Wrestler Chris Benoit Kills Wife and Son, then Himself
Uncategorized June 26th. 2007, 1:00pm
Chris Benoit, one of the brightest stars in the WWE constellation, died Monday. His wife and seven-year-old son are dead, too. The cops are calling it a murder-suicide and details are still emerging. The most recent rumor we were emailed (we haven’t confirmed this anywhere) is that Benoit strangled his wife and son and then hung hanged himself.
WAGA-TV reported investigators believe the 40-year-old Benoit killed his wife, Nancy, and 7-year-old son, Daniel, over the weekend, then himself on Monday. The bodies were found in three rooms.
World Wrestling Entertainment said on its Web site that it asked authorities to check on Benoit and his family after being alerted by friends who received “several curious text messages sent by Benoit early Sunday morning.”
New details say that instruments of death were found at the scene. There is some speculation as to whether or not this was ‘roid rage gone horribly gone wrong, but toxicology reports won’t be known for a few weeks.
We’re going to skip the snark and commentary and direct you to this depressing list of wrestler deaths since 1985.
Pro wrestler, family found dead in Fayetteville home (AJC)
Benoit’s death part of a double murder-suicide (WWE)
46 Responses to “Wrestler Chris Benoit Kills Wife and Son, then Himself”
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June 26th, 2007 at 1:07 PM
Gotta be the ‘roids. It’s a shame. Though his family benefited from his fame etc., they didn’t deserve this fate as a result.
June 26th, 2007 at 1:08 PM
It’s Chris Benoit. You could have cut and pasted that too.
June 26th, 2007 at 1:13 PM
this is crazy…what’s up with wrestlers?
June 26th, 2007 at 1:13 PM
CHRIS Benoit.
Wow, you really fucked this one up. Are you guys allergic to Canada?
June 26th, 2007 at 1:17 PM
Or maybe it’s Benoit Benjamin.
June 26th, 2007 at 1:18 PM
I’d be happier if it was David Benoit…his “jazz” sucks
June 26th, 2007 at 1:26 PM
Wow, I never knew how many wrestlers I grew up watching passed away so early. If that’s not an indictment of what Professional Wrestling does, I don’t know what is. Also, did you see the three brothers in pro wrestling that all died on that list? The von Erich family.
June 26th, 2007 at 1:30 PM
actually, it’s “hanged,” too, not “hung”.
June 26th, 2007 at 1:31 PM
Superbus – You’re not kidding.
June 26th, 2007 at 1:33 PM
I didn’t realize how many of these cats I grew up watching on Saturday Morning Superstars had died.
And I thought the worst thing to come out of pro wrestling was Randy “The Macho Man” Savage’s hip-hop album.
June 26th, 2007 at 1:37 PM
Although wrestling is fake, I think Mitchell needs to stop looking at Barry and Jason and focus on these guys. I mean these people actually died (majority from steroids)
June 26th, 2007 at 1:48 PM
Miss Elizabeth is dead? I used to whack it to her.
The list of dead wrestlers is just nuts.
However, the Iron Sheik is still alive and well. He just did a great interview on Scottie Ferrall’s Sirius show.
June 26th, 2007 at 1:52 PM
That is powerfully f’ed up.
June 26th, 2007 at 1:52 PM
I have no use for “pro” wrestling but, as a father, this saddens me tremendously. Chris should have done the honorable thing and just thrown himself in front of an effing bus. Douche.
June 26th, 2007 at 2:00 PM
That Iron Shiek intv was HILARIOUS. I’m looking for audio. Also … did you hear Artie’s impression during the Savannah interview? Too funny.
June 26th, 2007 at 2:01 PM
Roid Rage? Another asshole killing his family instead of just himself.
June 26th, 2007 at 2:06 PM
Pro wrestling experts agree it was the best technical murder-suicide in the history of the WWE.
Too soon?
June 26th, 2007 at 2:09 PM
The guy seemed very nutso to being with. Normal people don’t jump 15 feet into the air and land on their head. Maybe that contributed to his mental problems.
Normal people don’t get into wrestling.
Who knew that being a coal miner in the early 1900’s or an underwater demolition expert would be a safer job than a pro wrassler.
June 26th, 2007 at 2:11 PM
the worst thing about this is that I guess they are doing this stupid storyline where vince mcmahon killed himself. So when wrestling fans heard this news they probably didn’t even beleive it really happend
June 26th, 2007 at 2:20 PM
New twist to the story…..
The rumor now is that Benoit left a PPV for a family emergency….went home and found his wife had killed his kid. He then killed her, and himself.
The kid was strangled with a garbage bag…..the wife an alarm clock….and Benoit with a noose.
Good lord, that’s out of a movie.
June 26th, 2007 at 2:21 PM
Dude it’s crazy, all the wrestlers I grew up watching are now dropping like flies.
June 26th, 2007 at 2:28 PM
I know wrestling is fake. I’ve been an avid fan for 20 years. Please don’t disrespect the sport and family members by making assumptions. Whether you like wrestling or not, death is not a joking matter. It doesn’t matter who it is.
