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EspañolCHRIS BENOIT MURDER-SUICIDE
On June 25 2007, professional wrestler Chris Benoit, his wife Nancy, and their 7-year-old son Daniel were found dead in their Fayetteville, Georgia, home at around 2:30 p.m. EDT.[1] The Fayette County, Georgia Sheriff's Department is currently investigating this case. Police entered Benoit's home on a "welfare check" after several missed appointments, and found three dead bodies.[2] Investigators believe that Benoit, over a three day period, murdered his wife and son and committed suicide.[3]
Murder-suicide
Nancy Benoit
Main articles: Nancy Benoit
On Friday, June 22, Benoit killed his wife. A bible was left by her body and she died of strangulation.[4] She had bruises on her back and stomach consistent with Benoit pressing a knee into the back while pulling on a cord around the neck. Chokehold may have killed Benoit's son
It was later revealed that Nancy had filed for divorce in May 2003, allegedly after domestic abuse from Chris, but had withdrawn it in August 2003, according to the County's district attorney Scott Ballard. Police: Benoit killed wife, son, left Bibles by their bodies
Between the two killings
At about 3:30 p.m. EDT on Saturday, June 23, a co-worker (later confirmed to be Chavo Guerrero[5]) received a voice message from Benoit stating he missed his flight and overslept and would be late for that night's house show in Beaumont, Texas. According to the World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) website, the co-worker called Benoit back and Benoit sounded tired and groggy as he confirmed everything he had said in his voice message. The same co-worker, "concerned about Benoit's tone and demeanor," called him back twelve minutes later. Benoit did not answer the call and the co-worker left a message stating, "just call me back". At 3:44 p.m. EDT, Benoit called the co-worker back, stating he did not answer the call because he was on the phone with Delta Air Lines changing his flight. "Benoit stated he had a real stressful day due to Nancy and Daniel being sick with food poisoning," the WWE Web site said. According to WWE.com, a co-worker who often travels with Benoit called him from outside the Houston airport and Benoit answered. "Benoit told the co-worker that Nancy was throwing up blood and that Daniel was also throwing up."
Between the two killings, Benoit later called WWE's "Talent Relations" office, stating that his son was throwing up and that he and Nancy were in the hospital with their son, and that he would be taking a later flight into Houston, but would make the live event in Beaumont.[6]
Daniel Benoit
Daniel was suffocated by Benoit in his own bedroom, killing him. A Bible was left by the boy's body. Police: Benoit killed wife, son, left Bibles by their bodies However, it was revealed on June 27 that Benoit may have killed his son with a choke hold. 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 own arm. The time at when this happened is not yet known.[7] Daniel had needle marks in his arm, suggesting that he had been given growth hormones because Benoit and his family considered him undersized; which was theorized to be most likely the result of him suffering from Fragile X Syndrome. Steroids discovered in probe of slayings, suicide However, District Attorney Scott Ballard released a statement saying that a source having access to Daniel's medical files reviewed said files and found that they mention no pre-existing mental or physical ailments. Likewise, Daniel Benoit's educators report that Daniel was on par with other students and not about to be held back as previously thought. Prosecutor disputes that Benoit son had Fragile X
Text messages
Between 3:51 and 3:58 a.m. EDT on June 24 2007, five text messages were sent to Benoit's co-workers (among whom were Chavo Guerrero and ECW referee Scott Armstrong) from both Benoit's and his wife's phone.[8] [9] The first, third, fourth and fifth text messages stated: "My physical address is 130 Green Meadow Lane, Fayetteville Georgia. 30215" (except the fifth message omitted the word "physical"). The second text message which, according to Scott Ballard, was believed to have been sent to his neighbor to get someone to find their bodies after he committed suicide (although Chavo claims to have also received the message), stated: "The dogs are in the enclosed pool area. Garage side door is open". Steroids discovered in probe of slayings, suicide WWE officials were notified of the text messages sent to the co-workers two hours before the bodies were found.
Chris Benoit
Main articles: Chris Benoit
The perpetrator, Chris Benoit, according to Scott Ballard, died of suicide by hanging. When Benoit released the weights - about 240 pounds (110 kg), which weighed more than he did - it caused his strangulation. Ballard said the pull-down bar had been removed and Benoit's remains were found seated against the machine.
Possible motives
There is no evidence that Benoit left a suicide note of any kind, making it difficult to understand any possible motives for his actions.
