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The Chris Benoit Family Tragedy

I just don't fucking understand it. Over 45 professional wrestlers passed away within a three year span...I am just in shock as you are. All I can say about Chris Benoit after hearing what has transpired, that he was my favorite wrestler...as a human being, that's another opinion all together.

You know, about the WWE...It's like their own version of 9/11 and Benoit was the one that piloted the plane into the WTC. It's going to take a while for the WWE to sort this out and do some internal cleaning and damage control. The shock of all this and the aftermath is similar to the 9/11 attacks but in a much smaller scale. It was a sucker-punch snuck in from the back and blindsided EVERYONE who loved and respected or involved in professional wrestling. Flame me for using a 9/11 reference, but think about it. Did we ever expect this was going to happen especially from Chris Benoit of all people? Perhaps, WWE was talking about Chris Benoit instead of Kurt Angle as the guy who they were worrying about last year before Angle left for TNA when rumors were flying rampant that someone was under a "suicide watch."

Here are news reports I have gathered all over the internet about what happened. This is a first in history that a man of his stature and fame in professional wrestling would just snap and commit this horrendous crime. If the stories do link back to steroid use, this could have a lot of ramifications on the WWE and the industry in general when the US Government intervenes. The last article is the "Top 10 Famous Tragedies of the Past 25 Years" from About.com.

From: http://www.wrestlingobserver.com/wo/news/headlines/default.asp?aID=20000

6/25/2007 6:21:00 PM

Benoit family 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. It is believed that Chris Benoit's two other children were in Canada.

All plans for Raw tonight have been scrapped and they will do a show on the life of Benoit.

From CNN.com:

WWE star killed family, self

Police: 'Roids found at scene of Benoit murder-suicide

Posted: Monday June 25, 2007 9:24PM
Updated: Wednesday June 27, 2007 11:13AM

FAYETTEVILLE, Ga. (AP) -- Two days before he and his family were found dead in an apparent murder-suicide, pro wrestler Chris Benoit told co-workers his wife and son had food poisoning and were throwing up, according to World Wrestling Entertainment.

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.

Authorities offered no motive for the killings, which were spread out over the weekend and discovered Monday. No suicide note was found.

On Saturday, Benoit called a co-worker to say he had missed a flight and would be late for a wrestling event in Texas, WWE said in a timeline posted Tuesday on its Web site. The co-worker said Benoit sounded tired and groggy and said "I love you," which the co-worker found "out of context," WWE said.

When a co-worker who usually travels with Benoit called him later from the Houston airport, Benoit told the co-worker his wife, Nancy, was throwing up blood and that his son, Daniel, also was throwing up. Benoit said he thought it was food poisoning, according to WWE.

After Benoit talked to a WWE Talent Relations representative, the representative suggested Benoit try to make it to a pay-per-view event in Houston since he would not be able to make it to the live event in Beaumont, Texas.

But early Sunday, two co-workers received a series of text messages from the cell phones of Benoit and his wife. Most stated his home address in Fayetteville, about 20 miles south of Atlanta. One message from Benoit's phone said: "The dogs are in the enclosed pool area. Garage side door is open," according to WWE.

The text messages led WWE to ask authorities to check on Benoit and his family.

District Attorney Scott Ballard said the messages appeared to be an attempt by Benoit to get someone to the home to find the bodies after his suicide.

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."

"In a community like this it's bizarre to have a murder-suicide, especially involving the death of a 7-year-old," Ballard said. "I don't think we'll ever be able to wrap our minds around this."

He said Benoit's 43-year-old wife was killed Friday 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.

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

The prosecutor said it appeared the wrestler remained in the house for up to a day with the bodies.

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.

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."

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.

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. Perfect" Hennig blamed steroids and painkillers for Hennig'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.

Copyright 2007 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

From: WWE.com

WWE/Benoit timeline

Written: June 26, 2007

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 p.m.
A co-worker received a voice message from Benoit. The message from Benoit stated he missed his flight and overslept, 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 p.m.
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 p.m.
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 p.m.
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 p.m. Benoit told the co-worker to drive onto the WWE event.

5:35 p.m.
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 p.m.
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 p.m. Eastern time, arriving into Houston at 9:24 p.m. 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 p.m.
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 a.m.
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 a.m.
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 a.m.
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 a.m.
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 a.m.
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 p.m. Sunday night there was no contact made with Benoit.

Monday, June 25, 2007

12:30 p.m.
WWE was notified of text messages sent to the two co-workers.

12:45 p.m.
WWE contacted the Fayette County Sheriff’s office and requested them to go to Benoit’s residence.

4 p.m.
WWE received a call from the Fayette County Sheriff’s office, advising that they entered the house of Benoit and found three 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.

From: http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/metro/fayette/stories/2007/06/27/0627metbenoitchoke.html

Chokehold may have killed Benoit's son

By KEVIN DUFFY
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 06/27/07

Professional wrestling star Chris Benoit may have killed his 7-year-old son with a chokehold, Fayette County's district attorney said Wednesday.

The bodies of Benoit, his wife Nancy, and son Daniel were found in the family's exclusive Fayette County home Monday afternoon. Authorities say the deaths appear to have been murder-suicide.

