The Case of Chris Benoit
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See that video? That's a real badass MFer right there. Chris Benoit
was one of the best was The Best Technical Wrestler in the entire world. I emphasize "technical" because Chris Benoit was able to boil the sport down to a science. He wrestled in Canada, America, Japan, and a few other places and no matter where he went he was the best! He acquired titles all over the world and he and Chris Jericho made history when they defeated Stone Cold Steve Austin and Triple H, the most dominate and short-lived tagteam in the history of the business. Although Pimpd might have to check me on that one. Chris Benoit was a real badass.
Until..., he went and killed his entire family and himself.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chris_benoit
On June 25, 2007, police entered Benoit's home on a "welfare check" after several missed appointments, leading to concerns.
[100] The officers discovered the bodies of Benoit, his wife
Nancy, and their 7-year-old son Daniel at around 2:30 p.m.
EDT.
[101] Upon investigating, no additional suspects were sought by authorities.
[102] It was determined that Benoit had committed the murders.
[103]
Over a three day period, Benoit had killed his wife and son before he hanged himself.
[15][16] His wife was bound before the killing. Benoit's son was drugged and likely unconscious before Benoit strangled him.
[104] Benoit then committed suicide with a weight machine.
[103]
WWE canceled the scheduled three hour long live
Raw show on June 25, and replaced the broadcast version with a tribute to his life and career, featuring his past matches, segments from the
Hard Knocks: The Chris Benoit Story DVD, and comments from wrestlers and announcers.
[105] However, once the details of the murder–suicide became apparent, WWE quickly and quietly began distancing itself from the wrestler by removing merchandise and no longer mentioning him. The June 26 episode of
ECW began with
Vince McMahon addressing the television audience about the circumstances and announcing that there would be no mention of Benoit that night other than his comments. There was no mention of Benoit at all the following Friday on
Smackdown.
Toxicology reports released on July 17, 2007 revealed that at their time of death, Nancy had three different drugs in her system:
Xanax,
hydrocodone, and
hydromorphone, all of which were found at the therapeutic rather than toxic levels. Daniel was found to have Xanax in his system, which led the chief medical examiner to believe that he was sedated before he was murdered. Benoit was found to have Xanax, hydrocodone, and an elevated level of
testosterone, caused by a synthetic form of the hormone, in his system. The chief medical examiner attributed the testosterone level to Benoit possibly being treated for a deficiency caused by previous
steroid abuse or testicular insufficiency. There was no indication that anything in Benoit's body contributed to his violent behavior that led to the murder–suicide, concluding that there was no "roid-rage" involved.
[106] Prior to the murder–suicide, Benoit had been given illegal steroids not in compliance with
WWE's Talent Wellness Program in February 2006. Benoit received
nandrolone and
anastrozole. During the investigation into steroid abuse, it was revealed that other wrestlers had also been given steroids.
[107][108]
After the double-murder suicide, former wrestler
Christopher Nowinski contacted Michael Benoit, father of Chris Benoit, suggesting that years of
trauma to his son's brain may have led to his actions. Tests were conducted on Benoit's brain by Julian Bailes, the head of neurosurgery at
West Virginia University, and results showed that "Benoit's brain was so severely damaged it resembled the brain of an 85-year-old Alzheimer's patient."
[109] He was reported to have had an advanced form of dementia, similar to the brains of four retired NFL players who had suffered multiple concussions, sank into depression, and harmed themselves or others. Bailes and his colleagues concluded that repeated concussions can lead to
dementia, which can contribute to severe behavioral problems.
[110] Benoit's father suggests that brain damage may have been the leading cause of the crime.
[111] He also confirmed that his son was quietly
cremated, but what was done with the ashes is not public knowledge.
[112]