WWE attorney Jerry McDevitt appeared on ''MSNBC Live with Dan Abrams'' on July 17 2007 said that Benoit was prescribed testosterone as part of a treatment for testosterone replacement therapy, which McDevitt said was a common medical practice for people who had used steroids in the past, and had suffered testicular damage as a result.
Former wrestler and Harvard graduate Christopher Nowinski, who has since gone on to be a groundbreaker in the field of sports-related concussion trauma and Chronic traumatic encephalopathy (or CTE), along with the writing of the book ''Head Games: Football's Concussion Crisis'', has come out and claimed that Benoit may have been suffering from repeated, untreated concussions throughout his wrestling career, ultimately leading to an unstable mental state. Nowinski has been quoted as saying that Benoit "was one of the only guys who would take a chair shot to the back of the head...which is stupid."[10]
Tests conducted on Chris Benoit's brain tissue have revealed he suffered from acute Chronic traumatic encephalopathy, and had brain damage in all four lobes of the brain and brain stem. His extensive brain damage, which "resembled that of an 85 year-old Alzheimer's patient" is believed to be the leading cause of the murders.
Responses to the killings
Initial WWE response
The event was first reported to fans of WWE on their WWE Mobile Alerts Service and posted to their official website soon after. On their website, World Wrestling Entertainment released the following statement:
WWE canceled the scheduled three hour long live ''RAW'' show on June 25, and replaced the broadcast version with a tribute to his life and career, featuring his past matches, segments from the ''Hard Knocks: The Chris Benoit Story'' DVD, and comments from wrestlers and announcers.[11] It wasn't until the program was nearly over that reports surfaced that police were working under the belief that Benoit murdered his wife and son before killing himself. The next night, after the details of the deaths became concrete, WWE aired a recorded statement by Vince McMahon before their ECW broadcast stating that due to the circumstances of the family's deaths becoming apparent, Benoit's name would not be mentioned other than during McMahon's comments.
Wrestlers' response
Many superstars past and present commented on the death of Benoit including Lex Luger,[12] Marc Mero,[13] Ted DiBiase,[14][15] Lance Storm,[16] Hulk Hogan,[17] Steve Blackman,[18] Kurt Angle,[19] and Chris Jericho.[20]
Media response
When the news was released about Benoit's death, most mainstream news outlets covered the story, including MSNBC[21] and Fox News.[22] ECW Press announced on July 16 that noted wrestling writer Irvin Muchnick would publish a book on the Benoit case, due out in 2008.[23] At the ''Comedy Central Roast of Flavor Flav'' in the summer of 2007, Jimmy Kimmel joked to honoree Flavor Flav that "Chris Benoit is a better father than you", despite an objection from Comedy Central censors. [24]
World Wrestling Entertainment's internal response
Upon learning the full details of his and his family's deaths, World Wrestling Entertainment has quickly and quietly distanced itself from Chris Benoit.
With the exception of his results and listings in WWE's title history (though the summaries of his title reigns have been removed) and select press releases from WWE's corporate subsite (''corporate.wwe.com'')[25], the WWE's website removed all past mentions (including all news articles relating to the killings) of Benoit. Their merchandising subsite ''wweshop.com'' would follow suit in regards to all Benoit-related merchandise.