District Attorney Scott Ballard said the boy had internal injuries to the throat area, but showed no bruises, indicating he may have been locked in the crook of his father's arm. Previous reports have said the boy had been smothered or strangled.

Nancy Benoit, 43, had bruises on her back and stomach consistent with someone pressing a knee into the small of the back while pulling on a cord around the neck, Ballard said.

Benoit, 40, killed himself by wrapping a cord around his neck that was attached to a weight machine, Ballard said. Benoit released the weights - about 240 pounds - to cause strangulation, he said.

Ballard said the pull-down bar had been removed from the machine. He was found seated against the machine in the basement of his home.

From: Colin Vasallo and Wrestling-Online Newsletter Edition

> BENOIT SENDS FIVE SMS MESSAGES BEFORE SUICIDE
- WWE.COM posted a detailed time line of the events over the weekend, from Benoit canceling his appearance in Beaumont, TX., to his final text message. Benoit told his WWE co-workers that his family was sick and both his wife and son were throwing up blood. After WWE officials rescheduled his flight to Houston for the PPV, Benoit started sending bizarre messages on Sunday early morning starting at 3:53. Benoit sent messages from his cell phone and his wife's, who was already dead along with her son by that time. Four of the five messages contained "My physical address is 130 Green Meadow Lane. Fayetteville Georgia. 30215" while the other one had "The dogs are in the enclosed pool area. Garage side door is open," indicating to his friends where they will be finding his body and those of his wife and son. The last message was received at 3:58AM and sent to the Chavo Guerrero and William Regal, the same people who Benoit talked to on Friday.

> WWE SAYS STEROIDS SHOULDN'T BE BLAMED YET
- As investigators continue to look for clues as to what triggered Chris Benoit to kill his wife and son and then commit suicide, the possibility of drugs and steroid use is being considered. Crime scene investigators found a lot of prescribed drugs and anabolic steroids in the house which were all legally prescribed to Benoit according to Fayette District Attorney Scott Ballard. WWE is taking a defensive stand on this one, even sending a press release to outline certain points. "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." The company also said that Benoit was tested last for drugs on April 10th 2007 and the results were negative. Toxicology reports won't come out for the next couple of weeks and WWE said it's unfair to blame drugs and steroids at this early stage especially when the authorities stated there is no evidence yet.

> MORE DETAILS REVEALED ON NANCY & DANIEL BENOIT'S BODIES
- Fayette County District Attorney Scott Ballard provided some additional details on the bodies of Nancy and Daniel Benoit during media appearances on television. Ballard said that Nancy had bruises on her back consistent with someone holding her down with a knee and bruises on her chest which suggests she was crushed to the ground. The Medical Examiner also found old needle marks in the arm of Daniel Benoit which could have been from HGH - human growth hormone - shots he was given when he was younger. The seven year old child was said to be smaller in size than what other normal children his age would be.

> CHRIS BENOIT, WIFE ARGUED OVER CHILD CARE
- Child care may have been one of the problems in the Benoit family and the husband and wife argued a lot over the situation according to Jerry McDevitt, lead attorney for World Wrestling Entertainment. A news story that appeared on the Associated Press revealed that their seven year old son Daniel was mentally retarded, suffering from a rare medical condition called Fragile X Syndrome. "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 McDevitt. "We do know it was a source of stress and consternation." Nancy Benoit wanted her husband to spend more time at home to take care of his son with her, although she didn't want him to quit professional wrestling. It's interesting to note that the Associated Press reported today that ten empty beer cans were located in the house along with an empty bottle of wine which was found next to Benoit's dead body.

> BENOIT VISITS PERSONAL PHYSICIAN THE DAY OF FIRST MURDER
- On Friday, the day he murdered his wife, Chris Benoit visited his personal physician Dr. Phil Astin, who was also happened to be a longtime friend. He said that the former champion didn't give any indications of trouble when he showed up. "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." Benoit was being treated for low testosterone levels by Dr. Phil Astin, a condition that likely originated from previous steroid use. "I'm still very surprised and shocked, especially with his child Daniel involved," Astin said. "He worshipped his child."

> DEA RAID DR. ASTIN'S OFFICE, FAN SNAPS FINAL PICTURE OF BENOIT
- The office of Dr. Phil Astin was raided by DEA agents and the Sheriff's department last night and confiscated computers and other records listed in the warrant according to WSB-TV Channel 2. The raid started yesterday night and concluded early this morning and it was in connection with the Benoit investigation. In the meantime, WSB-TV Channel 2 also obtained a picture sent by a fan who claims to have snapped the last picture of Chris Benoit when he was at Dr. Astin's office on Friday just hours before he killed his wife. The picture seems to be taken from a camera phone and has Benoit smiling, wearing a cap and black t-shirt. You can see it at http://www.wsbtv.com/2007/0628/13589245.jpg

> MCMAHON APPEARS ON THE TODAY SHOW ON NBC
- WWE Chairman Vince McMahon appeared on 'The Today Show' with Meredith Viera on NBC this morning to discuss the Benoit family tragedy. The discussion was mainly with the host pressing McMahon on the use of steroids in professional wrestling. Vince said that the last random test Benoit took was in April and it was negative however he said that it doesn't mean he wasn't taking them when this happened. Vince said that hopefully the toxicology report will shed some light on the situation although since the crime was done over a period of three days he suspects that roid rage is out of the question. McMahon said that the company had no indication at all that this person would turn out to be a "monster" and do what he did to his family. In the closing moments, Vince said that the company is not trying to hide the fact that Benoit was part of their organization, because, in his words, "unfortunately, he was". He added it was time to find a way to move on in the best way possible for the company and its fans.

