Benoit Family Thread

[Kita K. offline]

FAYETTEVILLE, Ga. (AP) -- WWE wrestler Chris Benoit, his wife and son were found dead Monday and police said they were investigating the deaths as a homicide.

Lt. Tommy Pope of the Fayette County Sheriff's Department said the three were found at their home about 2:30 p.m., but refused to release details.

Pope said results of autopsies on Benoit, his wife Nancy, and 7-year-old son Daniel were expected Tuesday.

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

"WWE extends its sincerest thoughts and prayers to the Benoit family's relatives and loved ones in this time of tragedy," the federation said in a statement on its Web site.

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 defunct World Championship Wrestling.

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.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/m ... ml?cnn=yes

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I'm still in shock. I can't believe Chris Benoit is not with us anymore.

Benoit was, without a doubt, one of the greatest and inspirational wrestlers ever. He always took the time to sign autographs (and sometimes armwrestle) for his fans, and always gave 100% in the ring. To be honest, he was my first favorite wrestler I ever had. I have posters and action figures of his likeness. Benoit and his family did not deserve this.

It seems that we always must lose the best. Eddie Guererro, Bam Bam Bigelow, and now Chris. I am deeply saddened by this loss and will be for a long time.

That's all the speech I can muster.

R.I.P. Chris Benoit and the Benoit Family
1967-2007
1964-2007
2000-2007





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[MY85 offline]

Yeah, I'm shocked to hear that Benoit just died today. When a friend texted me to my cell about it, I thought it was a joke at first. Then, I come home and find out that it's true.

Detective Bo Turner told television station WAGA that the case was being investigated as a murder-suicide, but said that could not be confirmed until the evidence was examined by a crime lab.

WAGA reported that investigators believe Benoit killed his wife and son over the weekend, and then himself sometime Monday.

A concerned neighbor called police. The bodies were found in three different rooms.

The lead investigator, Sheriff's Lt. Tommy Pope, told The Associated Press that the deaths were being investigated as homicide, and said the cause of death awaited autopsy results on Tuesday.

Pope said the three were found about 2:30 p.m., but he would release no other details about the deaths at the house in a subdivision near White Water Country Club.

World Wrestling Entertainment said on its Web site that Benoit, 40, his wife, Nancy, and son, who was named Daniel, were found dead, but also had no other details.

It has been ruled that the deaths of Chris Benoit, his wife Nancy and their son Daniel earlier today were the result of a double murder-suicide from within the home. WWE.com will have more as soon as it becomes available.

I hope Benoit didn't murdered his wife and son and then took his life away.

Vince McMahon gains my respect for removing the death angle and speak about Benoit.

Raw today was a 3 hour-tribute to Benoit. Best way to end it was the WM20 match.

[Kita K. offline]

Yeah, I'm shocked to hear that Benoit just died today. When a friend texted me to my cell about it, I thought it was a joke at first. Then, I come home and find out that it's true.

It has been ruled that the deaths of Chris Benoit, his wife Nancy and their son Daniel earlier today were the result of a double murder-suicide from within the home. WWE.com will have more as soon as it becomes available.

I hope Benoit didn't murdered his wife and son and then took his life away.

Vince McMahon gains my respect for removing the death angle and speak about Benoit.

Raw today was a 3 hour-tribute to Benoit. Best way to end it was the WM20 match.

It just started airing half an hour ago over here, so that will be interesting.

Personally, I don't think Benoit could do something like that. I don't believe that a man who signs every fan's autograph, takes the time to give everyone who wants one a photo, who arm-wrestles a hometown fan, and who always helps the up-and-coming worker could do that.

If that turns out to be true, I'll be very disappointed.

[MY85 offline]

Let's hope for whatever is revealed in the autopsia. I am really having weird feelings with the idea of Benoit murdering his family.

I doubt anyone else on LF would bother to post on this thread, except for you, myself, Piper and probably even STI... but here's how Raw started with the first video tribute to Benoit.

WWE.com removed the testimonial videos to Benoit. Don't know why. Edge, Malenko and Chavo seemed more devastated about Benoit, for those who saw Raw recently.

[Overcaffeinated Sloth offline]

I'm not that into wrestling myself, a bit to much muscle, not enough nervous work... But I've been bored out of my mind, and saw the million repeats on the Boston news about all of this... and I've got to say it is a shame, he was a pretty handsome guy. Those clips of him hugging his son were really touching... he must have loved him a lot.