WWE also has decided to edit out all matches that contained Benoit from rebroadcasts of matches from their extensive video library. (See WWE video library)
Steroids debate
Background
Steroids were found in the home, leading some media organizations to hypothesize that a steroid-induced rage may be the cause of Benoit's actions, as some doctors have linked steroid use to uncontrollable anger, among other psychological issues which include paranoia.[26][27] WWE released a press-statement, hitting out at the "roid-rage" claims.[28] One part of the statement reads:
Prosecutors in New York have been investigating the deliveries Benoit received from Signature Pharmacy and MedXLife.com, which sold steroids and human growth hormone over the Internet. Terence Kindlon, who is the lawyer for MedXLife co-owner Dr. Gary Brandwein, denied allegations that his client's company sold steroids to Benoit. Brandwein has pleaded not guilty to six counts in New York state court related to the criminal sale of a controlled substance. According to a report from ''Sports Illustrated'', three packages sent to Benoit were from Signature Pharmacy with the first one sent in December 2005 to San Antonio, Texas. The second package was sent on February 13 2006 to a address in Peachtree City, Georgia and the third package was sent in July 2006 to Fort Walton Beach, Florida.[29] This followed eleven superstars that were announced in a ''Sports Illustrated'' steroids investigation that began March 2007, which included Kurt Angle, Eddie Guerrero, Oscar Gutierrez, Randy Orton, Adam Copeland and Shane Helms, with both Copeland and Helms receiving a high amount of steroids.[30]
World Wrestling Entertainment attorney Jerry McDevitt has stated that "they believe the facts of this crime do not support the hypothesis that "roid rage" played a role in the murders." They cite evidence of premeditation in addition to the lack of a toxicology report, and the fact that the steroids found within Benoit's home were legally prescribed.[31] Drug Agents Raid Offices of Pro Wrestler Chris Benoit's Personal Physician Dr. Gary I. Wadler who currently serves on the World Anti-Doping Agency's Prohibited List and Methods Committee and has served on its Health, Medicine, and Research Committee agreed stating that "that was a premeditated act and that's not rage".[32]
Investigators seized Benoit's medical record and they also have his wife Nancy's medical record. They also have medical records of the following: Mark Jindrak, Hardcore Holly, Lex Luger, Rey Mysterio, Buff Bagwell, and Johnny Grunge. All of them were patients of Dr. Phil Astin.[33] The toxicology report on Chris Benoit's body was released Tuesday July 17, 2007 at 2:30 p.m. EDT.[34]
Toxicology results
At the press conference held by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation at 2:30 p.m. EDT on July 17 2007, it was announced that three different drugs were found in Nancy Benoit's system: hydrocodone, hydromorphone and Xanax. All three drugs were found to be at levels investigators considered normal for therapeutic treatment (as opposed to recreational use or abuse.) A blood-alcohol level was found at 0.184. Dr. Kris Sperry added it was impossible to say whether any of the blood findings was due to ingestion of alcohol or the post-mortem process. It was also ruled out that Nancy was sedated by Chris before she was murdered. GBI: Benoit, family had drugs in bodies
Xanax was found in Daniel Benoit's system. Scott Ballard noted this was not a drug that would be given to a child under normal circumstances. It is believed that Daniel was sedated prior to being murdered, with Dr. Sperry ruling out that Daniel died of a drug overdose. However, The GBI said in the Press Conference that it could not perform tests for steroids or human growth hormones on Daniel because of a lack of urine.[35]
Xanax and hydrocodone were also found in Chris Benoit's system, at levels investigators called consistent with therapeutic use. Elevated levels of testosterone cypionate were found in his urine; investigators believed that the level found suggested it had been taken recently. No artificial steroids were found in Chris's urine, nor was there evidence of GHB, contrary to speculation. Benoit also tested negative for blood alcohol.[36][37]
Dr. Astin
Dr. Phil Astin was the personal doctor for Chris Benoit. It's been alleged that Astin gave Benoit steroids. Astin is currently in court. Attorneys for Dr. Phil Astin have asked a judge to throw out evidence seized during a raid on Astin's office after the death of Chris Benoit and his family. Astin's attorney, Manny Arora claims that the search exceeded authority granted in a search warrant and that authorities seized patients records other than Benoit as well as three years of bank records and computers. This information comes from PWMania.com
Wikipedia controversy