> POSTING ON WIKIPEDIA A MYSTERY TO EVERYONE
- There's a big mystery involving a Wikipedia entry which listed the death of Nancy Benoit on Chris Benoit's page on the site hours before the Sheriff's department arrived on location and identified the three bodies. The Associated Press ran an article regarding this and lead WWE attorney Jerry McDevitt said that they had no idea who posted this and it's possible that Benoit may have sent other test messages to someone else who they are unaware of. The posting came from someone located in Stamford, CT., - the home of WWE - although WWE deny posting this. The post was deleted but later resurfaced and McDevitt said that investigators are looking into the people behind the posting.

> MORE HORRIBLE INFORMATION RELEASED ABOUT THE MURDERS
- In the upcoming issue of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter there is a huge story on the death of the Benoit family with some revealing information. Investigators found bruises on the neck and arm of seven year old Daniel and couldn't figure out what was used to cause that kind of bruising. Authorities realized what was done after they saw a tape of Benoit applying the 'Crossface' during one of his matches and eventually it was ruled that he used a variation of the move on his son to kill him. While police said it was a choke hold during media appearances, they didn't want to make it sound worse releasing the information how the kid got murdered. Another interesting point is that recently Chris Benoit made a life insurance and included his ex wife and two kids from that marriage as the beneficiaries, leaving out Nancy and Daniel. The general theory why the murders happened is that Nancy was going to inform him that she was leaving with their son and that's when Chris went crazy. It is believed that he killed his son because he thought he would never live a good life considering his medical conditions without his parents.

> BENOIT'S PHYSICIAN COULD FACE CHARGES FROM FEDERAL GOVERNMENT
- Chris Benoit's personal physician Dr. Phil Astin could face charges from the federal government although the Georgia state prosecutor in charge of the Benoit investigation said that he has no plans to file criminal charges but he doesn't know what the federal government will do. "From our standpoint, I have no reason to believe there will be any criminal charges at the current time," Fayette County District Attorney Scott Ballard told The Associated Press. "What the federal government is going to do, it will be up to them." Dr. Astin's attorney said that it's possible that federal charges will be filed against his client in connection with the two raids carried out by the DEA last week. "I wouldn't be shocked if there's some charges that come out of this," he said to the AP. Astin went MIA, along with his mother, after the raids. Manny Arora, the attorney, said that Astin will turn himself in if he is asked to do so. A spokesman for the U.S. Attorney's office declined to say Monday if any charges were planned....

> DR. ASTIN BUSTED BY FEDERAL GOVERNMENT
- And this just in! The Associated Press is reporting that Dr. Phil Astin has been charged with seven counts of distributing painkillers and other drugs to other clients, a case brought forward by the federal government. Astin prescribed drugs such as Percocet, Xanax, Lorcet and Vicoprofen between April 2004 and September 2005. It is believed that he prescribed Xanax on Friday for Benoit as well. The recipients were identified in the indictment by the initials O.G. and M.J. A criminal complaint was also filed, but was under seal. Astin, who vanished after the first DEA raid last week, surrendered himself to local authorities and is expected to make an initial court appearance Monday afternoon. Federal prosecutors are seeking the forfeiture of all property and proceeds Astin obtained through the illegal conduct if he's convicted.

> NANCY BENOIT'S EX-HUSBAND SPEAKS TO ESPN.COM
- ESPN.COM is running a huge article which contains comments from Nancy Benoit's ex husband, Jim Daus. Interesting to note is that it was him who introduced her to wrestling the first time, getting front row seats to a show in Orlando when they were just kids. However after she was sucked into the business, all the tours ended up destroying their marriage and the two agreed that a divorce was the best way to go. Daus said he met Nancy face to face for the first time since they split nine years ago while in a plane heading out of Chicago. He said the two talked for around four hours and the last time they communicated by e-mail was seven years ago when Chris' and Nancy's son Daniel was born. Daus added that he couldn't sleep for the first three days after news came out that Nancy was murdered by her husband. "I pushed her into this whole thing," he said, reflecting on the time he took her to the first wrestling match in Orlando back when they were still kids.

> BENOIT STEROIDS PRESCRIPTIONS COULD ROCK THE WELLNESS PROGRAM CREDIBILITY
- The death of Chris Benoit could have the biggest impact in World Wrestling Entertainment and its Wellness Program program. Introduced after Eddie Guerrero passed away in late 2005, the Wellness Program randomly tests WWE Superstars for steroid use and other medication which wasn't in their system after their baseline test. According to the DEA, Chris Benoit received a ten month supply of steroids every three to four weeks in the period of May 2006 to May 2007 from his personal physician Dr. Phil Astin. WWE sent a press release last week saying that Benoit was tested in the beginning of April of this year for steroid use and the results came in negative. The news of Benoit receiving that large amount of steroids every four weeks puts the Wellness Program credibility in jeopardy regardless of the outcome of the toxicology reports.