[Rail Runner offline]

I really dont think he would have done this...a family man with his actions and heart for people just wouldnt do something like that. Something isnt adding up here. When I heard about it last night, I was in shock....I just couldnt believe it....and part of me still doesnt want to believe it.

[Kita K. offline]

The worst thing is that now people are going to remember him as a murderer and nothing else, even though there isn't even any ruling set in stone yet.

I hate the media.

If you want to see what I mean, just look at all the comments on some of YouTube's Benoit tribute videos. It disgusts me.

[MY85 offline]

No motive offered by officials in deaths of Chris Benoit, wife and son
Nancy Benoit once applied for protection from 'cruel treatment' at husband's hands

Dear God, I went to sleep last night with the idea of Benoit being the murderer having high possibilities... guess it's most likely true.

Pretty much any respect I had for Benoit as a human being (he apparently seemed pretty decent) has been lost. I don't deny he was one of the best wrestlers in the industry. But who the f**k kills their wife and most of all, kills their son? I wouldn't murder my family.

[. offline]

The worst thing is that now people are going to remember him as a murderer and nothing else, even though there isn't even any ruling set in stone yet.

I hate the media.

If you want to see what I mean, just look at all the comments on some of YouTube's Benoit tribute videos. It disgusts me.

The only people that would see Benoit as a murderer, are people that weren't wrestling fans.

[Rail Runner offline]

The only other thing I can say at this point about it....they havent proven anything yet, its just speculation as of now. I will wait to see what the real evidence shows.

[MY85 offline]

Most of the news reports are indicating that Benoit did it. This is a huge blow to WWE, but after 1 month, wrestling goes back to normal and the media won't care about bashing wrestling again for a good time.


The document Nancy filed on Benoit.

More from ABC.

Investigators said they did not have a motive for the Chris Benoit family murder spree, but they did have new clues in the case and a chilling timeline of how, where and when the professional wrestler took the life of his wife and 7-year-old son.

Two days before Benoit and his family were found dead in an apparent murder-suicide, Benoit told co-workers his wife and son had food poisoning and were throwing up, according to World Wrestling Entertainment.

Nancy Benoit, Benoit's wife of seven years who had also performed with the World Wrestling champion in the ring, was in the upstairs office Friday when she was attacked, investigators said.

Scott Ballard, the Fayette County District Attorney, said that Nancy Benoit was bound at her feet and wrists.

"There was a bruise in the small in her back as if a knee was placed there," Ballard said today on "Good Morning America."

Investigators believe Benoit waited until Saturday morning to kill his 7-year-old son, Daniel, in the boy's bedroom. Ballard told ABC News the boy may have died after being put in a wrestling chokehold.

What Text Messages Said

At the crime scene, Benoit's son was found with needle marks in his arm. Law enforcement officials believe the boy was being injected with human growth hormone because he was undersize.

Ballard called the crime scene in the boy's bedroom "heartbreaking," with wrestling action figures and a toy championship belt in the room.

"There was a Bible displayed beside the body of each victim," Ballard added.

Hours later, before dawn Sunday morning, Benoit reportedly sent a string of strange text messages to co-workers and neighbors, including, "The dogs are in the enclosed pool area. Garage side door is open." Another said, "My physical address is 130 Green Meadow Lane."

"We believe that was an effort for someone to find his body before too long," Ballard said.

Monday, police found Benoit strangled to death in his basement as he hanged from weight-lifting equipment.

'Roid Rage' Still Speculation

Investigators are still searching for a motive in the deaths.

Benoit's wife filed a temporary restraining order and filed for divorce in May 2003, claiming her husband "lost his temper and threatened her." She withdrew the divorce petition in August 2003.

While there was trouble behind closed doors on the surface it appeared Benoit had it all, making more than half a million dollars a year and living in a $900,000 home.

Investigators said that prescription medication, including anabolic steroids, were found in Benoit's home.
Related Stories

Toxicology reports won't be available for weeks, so at this point there is no way to tell if steroids played a part in the deaths, investigators said.

Doctors said steroids can prompt personality changes like impatience and violent mood swings known as "roid rage."

"When people have 'roid rage,' their impulses are not restrained, so at the slightest provocation, they'll put a fist through a wall," said Dr. Gary Walder of the New York University School of Medicine.

