"This is a terrible tragedy and an unbearable loss."
So proclaims World Wrestling Entertainment after one of its marquee superstars,Chris Benoit, apparently killed his wife and seven-year-old son in their Georgia home over the weekend before taking his own life.
At a press conference Tuesday, officials with the Fayetteville County Sheriff's Department said that based on the autopsies and evidence found at the scene, Benoit strangled his wife, Nancy, Friday night in a home office and then smothered his son, Daniel, early Saturday morning in the child's bedroom.
According to the WWE, Benoit sent five text messages to some of his co-workers between 3:51 a.m. and 3:58 a.m. Saturday.
Messages one, three and four read, "My physical address is 130 Green Meadow Lane, Fayetteville, Georgia. 30215."
Message five just gave his address, and message two read, "The dogs are in the enclosed pool area. Garage side door is open."
Sometime between then and early Monday, he went down to his basement weight room and hanged himself using a pulley cord from one of his workout machines.
Based on the text message and worried about Benoit's welfare after he failed to show up for a wrestling event in Beaumont, Texas, Saturday and WWE's "Vengeance: Night of Champions" in Houston on Sunday, one of Benoit's friends alerted the WWE, which in turn contacted the authorities in Fayetteville.
Investigators initially had difficulty entering the home; the perimeter was guarded by two German shepherds. But by Monday afternoon, officers had discovered the three bodies.
The cause of death for all three was asphyxiation.
The sheriff said there are no other suspects and Benoit did not leave a suicide note.
Detectives found several legally obtained prescription drugs, including anabolic steroids. Investigators say it will take up to two weeks to determine what drugs Benoit had in his system. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation's crime lab is conducting a battery of tests, including toxicology.
"WWE was stunned and saddened by the details released today by local authorities and is continuing to monitor the investigation," the organization said in an additional statement released Tuesday evening.
Although medical studies have linked steroid use to behavioral changes, including overly aggressive mood swings, paranoia, depression and angry outbursts—commonly known as "'roid rage"—the WWE had earlier cautioned against any rush to judgment.
"There is no current evidence that Benoit even had steroids or any other substance in his body," the organization said in a lengthy statement attempting to quell "sensationalistic reporting and speculation."
"On the last test done on Benoit by WWE's independently administered drug-testing program, done on April 10, 2007, Benoit tested negative.
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The statement continued, "The physical findings announced by authorities indicate deliberation, not rage."
Fayette County District Attorney Scott Ballard told reporters he was flummoxed by the murders and Benoit's subsequent suicide.
"In a community like this, it's bizarre just to have a murder-suicide and certainly [one] involving the death of a seven-year-old child," the prosecutor said.
Even stranger, Ballard noted that Benoit placed Bibles by the bodies of his deceased wife and son. Investigators also found 43-year-old Nancy Benoit wrapped in a towel, both her feet and wrists bound and blood under her head.
According to court records obtained by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, the couple had suffered through a period of marital strife capped by Nancy Benoit filing for divorce in 2003. Per the petition, she sought permanent custody of Daniel and child support. She also obtained a restraining order against her 5-foot-10, 220-pound husband.
"[Benoit] lost his temper and threatened to strike the petitioner and cause extensive damage to the home and personal belongings of the parties, including furniture and furnishings," the petition stated. "Petitioner is in reasonable fear for petitioner's own safety and that of the minor child."
Three months later, however, she had the divorce papers and protective order dismissed, and the couple reconciled.
Benoit, otherwise known as the "Canadian Crippler" because he hailed from Montreal, met Nancy Daus, a wrestling manager who went by the stage name "Woman," in 1997 during a stint with the now defunct World Championship Wrestling organization.
After Daus' then husband hatched a romantic storyline for her and Benoit in the ring, the two reportedly became romantically involved. Daus divorced her husband and married Benoit in 2000.
The murder-suicide has stunned pro wrestling fans. The WWE's Website and fanboards have been deluged with messages about one of the company's premiere athletes, who won the WWE's world heavyweight championship in 2004.
Many fans also called on the WWE to ditch the "Vince Is Dead" plot. The whodunit storyline focuses on the supposed demise of WWE mastermind Vince McMahon and has been dominating the organization's Monday-night program, Raw.
While the WWE did not address the McMahon angle, the organization did cancel Monday night's three-hour live Raw broadcast on USA Network, replacing it with a tribute to Benoit's life and career.
"Chris was beloved among his fellow superstars and was a favorite among WWE fans for his unbelievable athleticism and wrestling ability," the WWE said in a statement. "He always took great pride in his performance, and always showed respect for the business he loved, for his peers and toward his fans."
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