> DR. ASTIN LOSES MEDICAL LICENSE, UNDER HOUSE ARREST
- Dr. Phil Astin - who surrendered himself yesterday - was arrested by Georgia police and charged with seven counts of distributing painkillers and other drugs to other clients, a case brought forward by the federal government. He was later released on a $125,000 secured bond however his freedom came with a few conditions. His medical license was revoked and he was placed under house arrest and forced to wear an electronic monitoring ankle bracelet. Astin's lawyer, Manny Arora, said his client was innocent of the charges and said that Astin never prescribed steroids to Chris Benoit - a friend for the past six years. DEA agents stormed his offices twice last week and took computers, files and other information that could spell big trouble for other wrestlers or sports celebrities who were prescribed with drugs and steroids. The search warrant was obtained by the website TheSmokingGun.

> NEWSPAPER INTERVIEWS NEIGHBOR WHO FOUND BENOIT FAMILY BODIES
- The Boston Herald is running a story about the person who found the bodies of the Benoit family. As it turns out, it was in fact their neighbor, Holly McFague, who had the keys to their house and went in first when the police came knocking. McFague moved temporarily to Boston as authorities took over the area where the Benoit's were found dead. And her representative said that she can't go home because her house is surrounded by media. Apparently the police knocked on her house first asking for help as two large dogs guarded the Benoit house. Since the dogs knew McFague, she went in freely and that's when she found out that all three members of the Benoit family were dead and ran out of the house screaming. Her rep, George Regan, said that she spoke to Chris on Saturday, the day after Nancy was killed. He went in great lengths to explain how his wife and son were suffering from a food poisoning. "At the time she was thinking that it was way too much information, " he said. "She found him very odd to say the least," he added. "But she was very close to his wife, and the little boy was friendly with her children."

> DANIEL BENOIT'S FRAGILE X SYNDROME QUESTIONED
- Conflicting reports are now surfacing saying that Daniel Benoit did not suffer from Fragile X syndrome as previously reported by the media and Fayette County District Attorney Scott Ballard is moving on as if Daniel was a normal healthy kid. 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." According to his grandparents - Nancy's parents - Daniel was just like every other kid and they never noticed anything that suggests otherwise during the many times he visited. Fragile X is an inherited mental impairment which can range from learning disabilities to more severe cognitive or intellectual disabilities. WWE also seem that they're going ahead and back the District Attorney on this matter. "A lot of people got caught up in the idea Daniel had Fragile X syndrome," said Gary Davis, vice president of Corporate Communications at WWE. "We were just as caught up as everyone else."

> BENOIT'S MOTHER BLAMES DEA FOR NOT TAKING ACTION SOONER
- Chris Benoit's mother, Margaret, gave comments to the Toronto Star newspaper, saying that her son would probably be still alive if DEA agents took action when they found out that Benoit was buying large quantities of steroids. Earlier this week, the DEA said that Benoit's name popped up during a probe called 'RX Weight Loss' some time ago and Benoit was identified as an excessive purchaser of injectable steroids from a company that was under the microscope. Asked if quicker action by authorities could have helped her son, she said, "We would certainly hope so. We just don't know. We're dealing with so many things. It's incredible." The DEA said that it would have been impossible to predict what Benoit was going to do. "You don't run out and arrest a doctor for making one prescription that is questionable, " a DEA spokesman said. "There's just not enough evidence to arrest or bring charges. We want to bring charges that are legitimate. Cases take time." Margaret Benoit said that there's nothing much they can do now except to mourn Chris, Nancy and Daniel. "It's so late now, too late. You can't turn the clock back."

From: http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/metro/fayette/stories/2007/06/27/0628metbenoit.html

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."

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.

From: http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/nationworld/sfl-627marvez-benoit,0,2628771.story

Wife of wrestling superstar feared marriage would end 'in a bad, bad way'

By Alex Marvez
Sun-Sentinel.com
Posted June 27 2007, 9:34 PM EDT

Nancy Benoit may have known her tumultuous marriage to a World Wrestling Entertainment superstar was ultimately doomed.

But neither she nor those close to her could have envisioned it concluding like this, with Chris Benoit murdering his wife and 7-year-old son Daniel last weekend in their Atlanta-area home before committing suicide.

"Nancy had for a long time believed this relationship would end violently and in a bad, bad way," said a former co-worker and Benoit family friend speaking on conditioning of anonymity. "She always said the two of them were doomed to hurt each other. But she never imagined Daniel would get in the crosshairs."

Instead, Daniel Benoit was found asphyxiated in a bedroom that Fayette (Ga.) County District Attorney Scott Ballard described on CNN as covered by wrestling posters of his father.

WWE attorney Jerry McDevitt said Daniel Benoit is believed to have suffered from an autistic-like condition called Fragile X, which had placed a heavy strain on the Benoits' marriage.

In 2003, Nancy Benoit received a restraining order against her husband after filing for divorce following three years of marriage. She claimed Chris Benoit had threatened to strike her and "cause extensive damage to [their] home and personal belongings."

The restraining order was lifted at Nancy Benoit's request later that year. In March 2004, the family celebrated in the ring together after Chris won the WWE world title in the main event of Wrestlemania XX.

