Chris Benoit, a professional wrestler, along with his wife, Nancy and son Daniel, were found dead in their home in Fayette County, Georgia, from apparent carbon monoxide poisoning. He was 40 years old.

A trainee of the legendary Stu Hart, Benoit began his career in 1985 in Calgary after training with Stu and the Hart Family in the infamous Dungeon. Benoit idolized former World Tag Team Champion Dynamite Kid, and the high-flying style Benoit utilized throughout his career was influenced heavily by the British Superstar. However, his training in the Dungeon helped mold him into one of the best technical grapplers in sports-entertainment history as well.

Benoit competed for Stu Hart’s Stampede Wrestling organization from 1985-1989, where he held both the British Commonwealth Title and the International Tag Team Title four times each, before heading to Japan, where his career truly blossomed. He originally competed as the masked Pegasus Kid and had numerous classic clashes with Japanese legends such as Shinjiro Ohtani and Jushin “Thunder” Liger. It was in New Japan Pro Wrestling where he also met a man who would become one of his closest friends, Eddie Guerrero.

While in Japan, Benoit held the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship and won the 1994 Super J Cup tournament, one of the most prestigious light-heavyweight tournaments in sports-entertainment.

It was that same year that Benoit burst onto the scene in the United States. He had competed in the States before, taking part in the NWA World Tag Team Title tournament in 1992 and wrestling briefly in WCW, but it was in South Philadelphia where Benoit truly cut his teeth in America. Benoit joined ECW, where he teamed with another long-time friend, Dean Malenko, to win the ECW Tag Team Championship. It was also during his time in South Philadelphia where Benoit became known as the “Canadian Crippler,” as it was during a match with Benoit where Sabu suffered a broken neck.

After a year in ECW, Benoit headed back to WCW (and also New Japan, who had a working agreement with ECW at the time). His career elevated to the next level when he became an official member of the Four Horsemen, joining Ric Flair, Arn Anderson and Brian Pillman in 1995.

During his near five-year stay in WCW, Benoit went from an unknown to household name and bona-fide Superstar. Staying close with the Horsemen through numerous incarnations of the group, Benoit became known for his hard-hitting, smash-mouth, no-nonsense style. His rivalry with Kevin Sullivan throughout 1996 (including their legendary Falls Count Anywhere Match at the 1996 Great American Bash) was lauded as one of the greatest and most intense in the company’s history.

While in WCW, Benoit also racked up numerous accolades. He held the Television Championship on three occasions, was a two-time United States Champion and won the WCW Tag Team Championship twice as well (once with Malenko, once with Perry Saturn). He also faced Bret Hart in a tribute match to Bret’s brother and Benoit’s good friend Owen Hart in 1999, and in his final WCW match in January 2000, Benoit defeated Sid to win the WCW World Heavyweight Championship.

Unfortunately, trouble in WCW led to Benoit, Guerrero, Malenko and Saturn leaving the company the next day, so the reign was nullified. The foursome, however, debuted later that month in WWE as The Radicalz.

Benoit immediately found success in WWE, claiming the Intercontinental Championship at WrestleMania 2000. He would go on to hold that gold on a total of four occasions. Through 2003, he also held the World Tag Team Championship and the WWE Tag Team Championship.

Finally, in 2004, after nearly 20 years of struggle, Benoit reached the top. Starting the match at No. 1, Benoit lasted over an hour to win the 2004 Royal Rumble Match, last eliminating the mammoth Big Show to win. That earned him a World Championship match, and at WrestleMania XX in Madison Square Garden, he defeated Shawn Michaels and champion Triple H in a Triple Threat Match to claim the World Heavyweight Championship. The celebration is one of the most memorable WrestleMania moments of all-time, as he and best friend Eddie Guerrero (the reigning WWE Champion at the time) embraced in the center of the ring amidst a stream of confetti and the cheers of a raucous capacity crowd.

In the next three years, Benoit would go on to hold the World Tag Team Championship twice more and had three reigns as United States Champion, the last of which ended just two months ago at Backlash. He was drafted to ECW in the 2007 WWE Draft, and in his final WWE match, Benoit defeated Elijah Burke on the June 19 ECW on Sci Fi.

Over the course of his 22-year career, Chris Benoit solidified his reputation as one of the greatest to ever set foot inside a ring. He was a man of few words, but his passion for the sports-entertainment business was almost unrivaled. Whether loved or hated, Benoit was always well-respected by our fans and his peers for his in-ring ability, his trademark toothless grin and his no-nonsense attitude.

The sports-entertainment world has truly suffered a loss with his passing, as one of the all-time greats was taken well before his time.

Read the story here

Atlanta police are investigating this as a homicide.