Steroid use has cast a shadow over pro wrestling for some time. Debra Marshall , a former wrestler, said the pressure to use can be immense.

"It's a very highly competitive world and you got to look good and if you don't look good, you lose your job," Marshall said.

Source.

A new report has surfaced online that claims Chris’ son Daniel may have had Fragile X syndrome. In an article with a local news outlet Pam Winthrope said that she had contact with Chris Benoit a few years ago asking him to help raise awareness about the condition. Winthrope says she has witnesses the condition first hand and knows how it can tear families apart.

Fragile X syndrome is an inherited mental impairment. Prominent characteristics of the syndrome include an elongated face, large or protruding ears, large testicles (macroorchidism), and low muscle tone. This could very-well be the reason Daniel Benoit was injected with Human Growth Hormone.

Source.

[. offline]

Most of the news reports are indicating that Benoit did it. This is a huge blow to WWE, but after 1 month, wrestling goes back to normal and the media won't care about bashing wrestling again for a good time.


The document Nancy filed on Benoit.

More from ABC.

Investigators said they did not have a motive for the Chris Benoit family murder spree, but they did have new clues in the case and a chilling timeline of how, where and when the professional wrestler took the life of his wife and 7-year-old son.

Two days before Benoit and his family were found dead in an apparent murder-suicide, Benoit told co-workers his wife and son had food poisoning and were throwing up, according to World Wrestling Entertainment.

Nancy Benoit, Benoit's wife of seven years who had also performed with the World Wrestling champion in the ring, was in the upstairs office Friday when she was attacked, investigators said.

Scott Ballard, the Fayette County District Attorney, said that Nancy Benoit was bound at her feet and wrists.

"There was a bruise in the small in her back as if a knee was placed there," Ballard said today on "Good Morning America."

Investigators believe Benoit waited until Saturday morning to kill his 7-year-old son, Daniel, in the boy's bedroom. Ballard told ABC News the boy may have died after being put in a wrestling chokehold.

What Text Messages Said

At the crime scene, Benoit's son was found with needle marks in his arm. Law enforcement officials believe the boy was being injected with human growth hormone because he was undersize.

Ballard called the crime scene in the boy's bedroom "heartbreaking," with wrestling action figures and a toy championship belt in the room.

"There was a Bible displayed beside the body of each victim," Ballard added.

Hours later, before dawn Sunday morning, Benoit reportedly sent a string of strange text messages to co-workers and neighbors, including, "The dogs are in the enclosed pool area. Garage side door is open." Another said, "My physical address is 130 Green Meadow Lane."

"We believe that was an effort for someone to find his body before too long," Ballard said.

Monday, police found Benoit strangled to death in his basement as he hanged from weight-lifting equipment.

'Roid Rage' Still Speculation

Investigators are still searching for a motive in the deaths.

Benoit's wife filed a temporary restraining order and filed for divorce in May 2003, claiming her husband "lost his temper and threatened her." She withdrew the divorce petition in August 2003.

While there was trouble behind closed doors on the surface it appeared Benoit had it all, making more than half a million dollars a year and living in a $900,000 home.

Investigators said that prescription medication, including anabolic steroids, were found in Benoit's home.
Related Stories

Toxicology reports won't be available for weeks, so at this point there is no way to tell if steroids played a part in the deaths, investigators said.

Doctors said steroids can prompt personality changes like impatience and violent mood swings known as "roid rage."

"When people have 'roid rage,' their impulses are not restrained, so at the slightest provocation, they'll put a fist through a wall," said Dr. Gary Walder of the New York University School of Medicine.

Steroid use has cast a shadow over pro wrestling for some time. Debra Marshall , a former wrestler, said the pressure to use can be immense.

"It's a very highly competitive world and you got to look good and if you don't look good, you lose your job," Marshall said.

Source.

A new report has surfaced online that claims Chris’ son Daniel may have had Fragile X syndrome. In an article with a local news outlet Pam Winthrope said that she had contact with Chris Benoit a few years ago asking him to help raise awareness about the condition. Winthrope says she has witnesses the condition first hand and knows how it can tear families apart.

Fragile X syndrome is an inherited mental impairment. Prominent characteristics of the syndrome include an elongated face, large or protruding ears, large testicles (macroorchidism), and low muscle tone. This could very-well be the reason Daniel Benoit was injected with Human Growth Hormone.