Ann Marie Crooks, a Fort Lauderdale resident who was one of Benoit's co-workers in World Championship Wrestling in 1999, said she is struggling to comprehend what triggered Benoit's actions.

"I knew Chris for about a year and this is not in the man's character at all," said Crooks, who worked as a valet under the name "Midnight." "Most wrestlers I knew were cocky, womanizing, etc. He was a true worker. He was low-key, soft-spoken and just a nice guy."

As more details emerged, what was initially unimaginable to others who knew him - including several WWE performers who initially thought the Benoits had died of a gas leak after hearing the news - instead tragically ruined the legacy of what was arguably the best pound-for-pound grappler in wrestling history.

Benoit, 40, was among the industry's top in-ring workers for most of his 22-year career. Benoit compensated for having limited interview skills through his intensity and ability to excel in virtually any grappling style ranging from high-flying to brawling.

Now, don't expect to ever see Benoit highlights again on WWE television.

To its credit, WWE stopped all tributes to Benoit on its telecasts and Web site after details of his actions surfaced. WWE owner Vince McMahon -- yes, he is alive after being tastelessly "blown up" two weeks earlier in a storyline that was now mercifully dropped -- referred to the Benoit situation at the beginning of Tuesday night's ECW episode by saying his name wouldn't be mentioned again so the "healing process" can begin.

Of course, that process will involve WWE trying to weather a media storm focused on the ongoing rash of young deaths in wrestling and whether the use of anabolic steroids played any part in Benoit's mental make-up. While WWE is claiming Benoit passed a company-sponsored drug test in April, steroids were found in his house and he was a customer of a South Florida company under federal indictment for steroid and human growth hormone distribution.

When interviewing Benoit in February 2003 after he had returned from major neck surgery, I asked how long he wanted to wrestle. Benoit said he was taking things "day by day" before reflecting upon others in the industry that had died prematurely.

"I remember my grandparents when they were 70 and sentimental and emotional," Benoit said. "They had gone through their lives and lost friends and family that were part of the older generation. I never quite understood it until now.

"I'm 35 and have so many good friends that are gone. [Referee] Brian Hildebrand, [wrestlers] Rick Rude, Louie Spiccoli … I sit here and really think about it and it's bothersome."

But nowhere near as bothersome as what destruction the "Canadian Crippler" has left behind.

Last Photo of Chris Benoit Shortly Before the Tragedy:

From: http://www.wsbtv.com/news/13588187/detail.html

The picture was snapped by a wrestling fan at Dr. Phil Astin's office in Carrollton on June 22, 2007.

From: http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/06/28/wrestler.ap/index.html

Wikipedia notes death of Benoit's wife before body found

POSTED: 7:48 p.m. EDT, June 28, 2007

ATLANTA (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, 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.

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.

From: http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/06/29/wrestler.ap/index.html

Benoit's dad hopes tests explain killings

POSTED: 2:07 p.m. EDT, June 29, 2007

ATLANTA, Georgia (AP) -- Pro wrestler Chris Benoit's father said Friday that he was eager to see whether chemical tests can help explain why Benoit killed his wife and son and committed suicide, acts that the wrestler's father said he had no clue were coming.

Michael Benoit said by phone from his home in Alberta, Canada, that his family is shocked and in disbelief over the slayings.

"We have no understanding of why it happened," he said. "We need some time to gather our thoughts and wait and see. There's still more information that's going to come out from toxicology tests that will give us some understanding of why this happened."

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

Chris Benoit strangled his wife and 7-year-old son, 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.

Investigators had not discovered the bodies Monday 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.

The authenticity of the posting could not immediately be confirmed.

"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 the entry was made by someone using an IP address registered in Stamford, Connecticut, where World Wrestling Entertainment is based. The anonymous user acknowledged being from Stamford, but claimed no connection to WWE.

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

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.

On Thursday, federal agents said they had raided the west Georgia office of a doctor who prescribed testosterone to Benoit, said agent Chuvalo Truesdell, a spokesman for the Drug Enforcement Administration. No arrests were made during the raid at Dr. Phil Astin's office late Wednesday into Thursday.

Hours before the raid, Astin told The Associated Press he had treated Benoit for low testosterone levels, which he said likely originated from 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 June 22.

Michael Benoit, who lives near Edmonton in Ardrossan, said the test results, which could take several weeks to be completed, "could give us closure." He said his son had seemed fine when they spoke on Father's Day, and had even said he regretted having to work instead of spending the day with his family.

"That really wouldn't give you an indication of someone who would do what he did a week later," the father said.

From: http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/07/02/wrestler.ap/index.html

Wrestler's doc surrenders to feds in drug probe

ATLANTA, Georgia (AP) -- The personal doctor of pro wrestler Chris Benoit was charged Monday with improperly dispensing painkillers and other drugs.

Chris Benoit, a 22-year pro-wrestling veteran, was found dead with his wife and young son on Monday.

The seven-count indictment says Dr. Phil Astin dispensed drugs including Percocet, Xanax, Lorcet and Vicoprofen between April 2004 and September 2005.

The recipients were identified in the indictment by their initials.

