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WWE superstar Chris Benoit, family found dead

Jun 25, 2007 In The News

Horrible news:

STAMFORD, Conn., June 25, 2007 – World Wrestling Entertainment was informed today by authorities in Fayette County, Ga., that WWE Superstar Chris Benoit, his wife, Nancy, and his son were found dead in their home. Authorities are investigating, but no other details are available at this time.

Benoit was scheduled to appear at WWE Vengeance last night, but did not appear due to an undisclosed “family emergency,” making this report from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution even harder to fathom:

A well-known professional wrestler and his family were found dead inside their house in Fayette County Monday afternoon.

Authorities confirmed that Chris Benoit, his wife Nancy and their 7-year-old son, Daniel, were found dead at the home on Quarters and Redwine roads in Fayetteville about 4 p.m.

Officials were investigating the deaths as a murder-suicide.

Whatever tragedy has unfolded, peace and Godspeed to the Benoit family.

UPDATE: I’m not sure which article is more up-to-date, but AP’s article has no mention of suicide:

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.

UPDATE 2: An updated AP report unveils details we didn’t want to hear:

FAYETTEVILLE, Ga. – WWE wrestler Chris Benoit, his wife, and son were found dead Monday and police said they were investigating the deaths as a murder-suicide.

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

The station said that investigators believe the 40-year-old Benoit killed his wife, Nancy, and 7-year-old son, Daniel, over the weekend, then himself on Monday. A neighbor called police, and the bodies were found in three rooms.

This entry was posted on Monday, June 25th, 2007 at 10:21 PM and is filed under In The News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.
  • dawn wrote:
    How do you explain this to the kids that look up to these people?

    ABC News has some information that may help.

    -- Pauley
  • dawn wrote:
    Yesterday watching the tribute it never even crossed my mind that the killings could be at the hands of such a famous person, a role model to so many. The Superstars who spoke were sincere and their words so heart felt.


    That's what I thought too, at first. I was watching delayed about an hour and a half via DVR, and was looking for updates online throughout. Discovering it was being investigated as a murder-suicide destroyed the last half of the tribute for me, knowing it was now a tribute to someone who'd prematurely ended the lives of his family.

    The lives of superstars always seem so surreal, so wonderful. Then you find out the real details, his wife wanted a divorce, even stated physical abuse and she has also obtained an order of protection…the warning signs were there. It goes to show you that money can not buy you happiness, any soul can be tormented. A twisted mind can fall upon anybody, no matter how many are watching.


    We can't be sure yet that it was connected to those previous events. As I mentioned in a follow-up post, the divorce and restraining order petitions were filed 4 years ago, and rescinded again within months. There isn't enough solid info to speculate yet.

    How do you explain this to the kids that look up to these people? How do you tell them somebody you have cheered for week after week, victory after victory was able to murder his own family and himself?


    That's easily the hardest part of all of this. Chris was extremely well respected inside the ring and out, and then this drills us all out of left field, with no warning. It just leaves you stunned.

    The fact of the matter is that this stuff happens daily, and hardly a thought is given to it, you hear stuff like this on the news every night and pay it no mind. It takes somebody famous for the world to listen, hopefully the world will listen. Maybe what Chris did will stick in your mind, and next time when a friend, a family member, a co-worker, or even a casual acquaintance gives you an s sign of abuse, no matter how small, you will hear it and act upon it. You could save a life.


    Here, here.

    -- Pauley
  • Carrie wrote:
    If I were WWE I would aknowledge his death and drop him from the site


    Looks like that's where they're going. They issued an apology for the tribute on ECW Tuesday night, and stated that he wouldn't be mentioned going forward. His profile has been removed from the ECW superstars page.

    -- Pauley
  • dawn
    It is hard to imagine the way the events have unfolded. Yesterday watching the tribute it never even crossed my mind that the killings could be at the hands of such a famous person, a role model to so many. The Superstars who spoke were sincere and their words so heart felt. So many looked up to this man, so many said what a kind hearted, family orientated, and all around great guy Chris was, did anybody see this coming? The lives of superstars always seem so surreal, so wonderful. Then you find out the real details, his wife wanted a divorce, even stated physical abuse and she has also obtained an order of protection…the warning signs were there. It goes to show you that money can not buy you happiness, any soul can be tormented. A twisted mind can fall upon anybody, no matter how many are watching. Now what? I find it hard in my own mind to believe these events. Keep waiting to hear this is not what happened, that there was indeed a burglar that this malicious act was at the hands of some low-life…but the reality is that this is true. How do you explain this to the kids that look up to these people? How do you tell them somebody you have cheered for week after week, victory after victory was able to murder his own family and himself? The fact of the matter is that this stuff happens daily, and hardly a thought is given to it, you hear stuff like this on the news every night and pay it no mind. It takes somebody famous for the world to listen, hopefully the world will listen. Maybe what Chris did will stick in your mind, and next time when a friend, a family member, a co-worker, or even a casual acquaintance gives you an s sign of abuse, no matter how small, you will hear it and act upon it. You could save a life.
  • Carrie
    I think it is a sadden day for a lot of people in this world. Regardless of what people may think about me, I feel like the children who watch wrestling have been let down. What type of example did he set when he did this to his family?? What human being, what child deserves to die this way?? It's one thing to take your own life for feelings of guilt, feelins of instability, but to take innocent lives for your problems is something different. I think this is sick, who was he to play god?? If I were WWE I would aknowledge his death and drop him from the site, no matter what was going on people know if they are falling apart, get help. I would not be part of this if I were WWE, but I guess it comes to it doesn't matter what I think or the next person thinks no one is going to change what happened.
  • Police now say that that he killed his wife on Saturday in the den, killed his son on Sunday in his son's bedroom, and hung himself on Monday.
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