June 26th, 2007 at 2:31 PM
This calls to mind OJ Simpson and Kobe Bryant for me, with the whole “You think you know someone” deal, or at least, “You think you’d like to pretend you know someone because you see them on TV a lot”.
Anyway, I watched a ton of wrestling as a kid, and it never completely went away for me, because Benoit was one of those guys that had me watching. He was so ridiculously good at what he did, that no matter how silly and intelligence-insulting pro wrestling could be, he always stood out as someone that commanded attention and respect.
June 26th, 2007 at 2:53 PM
Assuming the rumor of Benoit’s wife Nancy killing their son is accurate, imagine being in Benoit’s shoes coming home to that and flipping out…I’m saying killing his wife is the way to go(because it’s not), but I have a feeling a lot of “normal/sane” people would have gone off the deep end in that situation.
Years ago I actually saw Benoit at a bar at Disney’s Pleasure Island…as a wrestling fan, it was pretty cool to just se a guy hanging out doing shots with his pals, no VIP or crap like that, just being one of the boys…I’ll try to remember my good memories of that…but most importantly, I just hope the facts when released are right.
June 26th, 2007 at 2:55 PM
I heard Artie’s Iron Shiek impression, I’m sure he’ll bust that out at least once a show for the rest of the week! Best part of that interview was when he started crying about his old manager… classic! I’m not sure how true this is, but isn’t the Iron Shiek really a Greek dude?
June 26th, 2007 at 3:05 PM
Who knew he would take the murder of Vince McMahon so hard?
June 26th, 2007 at 3:06 PM
Too Soon?
June 26th, 2007 at 3:08 PM
Where did you hear that rumor AA?
June 26th, 2007 at 3:12 PM
I admit, I’m one of those who thought it was another story line until I saw that his wife and son were dead, too. Maybe now, that asshole McMahon will come out from underneath his rock long enough to end that insipid “is he or isn’t he dead?” script.
Oh, and Glassyarddog; yes, she is dead, and was living with Lex Luger at the time. Her death was ruled accidental, despite thev fact that Luger was busted shortly afterward on 14 drug charges, 13 of them felonies, but was eventually fined just $1000 and sentenced to five years probation.
June 26th, 2007 at 3:26 PM
The Iron Sheik is actually Iranian and was a body guard for the Shah. And another sad note was that his daughter was killed by her boyfriend:
http://www.wsbtv.com/news/2182493/detail.html
June 26th, 2007 at 3:35 PM
This is the biggest fall from grace a wrestler has had since Owen Hart.
June 26th, 2007 at 4:29 PM
Thanks for the Miss Elizabeth info, Bruce. Was the Lex Lugar part real or a storyline, though? Was she really with Lex?
And Artie rules as the Iron Sheik. I almost crashed my car listening to the Iron Sheik bits.
June 26th, 2007 at 5:13 PM
I guess this completes Benoit’s heel turn.
June 26th, 2007 at 5:58 PM
This was an unspeakably tragic situation-defies words.
June 26th, 2007 at 7:14 PM
Sad, sad, sad news. Benoit was one of the best. Never had a bad match and made other wrestlers look better than they were. I don’t know what happened. I hope that the rest of his family will be able to cope and recover from this tragedy.
To those that want to talk about steroids being a problem in pro wrestling, its not just steroids. We need to talk about pain killers and cocaine as well. A lot of the folks on that list died not through steroids, but through addiction to painkillers, GHB, cocaine, etc.
June 26th, 2007 at 7:15 PM
Sad, sad, sad news. Benoit was one of the best. Never had a bad match and made other wrestlers look better than they were. I don’t know what happened. I hope that the rest of his family will be able to cope and recover from this tragedy.
To those that want to talk about steroids being a problem in pro wrestling, its not just steroids. We need to talk about pain killers and cocaine as well. A lot of the folks on that list died not through steroids, but through addiction to painkillers, GHB, cocaine, etc.
June 26th, 2007 at 10:38 PM
There is no truth to the rumor that it was a Crippler Crossface gone bad.
June 27th, 2007 at 2:51 AM
Wait a minute…WWE wrestlers take steroids? Not sure what to think now. Tough hit for wrestling. Such an intriguing sport. Where else can a sports top star shoot up on roids or whatever else he was taking, strangle his wife, smother his kid and the go Saddam Hussein on himself. I’m sure Mcmahon will say the show must go on like he did the night Owen Hart did his Peter Pan impersonation.
June 28th, 2007 at 1:00 AM
chris benoit was a good man, a great wrestler/entertainer/athlete and will be missed by many. steroids change people, chris was a fairly short man in a land of giant at about 5”9/5”10 somewhere in that range compared to the other contenders he didn’t pack on weight which is the whole reason for using growth hormones, on top of drugs, size, and regular walks of life there you go, then there is entertainment 365 days a year,on the road, away from family, working out, and his life was based on respect, maybe he wasn’t getting respect he thought he deserve, there is alot more to wrestling than basketball, or football, no off days, no holidays,i am not making excuses or saying it’s right, i saying it wasn’t him it was stress, drugs, and a whole lot more you will never know about a little big man which is what he was and what i am. he was human like everybody else, roid rage is not able to be stopped once started until the fuel burns out he was one of the greatest athletes ever, so don’t dare compare to kobe/oj they knew what they where doing and could stop they werent fighting the hulk inside bless benoit his wife and son what a great wrestler we lost possibly the greatest, he will forever be missed and his wife and little daniel too rip. ps this isn’t the wrestler we have lost to drugs.