Federal drug agents have taken over the probe into whether Astin improperly prescribed testosterone and other drugs to Benoit before the wrestler killed his wife and son and committed suicide in his suburban Atlanta home last month. State prosecutors and sheriff's officials are overseeing the death investigation.

Astin surrendered earlier Monday.

Attorney Manny Arora said Astin "is doing about as good as can be expected. He's disappointed and surprised."

Meanwhile, the state prosecutor in the Benoit investigation said Monday he currently has no plans to file criminal charges in the case.

Investigators have conducted two raids at Astin's west Georgia office since last week.

"It would be our belief and understanding that the federal authorities were looking for patient files and the computers that the files may be contained in to determine if prescriptions were written improperly," Arora said.

Astin prescribed testosterone for Benoit, a longtime friend, in the past but has not said what, if any, medications he prescribed when Benoit visited his office June 22, the day authorities believe Benoit killed his wife.

Meanwhile, toxicology tests on Benoit's body have not yet been completed, Ballard said.

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 can cause paranoia, depression and violent outbursts known as "roid rage."

"We're still asking questions and searching for answers with regard to the death so we can tie up loose ends," Ballard said.

Ballard said finding a motive in the case remains elusive.

"I think it will always be undetermined as to 'Why?"' Ballard said. "I think it's because there can't be any satisfactory reason why you kill a 7-year-old."

Authorities have said Benoit strangled his wife and son, placing Bibles next to their bodies, before hanging himself on the cable of a weight-machine in his home.

Benoit's father, Michael, said Monday that "it's impossible to come up with a rational explanation for a very irrational act."

"That's my feeling. Let the cards fall where they fall, we have no control over it at this point," he said. "It's just impossible to come up with a rational explanation for what happened."

From: http://www.wrestlingobserver.com/wo/news/headlines/default.asp?aID=20062

More details come out in Astin case

Brief notes from the press conference about Dr. Astin's arrest and indictment...

-Records show that Dr. Astin prescribed over 1 million doses of numerous drugs over the past two years, many of them prescription painkillers and anabolic steroids, and many of the prescriptions were un-dated, which is illegal in and of itself.

-Quote from federal agent giving the press conference: ""Dr. Astin allegedly prescribed these drugs like candy.""

-Another quote from federal agent giving the press conference: ""Dirty doctors should be on notice that they face federal prosecution and federal prison time.""

--The agent also said, "Alleged in the complaint that Dr. Astin prescribed a very large amount of anabolic steroids to Chris Benoit," including a new ten-month supply of anabolic steroids every 3 to 4 weeks.

-Dr. Astin was arrested and subsequently released on $125,000 secured bond with numerous conditions, including surrendering his medical license and agreeing to home detention with an electronic monitoring ankle bracelet.

-Investigators are still searching through Dr. Astin's record, and there were lots of questions that yielded "no comment" responses.

Thanks to Ivan Trembow

From: http://www.wrestlingobserver.com/wo/news/headlines/default.asp?aID=20073

WWE backs off on Fragile X claims; More wrestlers linked to Astin

by Dave Meltzer

The Fox affiliate in Atlanta today reported that federal investigators have in their possession medical records pf pro wrestlers under the care of Dr. Phil Astin III. They seized records in particular of pro wrestlers who had autographed photos on the walls of his office.

It was well known in the Atlanta sports community that Astin was the doctor to several pro and college athletes, hardly limited to wrestling, and had been well known in the WCW days.

Astin was released today on bond and his whereabouts will be electronically monitored.

WWE spokesperson Gary Davis backed off the company's claim that Daniel Benoit had Fragile X syndrome today.

"A lot of people got caught up in the idea Daniel had Fragile X syndrome," said Davis in an AP article. "We were just as caught up as everyone else."

Davis said the company has no information to contradict the claims of Nancy Benoit's parents that Daniel had no such disease.

"I think we have to go with what the district attorney has said as being the best, up-to-date information available right now," Davis said.

Davis said McDevitt was confident from speaking to WWE employees who knew Daniel Benoit.

From: WWE.com

A message from the Chairman

Written: June 26, 2007

The following message from Vince McMahon aired at the beginning of tonight's ECW on Sci Fi:

Last night on Monday Night Raw, the WWE presented a special tribute show, recognizing the career of Chris Benoit. However, now some 26 hours later, the facts of this horrific tragedy are now apparent. Therefore, other than my comments, there will be no mention of Mr. Benoit tonight. On the contrary, tonight's show will be dedicated to everyone who has been affected by this terrible incident. This evening marks the first step of the healing process. Tonight, the WWE performers will do what they do better than anyone else in the world--entertain you.

From: http://www.pwinsider.com/ViewArticle.asp?id=25149&p=1

King Booker T.'s Comments on the Benoit Tragedy

Houston, Texas' KHOU interviewed World Wrestling Entertainment's King Booker regarding the Benoit family tragedy today at Booker's wrestling school. Booker said it was something "the wrestling family, the wrestling world" would never suspect would happen and it's the first time something of this nature has happened in the business.

Booker noted that he knew Benoit personally (a feud for the WCW TV title against Benoit put Booker on the map as a singles star) and he never saw that side of Benoit. He said that he knew Benoit's wife and all of his children and what happened was completely "out of the norm and unexplainable."