Source.

I doubt it. This is the new paris hilton crap. the new scott peterson.

bah the whole thing is sickening

[Stephen (x1)]

This gets weirder...

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,287194,00.html

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

[Gauntlet offline]

Hmm...

Didn't Benoit's son, Danny, have autism? Probably the stress of the whole situation got to him, amongst other things.

However, De mortuis nihil nisi bonum - Of the dead, say nothing but good. I don't respect or defend this guy's decision to murder his family, especially his own child, but people, fans or otherwise, still need to show some respect to him (not directed to anyone in particular here).

I hope they can find some peace.

[Malkmusian offline]

Godspeed, Benoit and Guererro. We'll miss you fight people.

[MY85 offline]

Got an update. From Wrestling Observer. It gets pretty hard to read, but detailed on how messed up Benoit was.

-Chris became extremely paranoid after Johnny Grunge died. Johnny was a friend to both Nancy and Chris, and would often help diffuse situations between the two. Privately, he had a hard time dealing with working for the WWE during the Eddie sh*t, but at the same time he had no intention of leaving. Dave asked him at the time if he was going to TNA, and Chris became very paranoid, thinking that Dave had some kind of info.

-Chris took deaths harder than most.

-Benoit absoutely refused to go to Grunge's funeral. This is when he said he hated religion and would never enter a church again. He became increasingly paranoid, believing him and his family were being stalked. He would not let Nancy leave after 6 Pm, and wouldn't let Daniel or his other kids play outside.

-Around the same time, Nancy put a note in a safebox. The note said that if anything happened to her, it was Chris. The two had apparently separated recently. Dave had received a change of address label from Benoit recently. The reason given on the Observer site today, however, is that Chris had become paranoid enough to pay for an apartment just to have his mail go there.

-The marriage was so volitaile that few who knew them at home were not nearly so shocked it ended in tragedy, calling it a "tragedy waiting to happen." The one thing that no one could fathom was Chris killing Daniel.

-According to sources, including the DA and investigators in the Sheriffs office, the theory is that Nancy told Chris she was leaving for good and taking Daniel with her.

-Shane Helms said that Benoit called him on Thursday, as he had every week since Helms was injured, to check on him. Other wrestlers state that they did the same. Another WWE employee noted that they had been in contact with Nancy on Thursday, and she was distraught over the passing of Sherri, who was a close friend to Nancy.

-On thursday, Nancy called a friend, who also knew Chris well, and said she was scared to death, and also reiterated that if anything happened to her, look at Chris.

-The friend told Nancy to get out of the house immediately and hide out in an apartment, which the friend claims she has done in the past. The friend confided in another former wrestler and close friend who told her to tell Nancy to take Daniel to Nancy's parents in Florida. But for whatever reason, as scared as the friend says she was on the phone, she didn't leave.

-Nancy told her friend in what was one of her last conversations that Chris' drug usage, which she claimed escalated after Eddie's death, was awful lately and he was even more paranoid. Chris and Nancy had problems lately, and Chris had set up a bank account in Canada in the name of his ex-wife, and had taken out a new insurance policy that named his ex-wife and the kids they had together has the beneficiaries. When Nancy found out, she demanded that her and Daniel be added, and he refused. He was also paranoid about money. While it was assumed he had a WWE job for life, he told Nancy he felt as though he had been in the same territory for too long, but there was no place to go. He was also paranoid that moving to ECW meant a paycut.

-Nancy claimed that the paranoia about losing his job led to Chris raising the amount of drugs he had been taken and mixing, claiming that he had increased his steroid use, pain killer, anti depressants and high blood pressure drugs.

-Also Thursday, Nancy went to see Dr. Astin to ask how she would be able to raise Daniel on her own. She also had her own issue from a neck surgery that didn't go too well.

There is then some stuff about Benoit and wrestling, being a serious individual in the business and everything.

-Benoit saw the Dr. on Friday, and got a prescription for zoloft, another anti-depressant. The Dr said that he didn't notice anything strange about Benoit.

-Police believe that Benoit killed Nancy on Friday after an argument. There were signs of a physical struggle.

Here is where it is going to get hard to read. The descriptions here are awful to say the least.

-They believe Benoit overpowered her, bound her hands and feet, shoved her on the floor, grabbed a cable TV wire, stuck his knee in her back, wrapped the wire around her neck, and pulled up. Because they found blood under her face, they believe he smashed her face into the floor AFTER she died.

