[EmpireWF]

The Atlanta Police are as of tonight ruling it as a double murder-suicide. No gunshot wounds were discovered on any of the bodies. The autopsies will be performed tomorrow and preliminary results will be known later in the day. One news report said the authorities are not considering suspects outside of the home.

So right now, it looks as if either Chris or Nancy murdered their spouse and young son and then committed suicide. Again, that's just what it looks like as of now....without any details. If so, just complete shock and sadness.

[Lefty Noob]

Yeah, pretty clear now that it's not a publicity stunt (sad that we even had to discuss that possibility) and as Empire said, ESPN is among the places reporting that police are treating it as a double murder-suicide. The WWE cancelled last night's show and ran a bunch of old Benoit matches and tributes in its place. McMahon himself opened the show and talked about storyline vs. reality. Kind of eerie, really, to see him standing in the ring in a empty arena and talk about that kind of stuff. He looked mortified.

[Lefty Noob]

The AP has finally picked up the story, and it sounds as though Benoit murdered his wife and son before taking his own life.

"Details of the deaths 'are going to prove a little bizarre' when released to the public, Fayette County District Attorney Scott Ballard told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution... Investigators believe Benoit, (pronounced ben-WAH) killed his wife and son over the weekend and then himself sometime Monday. The bodies were found Monday afternoon in three different rooms... Ballard told The Associated Press a gun was not used in any of the deaths. But he declined to say how the three died... 'We're pretty sure we know, but we want to confirm it with the crime lab,' Ballard said early Tuesday."

Authorities await autopsies in deaths of wrestler Chris Benoit, wife, 7-year-old son - Yahoo! Sports

[EmpireWF]

This is all just plain eery. Last night WWE.com changed their front story to the report that Police ruled it a murder-homicide. This morning, word has come down that tonight's TV tapings (they tape Smackdown and ECW on Tuesday nights) will be straight forward matches, no storylines and to my understanding, brief mentions of Benoit throughout the shows.

Last night during the tributes, they had some of the wrestlers comment on Benoit. One of the more emotional ones was from Chavo Guerrero Jr. (who discovered his uncle Eddie's body less than two years ago...just imagine how tough this is for him). It has since been 'reported' that the person Benoit sent questionable text messages or a phone call to on Sunday night was Chavo.

It's all just so damn weird.

[Lefty Noob]

Originally Posted by EmpireWF

This is all just plain eery. Last night WWE.com changed their front story to the report that Police ruled it a murder-homicide. This morning, word has come down that tonight's TV tapings (they tape Smackdown and ECW on Tuesday nights) will be straight forward matches, no storylines and to my understanding, brief mentions of Benoit throughout the shows.

Last night during the tributes, they had some of the wrestlers comment on Benoit. One of the more emotional ones was from Chavo Guerrero Jr. (who discovered his uncle Eddie's body less than two years ago...just imagine how tough this is for him). It has since been 'reported' that the person Benoit sent questionable text messages or a phone call to on Sunday night was Chavo.

It's all just so damn weird.

Eerie's the perfect way to describe it. I can't imagine that too many people are going to want to work tonight with things being as they are. Something that really struck me odd was the comments by Steve Regal last night. He kept it real short, seemed like he really didn't want to talk, and said something to the degree of, "that's all I have to say about it right now." Now I can help but wonder, did he know something?

[Bette]

My husband says that he thought Benoit just wasnt wrestling the same lately. He thought he was slipping. He suggested maybe because of his age Benoit felt he couldnt quite do it anymore.

[Lefty Noob]

Originally Posted by Bette

My husband says that he thought Benoit just wasnt wrestling the same lately. He thought he was slipping. He suggested maybe because of his age Benoit felt he couldnt quite do it anymore.

Your husband's right, and he had recently been pushed off onto the #3 show, the one on SciFi Channell. Can't help but wonder if that would've set him off somehow as well. So many of the people talked yesterday about how he lived for the business. Any way you look at this, there had to be something seriously mentally wrong with the dude. Normal people don't murder their wives and children. I also have to wonder... how in the world could all of those people he worked with NOT noticed something was going on this him, and done something about it?

[EmpireWF]

Slipping he was not. He was changed to the ECW brand about two weeks ago and although on the surface it seems like a demotion, he was likely going to win the top title on the brand on Sunday night. Nobody knows what the hell happened and we may never...which is why it's tough to grasp.

Now, MSNBC, FOX and CNN are going with the story that the local authorities believe Chris strangled his wife to death on Saturday, smothered his son on Sunday and then hung himself on Monday.