He noted that he wrestled Benoit 75-100 times and they had spoken just a few weeks ago for about 30 minutes about the wrestling business and never saw that side of him. "We're all tired at certain points, we work a lot of hours, but I never saw this side of Chris. I've never seen Chris mad. I've never seen Chris angry. He was always the guy with a lot of positive energy, always pushing the guys."

Booker told the story of a student that came to his school to be trained, arriving from Illinois with $800 in his pocket with "no way to go back" who carried a photo of Benoit and Eddie Guerrero as he was inspired by them to get into the business. "That was just the type of person he was, always encouraging people. He didn't even know this guy, but that's the type of person he was."

When the idea of "roid rage" was brought up, Booker remarked, "The media is going to put a spin on it, you know. We know that. WWE knows that. Did the guy last week who murders his wife and kid last week have any form of roid rage? He was a cop. This happens in any form of life. I feel like the human life is a delicate piece of equipment and everyone has their breaking point. We don't know what his breaking point was. You don't know what my point is, I don't know what your point is. We're all human. I just think it was a huge malfunction and whatever it was, we may never know. It's not for us to know. It's out of our hands and with God now."

Booker said the wrestling industry is a huge family and he's cried and wanted to pull his hair out over this. He said he loved Chris and he is mad to see him "go out like this. I'm pissed at him in certain ways. I wish I could just hold him for a second, but it's out of our hands. I'll be there at the funeral and tell him goodbye and hopefully see him on the other side. Hopefully, I'll find out what happened one day."

From: http://www.ericbischoff.com/blog.asp?Path=T1,0003&MaxListings=

BISCHOFF: "GOD BLESS NANCY AND DANIEL. GOD FORGIVE CHRIS BENOIT"

Eric Bischoff comments about the Benoit tragedy in a blog update today on his official website. Bischoff says he is struggling to comprehend the tragedy. "I can not begin to articulate my feelings about the tragedy in the Benoit family. It is something I am really struggling to comprehend."

Bischoff addresses the media coverage of the tragedy and says, "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." He continues, "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."

Bischoff closes his blog with, "God bless Nancy and Daniel. God forgive Chris Benoit."

Steroids Found in Pro Wrestler's Body

Jul 17 03:18 PM US/Eastern
By GREG BLUESTEIN
Associated Press Writer

DECATUR, Ga. (AP) - Investigators said Tuesday they found steroids and other drugs in the body of pro wrestler Chris Benoit, who killed his wife and young son last month before hanging himself in the family's home.

Besides steroids, Benoit's body contained the anti-anxiety drug Xanax and the painkiller hydrocodone, according to a statement from the Georgia Bureau of Investigation. The GBI said Benoit tested negative for blood alcohol.

Benoit's wife, Nancy, tested positive for Xanax, hydrocodone and the painkiller hydromorphone.

The son, Daniel Benoit had Xanax in his system, the agency said. The GBI said it could not perform tests for steroids or human growth hormones on the son because of a lack of urine.

The test results were expected to shed more light on Benoit's last moments. Authorities said Benoit killed his wife and 7-year-old son in their suburban Atlanta home, placed Bibles next to their bodies and then hanged himself on the cable of a weight machine.

Anabolic steroids were found in the 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."

Federal authorities have 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 have also raided Astin's office several times since the deaths, seizing prescription records and other 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.

Copyright 2007 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Brain examination finds Benoit with massive damage

by Dave Meltzer

The results of a brain examination of Chris Benoit found significant damage from both repeated concussions and sub-concussive blows that may have played a part in his killing of himself, his wife and son in late June.

Dr. Julian Bailes of the Department of Neurosurgery at West Virginia University of Dr. Robert Cantu, the Chief of Neurosurgery Service and Director of Sports Medicine at Emerson Hospital in Concord, MA, presented their findings at a press conference this morning in New York. Also speaking were Chris' father Michael Benoit, and Benoit family lawyer Cary Ichter of Atlanta.

Cantu noted that out of the five athletes they have diagnosed with similar problems, including football stars Andre Waters, Terry Long and Mike Webster, the former two of whom committed suicide at a young age, that Benoit's brain showed the highest level of Tau protiens, indicating damage.

"Chris had, by far, the greatest amount of brain damage of the five," Cantu said.

Bailes said the level of damage was enough to explain the suicide and homicides

Neither Michael Benoit nor Ichter would comment on potential litigation. Ichter said the family is still in mourning and has given no thought about, "what steps are appropriate in the legal arena."

The only hint came in a statement by Michael Benoit who said he worked for a company where the top priority was the health and safety of its workers, and only wished his son had worked for a company with those same priorities.

Bailes and Cantu are the leading doctors in the Sports Legacy Institute, which became an official charitable corporation in June. The president of SLI is former WWE wrestler Chris Nowinski, who was not present at the press conference. Nowinski contacted Michael Benoit for the rights to examine Chris' brain. The WWE was not consulted or made aware of any of these findings ahead of time.

In questioning, the doctors downplayed the role of steroids in the case, but couldn't rule it out, only saying there is no medical evidence long-term steroid use causes the damage to the brain Chris Benoit had.

They portrayed the brain examination as the only tangible evidence that has come to light to explain why Chris Benoit may have done what he did, They noted his level of damage would lead to cognitive impairment, major depression and heightened aggression.