-They believe on Saturday morning, Benoit went into his sons room and strangled him to death. The belief is Benoit put his son in something approximating the crippler crossface, and killed him using his wrestling finishing hold.

-A choke hold was used to strangle the boy rather than hands, because there was no bruising consistent with using the hands.

-The police investigators were perplexed by the nature of the bruising on Daniel, until one of them watched footage of a Benoit match, saw him using the move, and in looking closely, realized the bruising patterns on Daniel matched the application of the hold. Police weren't sure if Benoit waited until his son was asleep to kill him, with the idea in doing so, he wouldn't suffer as much. That is the only explanation in waiting so long.

-There was bruising consistent with the crossface on one arm and his face. There were no bruises on his neck. The police don't believe, because of the sign difference, that the hold was applied exactly has it would be in a wrestling ring. Benoit would have been in more of a kneeling position, sort of straddling Daniel was using one leg to pull back on his arm. The reason they aren't publicizing this is because it is already enough of a circus.

We then get all the info about contacting WWE and the stuff we know about the text messages.

-Benoit used the lat pull down machine in his gym, took off the bar, put a cloth around his neck, and then tied the steel cord around his neck. He stuck a pin in a heavy amount of weight, far more than his body weight, and somehow or other, used his arms and the jumping of his body weight down to pull more than his weight down to where he hooked his legs around a heavy dumbbell. He then likely spread his legs and, without the weight of the dumbbell, the heavy stack of weight flew down, and the b*stard died.

[Rail Runner offline]

*shudders* That is just horrible...his poor wife and son...

[ambitiouslove offline]

This has become quite a horrible event
Personally, I think this should now be the "Benoit Family Memorial Thread"

[Rail Runner offline]

I agree...it seems like people are focusing more on Benoit, then the whole family...its funny how even in tragedy...fame can make you the center of everything.

I just hope that they died a quick death and didnt suffer too badly...its hard to fathom that.

[ambitiouslove offline]

-Here is where it is going to get hard to read. The descriptions here are awful to say the least.

-They believe Benoit overpowered her, bound her hands and feet, shoved her on the floor, grabbed a cable TV wire, stuck his knee in her back, wrapped the wire around her neck, and pulled up. Because they found blood under her face, they believe he smashed her face into the floor AFTER she died.

-They believe on Saturday morning, Benoit went into his sons room and strangled him to death. The belief is Benoit put his son in something approximating the crippler crossface, and killed him using his wrestling finishing hold.

-A choke hold was used to strangle the boy rather than hands, because there was no bruising consistent with using the hands.

Highway Runner, doesn't seem like their deaths were quick and painless

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Well, personally.... When I read the story, and absolutely NO OFFENSE to any of Benoit's fans, but I feel no sadness for Benoit himself. I feel more grief for his wife and son. Hopefully the family's friends and family are getting through this, and that the media won't drag this story on (like they do everything else).

[Rail Runner offline]

I know....its just hard to deal with. Being killed by someone you look up to for protection and love.

[. offline]

Can we please... just either change the name or lock this? He doesn't deserve a memorium I'm saddened to say.

[MY85 offline]

I propose a name change. Call it "The Chris Benoit Case" at least. I'm trying not to care that much about Benoit, but everything's most likely linking him as the murderer.

Why should this topic be locked at all? I've seen worse stuff debated on LF. The Benoit thread is one of the few threads I might feel a little bit able to post information or talk stuff about it.

[. offline]

I propose a name change. Call it "The Chris Benoit Case" at least. I'm trying not to care that much about Benoit, but everything's most likely linking him as the murderer.

Why should this topic be locked at all? I've seen worse stuff debated on LF. The Benoit thread is one of the few threads I might feel a little bit able to post information or talk stuff about it.

It's just hard to deal with ya know? It's hard watching a guy on TV for the past 7 years or so of your life only to lose him... and find out he wasn't a much of a hero in the end.

[MY85 offline]

Click.

Johnny Angel thinks Kevin Sullivan murdered Benoit. For those who don't know about Sullivan, he was Nancy's ex while he, her and Benoit wrestled on WCW. From what I remember, a storyline revolving the three would eventually lead to Benoit marrying Nancy in real life rather than just being a storyline.


I still think Benoit got rid of his family, despite what Angel says.