Chris Benoit found Dead

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WWE professional wrestler Chris Benoit his wife Nancy and their 7-year-old son were found dead in their home near White Water Country Club in Fayette County on Monday afternoon.
Lieutenant Tommy Pope of the Fayette County Sheriff's Department said the three were found about 2:30 p.m., but he would release no other details.

Pope said results of autopsies on Benoit, his wife Nancy, and 7-year-old son Daniel were expected Tuesday. Police are investigating the deaths as a homicide.

Benoit, 40, was a former world heavyweight champion, Intercontinental champion and held several tag-team titles over his career.

On their Web site, World Wrestling Entertainment officials said that Benoit and his family were found dead on Monday afternoon.

The statement said, "World Wrestling Entertainment is deeply saddened to report that today Chris Benoit and his family were found dead in their home. There are no further details at this time, other than the Benoit family residence is currently being investigated by local authorities. Monday night's 'Raw' on USA Network will serve as a tribute to Chris Benoit and his family."

WWE president Vince McMahon began Monday's USA Network "WWE Raw" program by announcing Benoit's death, and announcing that Monday's live program would be canceled. He said that in its place, they would air a three-hour tribute to Benoit's wrestling 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, a Canadian native, maintained a home in metro Atlanta from the time he wrestled for the now-defunct World Championship Wrestling.

Benoit's wife, Nancy, managed several wrestlers and went by the stage name, "Woman." The newspaper says they met when her then-husband drew up a script that had them involved in a relationship as part of an ongoing storyline on Turner-owned World Championship Wrestling.

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Updated news story from Atlanta

Chris Benoit, his wife and their 7-year-old-son, were found dead Monday afternoon in their Fayetville, Ga. home, Atlanta police said.

Police would not give any details on how Benoit, 40, his wife Nancy, and son Daniel died, other than to say they were not shot to death, the Atlanta-Journal Constitution reported Monday. Authorities are investigating the deaths.

The news came just a day after Benoit mysteriously pulled out of a World Wrestling Entertainment pay per view event, during which he was expected to be crowned Extreme Championship Wrestling world champion. Various pro wrestling news sources reported that Benoit was unable to appear at the event due to a family emergency.

"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 Web site.

Benoit was a 22-year ring veteran and perennial favorite of wrestling purists, who praised his high-intensity style and technical acumen. His aggressive wrestling technique earned him the nicknames "The Crippler" and "The Rabid Wolverine." In 2000 and 2004, he was named Oustanding Wrestler of the Year by the Wrestling Observer newsletter and in 2004 he was named Wrestler of the Year by Pro Wrestling Illustrated magazine.

The Edmonton, Canada native trained to become a wrestler in Calgary, and honed his skills in Japan before becoming a regular on U.S. national promotions in the mid-1990s. Benoit's career highlight took place in New York, when he won his first World Wrestling Entertainment world heavyweight championship in Madison Square Garden in the main event of WrestleMania XX.

Benoit cried as he celebrated in the ring with his wife and son, as well as best friend, wrestler Eddie Guerrero, who died in 2005.

"Wrestling has consumed my life," Benoit said in a 2004 WWE career retrospective video. "Wrestling is my mistress. It's my passion. It defines who I am as a person."

WWE last night canceled its scheduled live 3-hour "Monday Night RAW" program, which coincidentally was originally billed as a "memorial service" for WWE chairman Vince McMahon, whose character was recently killed off in a controversial scripted storyline.

McMahon opened the show from center ring in an empty arena and clarified that Benoit and his family had died "in reality." McMahon called Benoit "one of the greatest WWE superstars of all-time."

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From ABC news...

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.

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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<font color="#a62a2a" size="1">[ June 25, 2007 10:32 PM: Message edited by: ellanoize ]</font>

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I remember when Woman managed (her former husband) Kevin Sullivan.
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Associated Press, Updated 2 minutes ago

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

The official spoke on the condition of anonymity.
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 who were found dead in an apparent murder-suicide.

Fayette County District Attorney Scott Ballard said test results may not be back for weeks or even months.

Autopsies were scheduled Tuesday by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation in DeKalb County.

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.


Benoit has two other children from a prior relationship.

Benoit became a standout at an early age among wrestling prospects who trained in the dungeon basement of the house where fellow Canadians and professional wrestlers Owen and Bret Hart trained. Owen Hart was killed during a wrestling event in 1999.

"He was like a family member to me, and everyone in my family is taking it real hard," said Bret Hart, a five-time champion with the now-defunct World Wrestling Federation.

[Rogue Angel]

Cops eye 'roid rage in wrestler's murder-suicide

Ex-star Benoit killed wife, son, self in grisly crime spread out over weekend

Updated: 1 hour, 25 minutes ago

FAYETTEVILLE, Ga. - Pro wrestler Chris Benoit strangled his wife, suffocated his 7-year-old son and placed a Bible next to their bodies before hanging himself with a weight-machine pulley, authorities said Tuesday.

Investigators found anabolic steroids in the house and want to know whether the muscle man nicknamed ?The Canadian Crippler? was unhinged by the bodybuilding drugs, which can cause paranoia, depression and explosive outbursts known as ?roid rage.?

Authorities offered no motive for the killings, which were spread out over a weekend, and would not discuss Benoit?s state of mind. No suicide note was found.

?I?m baffled about why anybody would kill a 7-year-old,? District Attorney Scott Ballard said. ?I don?t think we?ll ever be able wrap our head around that.?

The Montreal-born Benoit was one of the stars of the WWE wrestling circuit and was known for his wholesome family-man image. His wife, Nancy, was a wrestling stage manager who worked under the name ?Woman.? They married in 2000.

