. Blood-alcohol tests also were conducted on his body, and chemical tests were conducted on the bodies of the wife and son.

The results of the test will released by Dr. Kris Sperry, the state's chief medical examiner, said Bankhead.

Fueling the speculation that steroids may have been involved in the deaths, federal authorities charged Benoit's personal physician, Dr. Phil Astin, with improperly prescribing painkillers and other drugs to two patients other than Benoit. He has pleaded not guilty.

Investigators office has also been raided Astin's office several times since the deaths, seizing prescription records and other medical documents.

Before he was charged, Astin told the AP he prescribed testosterone for Benoit, a longtime friend, in the past. He would not say what, if any, medications he prescribed when Benoit visited his office June 22, the day authorities believe Benoit killed his wife.


Hopefully we should know soon.
 
They just had the press conference and the only "steroid" of any sort found on Benoit was testosterone. No other steroids were found. Hydrocodone was found in both Chris and Nancy, but only in moderate levels. Xanex was found in Chris, Nancy and Daniel. It is believed that Chris sedated Daniel before he killed him. Nancy's BAC was measured at .184, so she is the one who had been drinking, not Chris. So this whole "roid rage" thing is hogwash. Chris Benoit simply snapped and killed his family and himself.
 
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