A statement regarding Nancy Benoit's death was added to the Chris Benoit English Wikipedia article 14 hours before police discovered the bodies of Benoit and his family. This seemingly prescient addition was initially reported on Wikinews and later on FOXNews.com. The article originally read: “Chris Benoit was replaced by Johnny Nitro for the ECW World Championship match at Vengeance, as Benoit was not there due to personal issues, stemming from the death of his wife Nancy.” The phrase "stemming from the death of his wife Nancy" was added at 12:01 a.m. EDT on June 25,[38][39] whereas the Fayette County police reportedly discovered the bodies of the Benoit family at 2:30 p.m. EDT (14 hours, 29 minutes later). The IP address of the editor was traced to Stamford, Connecticut, which is also the location of WWE headquarters.[40] After news of the early death notice reached mainstream media, the anonymous poster accessed Wikinews to explain his edit as a "huge coincidence and nothing more."[41][42]
Police have "seized computer equipment from the person responsible for the postings," and have called the confession an "unbelievable hindrance." It has also been reported that "if the person had knowledge of the death before police discovered the body, he or she could face criminal charges."[43]
Chronic traumatic brain damage
After the double-murder suicide, Chris Benoit's father, Michael Benoit, was contacted by former wrestler Chris Nowinski. Chris Nowinski suggested that years of trauma to Chris Benoit's brain may have led to his actions. Tests were conducted on Benoit's brain by Julian Bailes, the head of neurosurgery at West Virginia University, and results showed that "Benoit's brain was so severely damaged it resembled the brain of an 85-year-old Alzheimer's patient."[44] Benoit's brain was shown to have an advanced form of dementia and was similar to the brains of four retired NFL players who have suffered multiple concussions, sank into depression and harmed themselves or others. Bailes and his colleagues concluded that repeated concussions can lead to dementia, which can contribute to severe behavioral problems. Benoit's father suggests that brain damage may have been the leading cause of Chris Benoit double murder-suicide.[45]
References
1. Canadian wrestler Chris Benoit, family found dead
2. Pro wrestler, family found dead in Fayetteville home Saeed Ahmed and Kathy Jefcoats
3. WWE Wrestler Chris Benoit, Wife and Child Found Dead
4. Officials: Wrestler Strangled Wife, Suffocated Son, Hanged Self
5. Pro Wrestling Torch: Chavo Guerrero interview on Greta van Susteren show
6. Benoit left trail of calls, online messages
7. It was also revealed that Daniel Benoit had Fragile X Syndrome which is a form of autism, which in other families has caused problems in relationships which has been reported by doctors and this could have been the case for Benoit family. Police: Benoit killed wife, son, left Bibles by their bodies
8. Chris Benoit Text Messages Released: WWE Releases Cell Messages
9. WWE Shares Internal Timeline And Details Relating to Chris Benoit Tragedy
10. Wrestler Killed Wife and Son, Then Himself Brenda Goodman
11. Monday Night RAW Recap - Chris Benoit Tribute
12. Lex Luger Talks About Chris Benoit Valerie Hoff
13. Ex-wrestler boils about WWE pressure-cooker Scott Maxwell
14. Ted Dibiase On Chris Benoit, Vince McMahon, Steroids & The WWE Ted DiBiase
15. Ted Dibiase On Dave Meltzer Claim, Chris Benoit, Steroids & The WWE Ted DiBiase
16. Benoit Tragedy Lance Storm
17. Hulk Hogan talks to ''US'' About the Killer Wrestler
18. Wrestler: Don't Blame WWE for Benoit Killings
19. Angle: Tragedy shows need to step back, take a look Brian Linder
20. Benoit Story: Chris Jericho speaks HN's Nancy Grace show, which spent 40 minutes on Benoit Wade Keller
21. Cops eye 'roid rage in wrestler's murder-suicide
22. Cops Suspect Murder-Suicide in Killings of Pro Wrestler Chris Benoit and His Family
23. Chris and Nancy Story of Benoit Murder-Suicide Irvin Muchnick
24. "Kimmel's Benoit Burn Too Hot For TV", tmz.com
25. World Wrestling Entertainment Issues Statement
26. Wrestler Chris Benoit Double Murder-Suicide: Was It 'Roid Rage'? Catherine Donaldson-Evans
27. Cops eye 'roid rage in wrestler's murder-suicide Associated Press
28. WWE Shocked At Latest Developments In Benoit Tragedy, Concerned By Sensationalistic Reporting
29. WWE downplays drug factor
30. Wrestlers allegedly tied to drug ring
31. WWE Shocked At Latest Developments In Benoit Tragedy, Concerned By Sensationalistic Reporting
32. Control issues cited instead of 'roid rage' in Benoit killings Kevin DUFFY
33. Wrestlers linked to drug doctor
34. Authorities to release toxicology results in Benoit case
35. Steroids, other drugs found in Benoit's body
36. Wrestler's slain son was probably sedated, investigators say
37. Steroid found in Benoit's body
38. Edit to Chris Benoit Wikipedia entry on June 25, 2007, 04:01 UTC
39. Wikipedia user admits Benoit posting
40. Web Time Stamps Indicate Benoit Death Reported About 14 Hours Before Police Found Bodies Blane Bachelor
41. Anonymous poster comments on Wikinews
42. User admits 'death' editing on Wikipedia 14 hours before bodies found
43. Police: Wiki Confession an 'Unbelievable Hindrance' David Schoetz
44. Benoit's Brain Showed Severe Damage From Multiple Concussions, Doctor and Dad Say
45. Brain Study: Concussions Caused Benoit's Rage
External links
★ ProWrestlingPress.com Benoit Family Tragedy Timeline
★ SLAM! Wrestling — Chris Benoit
★ NPR: Wikipedia Entry Presaged Wrestler's Wife's Death
★ Wrestling Deaths Under Age 50
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