June 28th, 2007 at 1:13 AM
although wrestling is somewhat laid out for what is to happen the ring floor is still plywood, the slams are not fake, and the stamina is unreal,so show some respect, they offer their bodies to your amusement, and mistakes and injuries are real people, just ask sycho sid, and the torture the hulk is going through, he has dr. scripts, surgery, and supplement medicines just to help him stand straight.
June 28th, 2007 at 1:20 AM
not all of them take steroids just the ones that die young. and it is ironic that the character vince mc was to die on the show,when in reality it was a fellow coworker, maybe a little karma. if benoit only knew what would happen in the end i don’t think he would have used, from the way all the stars talked he was a friend, and family man. his son went to all the shows and probably wanted to follow his dads footsteps i just don’t understand the power of pressure from person to person.rip benoits.
June 28th, 2007 at 12:24 PM
DEAR LINDAMCMAHON CHRIS BENOIT WAS A GREAT WRESTLER AND HE ALWAYS WIN MATCH AND HE WAS GREAT CHAMPION AND HE WILL THE WORLD H. CHAMPION TO ME .THANK YOU BIGMIKEGILL57@YAHOO.COM
June 28th, 2007 at 4:31 PM
HEY, Is it possible to think out side the box and for one mintue and to think that Chris Benoit might have been framed for the murders of his wife and son and may have even been mudrered himself. I mean have the cops even did a finger print check on the two bibles to see if some one else’s prints may have been on themor in other places in the house. And those emails Chris sent to those people, does anyone think they might have been a call for help, that maybe someone was there and he was sending those email to get the attention of his friends for help. I mean how can a man like Benoit who was so respected and have so many in and out of the wrestling business say how he was a geat friend, husband and father and do as much as he did to help others wrestler and the business he was in and then in a matter of mintues go so far off character, I mean if he had been a trouble maker over the years then maybe, but to tell you the truth I think that Chris Benoit was framed and that someone or maybe several people had it out for him and killed him and his whole family then blamed it on Chris, I mean think about it, all of this was just to well planned out and Chris was just not that typed of person to be a monster and become that evil. He was about to become the ECW Champion. What happen was just a little to convnient. I think that the police need to do some more checking at where the crime’s took place. One last thing do any of you remeber wrestler by the name of Lynn Rossee who after winning a big match was ran off the road by two westler and was messed up so bad that it ruin any chance he had of wrestling again, well why is it so hard to believe that something like that could have happen to Chris!!??
Big D
June 28th, 2007 at 8:28 PM
OJ Didn’t do it Robert Blake didn’t do it also and Rodney King was the Nicest guy in the world
I’m sorry to say Chris the last few months was going through hell, Just watching him on tv you could see a change he was going through He wasn’t the same, he had evil in his eyes and to me it looked like he was going flip at any time he had a dark presents around him
July 1st, 2007 at 7:35 AM
Im afraid theres not enough evidence to say whether it was roids , or something in Chris’ family life that caused such a tragic end . However it is in my experience dealing with the wrestling world that these guys can be the most underhanded breed in the entertainment business. Which is what it is entertainment . Remember when you see a guy goin evil, or good its just entertainment , they can make you look how your scripted to. We need to keep our eyes and ears on the information released after the investigation is over, be it outside murderers or within the family itself. We can’t blame anything till the truth is released. It’s time to take a serious look into the minds of America when we start believing scripts are real.
July 29th, 2007 at 5:07 PM
You know, I’ve been following the story, logically considering the different outcomes and I’m really good at figuring this stuff out. If you check Wikipedia out, the latest conclusion was there was no GBH present to suggest Roid Rage, but there was Xanax present in his body as well as the wife and kid.
Ummm…. Any body paying attention out there? He was framed. I mean not in the simple, stupid easy way either. …To the point that I’m really questioning whether Eddy G was a heart failure or a murder as well. Benoit’s look in the last months could have very well been the fact that he was going against someone exceptionally powerful and he knew he was in trouble. Unlike the movies, when the hero has the dirt and gets it to the authorities before he’s framed, this is a bit more gloomy.
Now, ask yourself… If you were the mafia or someone big and powerful and you wanted to make a point to people who might challenge you so that they would be too scared to ever do such a thing again, how would you do a person in? What could be more horable than death or murdering a family? I’ll tell you what, you’re seeing it! It’s one thing to kill a person, it’s another thing to kill their family, it’s eternal damnation to frame them, kill them, kill their family, and forever wreck their name for the history books, taking them from a hero to Hitler.
Ya, this is too perfect to be a suicide. Way, way to perfect. Hoffa’ wasn’t this perfect. I bet there’s some evidence if the police looked hard enough, like the no GBH and the Xanax. I’m betting a little bit more and they could find the boss man making the point. I bet others probably got the message from the boss man and knows who it is… Anyone brave enough to change the history books back?