[EmpireWF]

Well this little bit of info just popped up...

ATLANTA JOURNAL-CONSTITUTION REVEALS MARTIAL ISSUES BETWEEN BENOITS INCLUDING 2003 DIVORCE FILING
by Mike Johnson @ 12:50:00 PM on 6/26/2007

The Atlanta-Journal Constitution, while updating their coverage of the Benoit family tragedy, reported that Nancy Benoit filed for divorce and an order of protection in May 2003.

In the divorce petition, Nancy Benoit alleged that Chris 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. Petitioner is in reasonable fear for petitioner's own safety and that of the minor child."

A judge issued a restraining order against Benoit and barred him from entering the family home. Nancy Benoit asked the court to dismiss the petition in August of that year. The couple later reconciled, celebrating together in the ring following Benoit's WWE World championship win at Wrestlemania XX.

Autopsies in the deaths of The Benoits and their seven year old son Daniel are scheduled for today in Decatur, Georgia.

Courtesy of PWInsider

[Lefty Noob]

In the AP's latest update on the story, they add the following: "Authorities also said they are investigating whether steroids may have been a factor in the deaths of Benoit, his wife and their 7-year-old son... 'We don't know yet. That's one of the things we'll be looking at,' said Fayette County District Attorney Scott Ballard. He said test results may not be back for weeks." They're trying to blame it on roid rage, and looking at his physical development over the years, they might be on to something.

[EmpireWF]

The use of steroids in pro wrestling is no secret...but could it have had a role at all in this?

Supposedly the relationship between Chris and Nancy over the years was rocky and that AJC report about the issue in 03-04 only adds more to the case. Could he have gone through some sort of roid rage, and then realized what happened and just emotionally snapped?

We won't know what was in his system for a few weeks until the toxicology reports come out.

The basic autopsy was done this morning and a press conference will be held in about an hour or so. Whether the authorities discuss any details, who knows.

[Lefty Noob]

Guest (6/26/2007 at 1:05 PM)
They should have just cancelled the show last night instead of having that tribute, giving them some proper time to assess the situation and figure where to go from there. Instead they aired a 3-hour tribute to an alleged murdering coward. I truely hope that this is not true, but form the stories that have been floating around it looks to be true.

Whoever posted those comments at the end of this article is right - the WWE just spent three hours last night paying tribute to a murderer. Whoa.

[Nuke]

Originally Posted by Lefty Noob

Whoever posted those comments at the end of this article is right - the WWE just spent three hours last night paying tribute to a murderer. Whoa.

Mc Mahon could be paying off a lot of people and cashing in a bunch of favors in network TV and news agenices just for a hoax. I just hope Benoit wasn't in hiding to pop out for next years Wrestlemania as the Undertaker's new nemesis or some other stupid McMahon scheme. I'm still not buying it...I mean there are those who say Elvis is alive so surely McMahon would pull a stunt to get more money, people to watch his juvenille garbage and his face in the papers. It's not like morality would stop him or anything. Vince McMahon would cannabalize his own daughter and sell the footage on PPV.

[oggie oglethorpe]

Originally Posted by Nuke

Mc Mahon could be paying off a lot of people and cashing in a bunch of favors in network TV and news agenices just for a hoax. I just hope Benoit wasn't in hiding to pop out for next years Wrestlemania as the Undertaker's new nemesis or some other stupid McMahon scheme. I'm still not buying it...I mean there are those who say Elvis is alive so surely McMahon would pull a stunt to get more money, people to watch his juvenille garbage and his face in the papers. It's not like morality would stop him or anything. Vince McMahon would cannabalize his own daughter and sell the footage on PPV.

If this were just a publicity stunt, there is no chance in hell that the WWE would involve Benoits wife and child in the stunt in any way. It just so happened that this happened a couple weeks after Mcmahons stunt, a coincidence, thats all.......Either way, its a sad affair....RIP

[EmpireWF]

Guys, just chill with the storyline stuff. This is no storyline.

As for the press conference, it was held about 20 minutes ago. Of course the cable news media latched onto the bit of info that the Sheriff and DA said about steroids. They said lots of Rx medicine was found in the home as were steroids.

They don't know at this time what was in Chris Benoit's body and they won't for a few weeks, until toxicology reports come out. At that time, more info will be known.

CNN did a pretty good job in noting the tough road schedules that some wrestlers have and the pains of wrestling and what not. Of course there's the list of deceased wrestlers over the past 20 years before the age of 50...and it stretches many pages sadly.

If those tests come back and show steroids in Benoit's system, then what if anything will be the ramifications? Would government get involved at all?