WWE Wrestler Chris Benoit, Wife, Son Found Dead in Atlanta Home

Double-murder, Suicide Likely

By Superdork, published Jun 26, 2007
Published Content: 48  Total Views: 56,193  Favorited By: 39 CPs
Rating: 4.3 of 5
Three bodies were found Monday in a suburban Atlanta home, later identified as professional wrestler Chris Benoit, 40, wife Nancy, 43 and son Daniel, 7, according to WWE.

Benoit was scheduled to wrestle at the Sunday night pay-per-view event Vengeance, but cancelled at the last minute citing a family emergency. There were reports that the family members had been ill in the days preceeding the deaths, even vomiting blood.

Manner of death has not been released, though authorities say that the instrument of death was present at the scene and collected. They have only stated that a gun was not used in the crime regarding said instrument.

"The details, when they come out, are going to prove a little bizarre," Fayette County D.A. Scott Ballard told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

Police believe that Benoit killed his wife and son sometime over the weekend, then killed himself on Monday. While they are investigating the incident as a double-murder suicide, and not seeking any suspects outside the home, they say that evidence from the scene is being analyzed to confirm that this is in fact the case.

Those who knew Benoit find this scenario extremely hard to believe.

Autopsies are scheduled for Tuesday at the Georgia Bureau of Investigation Crime Lab in DeKalb County.

World Wrestling Entertainment issued a statement on its website that it had contacted authorities and requested that the family be checked on at their home on Green Meadow Lane in Fayetteville, Georgia. This after friends of Benoit's within the company received "curious" text messages from the wrestler sent early Sunday morning.

The company also stated that it knows more information about the family's deaths, but have been asked by investigators to not release anymore details until the completion of their investigation.

Chris Benoit has two other children from a previous relationship who were not living in the home.

Chris Benoit

Credit: WWE

Copyright: AP

Comments
Showing Comments 1 - 12 of 12
 
 
When I tuned in on that Monday and noticed the programming had changed, I was sincerely shocked. I think that shock just keeps echoing. Great reporting on it.

Posted on 07/15/2007 at 9:07:00 PM

 
Great reporting about a tragic event.

Posted on 07/10/2007 at 1:07:00 PM

 
I know what you mean, Zac. The latter details of the crime or too much for me. And Laura--at the time they did the tribute, they didn't know the horrible details about what Benoit had done to his family. Once they came in, they removed all tribute stuff about him from their website, and will not mention his name again during any future programming. That was the right thing to do, as sad as it is. He was a future hall-of-famer. Tragic on so many levels.

Posted on 06/27/2007 at 6:06:00 PM

 
i have no words for this. im trying to write an article about this now and i simply cannot do it. not yet, at least. what a tragedy of the most horrific nature.

Posted on 06/27/2007 at 6:06:00 PM

 
Great article, but the fact that WWE gave a tribute to an abuser and killer makes me ill.

Posted on 06/27/2007 at 3:06:00 PM

 
=/

Posted on 06/27/2007 at 12:06:00 PM

 
How awful.

Posted on 06/26/2007 at 9:06:00 PM

 
Vince keeps these guys loaded up on pain meds and roids- they are walking time bombs. Hopefully after this tragic event, they will investigate the WWE and the doctors on Vince's payroll

Posted on 06/26/2007 at 5:06:00 PM

 
I didn't know anything about wrestling but heard some New Jersey radio hosts going on about it when I was coming home from work. Thanks for posting this and filling in the details, as much as you could with such sketchy reports. Good job!

Posted on 06/26/2007 at 5:06:00 PM

 
benoit was one of the most simplistic, pure wrestlers wwe.com just put out a statement saying that they don't agree with the fact that it was roid rage as many news outlets were reporting I am a big wrestling fan and so is my family

Posted on 06/26/2007 at 4:06:00 PM

 
Yes, absolutely. And the details revealed in the many hours since I wrote this article are just more disturbing. :(

Posted on 06/26/2007 at 4:06:00 PM

 
This is absolutely crazy. I've always been a wrestling fan and Benoit was one of my favorites. This is such a tragedy

Posted on 06/26/2007 at 3:06:00 PM

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