When he won the world heavyweight championship in 2004, Benoit (pronounced ben-WAH) hoisted the belt over his head and invited his wife and child into the ring to celebrate. Asked by the Calgary Sun that same year to name his worst vice, Benoit replied: ?Quality time with my family is a big vice. It?s something I?ll fight for and crave.?

Nevertheless, Nancy Benoit filed for a divorce in 2003, saying the couple?s three-year marriage was irrevocably broken and alleging ?cruel treatment.? She later dropped the complaint, as well as a request for a restraining order in which she charged that the 5-foot-10, 220-pound 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.

The bodies were found Monday afternoon in the house, situated off a gravel road in this suburb about 20 miles south of Atlanta.

Benoit?s 43-year-old wife was killed Friday in an upstairs family room, her feet and wrists were bound and there was blood under her head, indicating a possible struggle, Ballard said. Daniel was probably killed late Saturday or early Sunday, the body found in his bed, the district attorney said.

Benoit, 40, apparently hanged himself several hours and as long as a day later, Ballard said. His body was found in a downstairs weight room, his body found hanging from the pulley of a piece of exercise equipment.

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damn. the whole thing didn't copy.... here is the rest of the article....

A closed Bible was placed next to the bodies of the wife and son, authorities said.

The prosecutor said he found it ?bizarre? that the WWE wrestling star spread out the killings over a weekend and appeared to remain in the house for up to a day with the bodies.

Toxicology test results may not be available for weeks or even months, Ballard said. 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.?

Steroids have been linked to the deaths of several professional wrestlers in recent years. Eddie Guerrero, one of Benoit?s best friends, died in 2005 from heart failure linked to long-term steroid use.

The father of Curt ?Mr. Pefect? Henning blamed steroids and painkillers for Henning?s drug overdose death in 2003. Davey Boy Smith, the ?British Bulldog,? died in 2002 from heart failure that a coroner said was probably caused by steroids.

Benoit was a quiet, roughhewn figure amid the glitz and bluster of pro wrestling. He performed under his real name, eschewed scripted personas and didn?t bother to fix a gap where he had lost one of his front teeth. (According to the WWE Web site, he lost the tooth while roughhousing with his pet Rottweiler.)

His signature move was the ?Crippler Crossface,? in which he would lock his hands around an opponent?s face and stretch his neck.

He met his wife in the 1990s when she was married to rival wrestler Kevin Sullivan. As part of the scripted rivalry, Benoit and Nancy were supposed to act as if they were having an affair. A real romance blossomed, and she left Sullivan for Benoit.

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 had received ?several curious text messages sent by Benoit early Sunday morning.?

?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.

The WWE canceled its live ?Monday Night RAW? card in Corpus Christi, Texas, after the bodies were discovered.

Monday?s show was supposed to be a memorial service for WWE owner Vince McMahon. In a storyline concocted by the WWE, McMahon was supposedly ?assassinated? in a limousine explosion two weeks earlier. McMahon appeared at the beginning of Monday?s telecast and acknowledged the bombing was made up.

The McMahon storyline has been dropped.

<font color="#a62a2a" size="1">[ June 26, 2007 07:47 PM: Message edited by: Rogue Angel ]</font>

[Rogue Angel]

This is the latest release story, rog. [img]frown.gif[/img]

Cops: Death of Benoit, family 'bizarre'
Associated Press, Updated 14 minutes ago STORY

FAYETTEVILLE, Ga. (AP) - Pro wrestler Chris Benoit canceled a pay-per-view appearance at the "Vengeance" event in Houston because of "personal reasons" a day before he, his wife and their 7-year-old son were found dead in an apparent murder-suicide.

Details of the deaths "are going to prove a little bizarre" when released to the public, Fayette County District Attorney Scott Ballard told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. 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.

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.


Chris Benoit, his wife and son were found dead on Monday in their Georgia home. ( / Associated Press)

Ballard told The Associated Press a gun was not used in any of the deaths, but he would not say how the three died.

"We're pretty sure we know, but we want to confirm it with the crime lab," Ballard said early Tuesday.

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.

Authorities also declined to say whether drugs or steroids were found inside the house. "We're not releasing any information as far as what was located inside the house," sheriff's Sgt. Keith Whiteside said Tuesday.

Asked about the condition of the interior of the house, 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.

Whiteside said toxicology tests could take up to a week or longer to complete.

Neighbors said the Benoits led a low-key lifestyle.

"They were nice," said Lorre Jones, who lives across the street. Her daughter Alaina said: "We would see Chris walking in his yard from time to time. He wasn't rude, but he wasn't really outwardly warm."

Jimmy Baswell, who was Benoit's driver for more than five years, placed a white wreath at the Benoits' gate Tuesday.

"I saw him with his family all the time," said Baswell. "They always seemed like they were the happiest people."

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 it had been asked by authorities not to 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.

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," The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported. 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 newspaper said.

Benoit has two other children from a prior relationship.

Benoit became a standout at an early age among wrestling prospects who trained in the dungeon basement of the house where fellow Canadians and professional wrestlers Owen and Bret Hart trained. Owen Hart was killed during a wrestling event in 1999.

"He was like a family member to me, and everyone in my family is taking it real hard," said Bret Hart, a five-time champion with the now-defunct World Wrestling Federation.

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[img]graemlins/broken_heart.gif[/img] I feel so sad for that little boy!!!

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I will always remember Benoit as a great wrestler, but now a dark shadow will forever be attached to his reputation. I can not understand or easily forgive the man behind the image that took the life of his innocent 7 year old son and his wife. Murder-suicide is a selfish and cowardly way to end this, because it leaves so many unanswered questions as well as the hurt it causes to all of the family & friends that are now left to morn and hurt because of the lack of "Why".
Benoit was in the house with the dead bodys for a day & a half, it is a shame that he didn't take a moment & leave a sucide note, before hanging himself.