Michael Benoit also noted he had read Chris' diary and said it gave the impression of an extremely disturbed person, but that in his limited contact with Chris, a few minute phone call every week or two, he had no indication anything was wrong.

From: http://prowrestling.about.com/od/whatsrealwhatsfake/tp/10tragedies.htm

Top 10 Famous Tragedies of the Past 25 Years

From Eric Cohen

1. The Von Erich Family

At one time, the Von Erich’s were the biggest stars in wrestling but things went bad for the family rather quickly. Out of five brothers that wrestled, only one lived to see 35. David died in 1984 due to an “intestinal problem”. Mike suffered an injury and during surgery contacted a virus that nearly killed him. He was never the same again and killed himself. Kerry was a former World Champion that lost his foot in a motorcycle accident. He wrestled for a few more years but drug charges led him to kill himself. Youngest brother Chris killed himself because he felt he could never be as good as his brothers were.

2. The Car Crash of Magnum T.A.

In 1986, Magnum T.A. was one of the most popular stars in the NWA. His feuds for the U.S. Title with Tully Blanchard and Nikita Koloff almost overshadowed the main feud of the area, Dusty Rhodes vs. Ric Flair. There is no doubt that Magnum T.A. was soon going to be a World Champion. However, he was involved in a near-fatal car crash. In one of the most emotional moments ever, at the Crockett Cup ‘87, he made a surprise appearance and walked to the ring. Magnum never wrestled again. The biggest what if question long-time fans have is “What would wrestling be like now if Magnum wasn’t in that accident?”.

3. Bruiser Brody Stabbed to Death in a Locker Room

In 1988, Bruiser Brody was stabbed to death in a Puerto Rico locker room by Invader I (Jose Gonzalez), one of the bosses of the wrestling organization he was working for. An ambulance did not appear for 45 minutes after the stabbing due to either it not being called or traffic at the stadium. That delay allowed the murder weapon to be hidden. Despite several witnesses to the crime, Gonzalez was found not guilty. The American witnesses claimed to have received their summons to testify after the verdict had been rendered.

4. The Death of Andre the Giant

Without a doubt, Andre the Giant is the most famous wrestler to have passed away. Ironically, the medical condition that caused him to become famous was also partially responsible for his death. In 1993, Andre died of a heart attack shortly after attending the funeral of his father. In honor of Andre, the WWE created a Hall of Fame and made him the first inductee.

5. The Death of Dino Bravo

While dying young is all too common an event in the wrestling world, Dino’s is the only one that looks like a plot on The Sopranos. It is highly rumored that Dino was allegedly involved with an organized criminal group in Montreal that dealt in illegal cigarettes. On March 11, 1993, Dino was found dead in his apartment. He was shot seven times and at least two were to the head. Since there was no signs of forced entry, police believe that he knew his killers.

6. The Death of Brian Pillman & Interview of Melanie Pillman

Wrestling fans are not surprised when they hear that a retired wrestler has died. However, everyone was surprised when Vince McMahon announced on the pre-show to the PPV, In Your House: Bad Blood ‘97, that Brian, who was scheduled to compete that night, was found dead in his hotel room a few hours earlier. The next night, most fans were disgusted when Vince interviewed Brian’s widow, Melanie. In 2005, I spoke to Vince Russo, the head booker of the WWE at the time, about why that interview was done.

7. The Fatal Accident of Owen Hart

At the Over the Edge ‘99 PPV event, Owen Hart, dressed as the Blue Blazer, was supposed to descend from the ceiling to the ring. Something terrible happened and he plummeted from the rafters onto a turnbuckle chest-first. He was taken to the hospital where he was pronounced dead. The event went on and the fans in attendance did not find out what happened to Owen while the audience at home was told. Thankfully, an interview was being shown at the time of the accident and the fans in attendance and at home did not witness the fall.

8. D-Lo Brown vs. Droz

The results of a wrestling match may be predetermined but the wrestlers put their well being on the line every time they step in the ring. During a 1999 SmackDown TV taping, D-Lo fought Droz in what was supposed to be an ordinary match. D-Lo slipped on a wet spot on the mat while giving Droz a running power bomb. Droz fractured two discs in his neck. The accident left the former Denver Bronco paralyzed from the neck down. He still works for the WWE.

9. The Death of Miss Elizabeth

In the brutal world of wrestling, Miss Elizabeth provided something that no one else did to the sport, a sense of class. In 2003, fans were shocked to find out that she had passed away from an overdose of a combination of pain pills and alcohol. She was at the home of her boyfriend, former WCW Champion, Lex Luger. Fans were enraged when they found out that just two weeks earlier, Luger was arrested for allegedly striking her in a domestic dispute. After a police search of the premises, Lex was charged with multiple drug possession charges.

10. The Death of Eddie Guerrero

Eddie had a well documented battle with substance abuse that almost cost him his life, his career, and his family. However, Eddie appeared to win his battle and even reached the top of the wrestling world by becoming World Champion. On the night of November 13, 2005, he was scheduled to wrestle for the championship. However, earlier that morning he was found dead from heart failure. The moral of the story is that even if you can kick drugs, the damage they do to your body is irreversible.

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