What follows is the most cynical thing I have ever said in my life:

So help me, if they kayfabed this as part of the Mr. McMahon angle, they should all go to jail.

I have almost gotten numbed to hearing about wrestlers dying early, but this came out of nowhere. They were just showing Chris in a 1992 WCW match against Dean Malenko. Both Nancy and Miss Elizabeth were at ringside. This is totally unreal...

I was so shocked when I heard the news. My boyfriend was too. I loved watching him as a wrestler, I'm only new to watching the sport but he would have been one of my favourites.

Stu, a lot of people didn't believe it at first; they thought it was part of the "story". Unfortunately, it is real.

It wasn't carbon monoxide poisoning; it was a murder-suicide.

Just read something from an Atlanta newspaper:

In its ongoing attempt to constantly outdo itself, the World Wrestling Entertainment recently staged the "death" of its chairman in an apparent limo explosion.

Monday night, the largest wrestling organization in the world grappled with a real-life murder mystery: What led to the apparent murder-suicide of superstar wrestler Chris Benoit, his wife and child inside their expansive Fayetteville home?

Detective Bo Turner told WAGA-TV 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 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.

"The details, when they come out," said Fayette County District Attorney Scott Ballard, "are going to prove a little bizarre."

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."

Deputies checking on the family at the behest of Benoit's employer discovered the bodies on Monday afternoon at their home on Green Meadow Lane.

Benoit, a Canada native, maintained a residence in metro Atlanta from the time he wrestled for the now-defunct Ted Turner-owned World Championship Wrestling organization.

Most recently, Benoit performed as part of World Wrestling Entertainment. He was scheduled to appear in a pay-per-view title match Sunday night, but was a no-show because of a "family emergency," the WWE said during the broadcast.

His employers, apparently worried, asked deputies to check in on the family -- leading to the discovery, said Sheriff's Lt. Tommy Pope.

Murders are rare in Fayette County, particularly so in areas like Green Meadow Lane, a rural stretch of the county where multi-acre mansion-style homes dot the landscape. In 2006, the sheriff's office didn't investigate a single murder.

Fans tried to cope with the news Monday evening as the blogosphere erupted in reader disbelief.

"Obviously, all sorts of speculation are running rampant but I have talked to so many people and nobody really knows," said Bryan Alvarez, who runs Figurefour Weekly, a wrestling newsletter and Web site, from Linwood, Wash.

Benoit began his career in Calgary more than 20 years ago. He wrestled in Japan before moving back to North America.

While working in Atlanta with WCW, he met his wife, Nancy, who managed several wrestlers and went by the stage name, "Woman."

At the time, her then-husband drew up a script that had the couple involved in a relationship as part of an ongoing storyline.

Soon after, the two became romantically involved in real life and married. Benoit has two other children from a prior relationship.

He joined WWE in 2000, and four years later, won its world heavyweight championship.

The family had moved into the Fayetteville neighborhood last summer, said neighbor Alaina Jones.

None of the neighbors recalled seeing police at the house before. Monday night, about half a dozen cars idled on the circular driveway. Deputies stood guard outside the wrought-iron gates of the residence. A car full of youngsters who stopped to gawk at the scene were pulled out by deputies, frisked and sent on their way.

The Monday night broadcast of WWE's "Raw" on the USA Network was supposed to have been a who-dunit into the "death" of Chairman Vince McMahon, whose limousine burst into a fiery explosion moments after he stepped into it after a bout in Wilkes-Barre, Pa., two weeks ago.

The organization scrapped the storyline following Benoit's death, and instead televised a three-hour retrospective on Benoit's career.

And unlike the two-page, hyperbole-filled news release it sent out after its chairman's "death," the statement announcing Benoit's real-life passing was curt and matter-of-fact:

"Chris Benoit and his family were found dead in their home. There are no further details at this time."

Just logged on from work to bring the enws.

Here's the MSNBC article.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/19424899/

My brothers whom are in their early teenage years, are huge Wrestling fans, and were fans of Benoit.

They were shocked by the news, as am I.

Just a shame that it appears Benoit would rather harm his wife and child and then himself, rather than seek help...or at best tell someone of his feelings; so that someone, somewhere could have got him the help he needed.

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Agnes (JTJ)

Very true Stu, mental illness can really come about with or without the slightest provocation.

Yes, I was reading earlier about Nancy's accomplishments as a manager in the professional wrestling field.

Unfortunately, for all involved in this no one really knew what the outcome would be. However, if someone, anyone, could have guessed at the outcome in the slightest, I believe someone would have seeked help for Chris.

At least I would like to believe so.


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Agnes (JTJ)

Nancy benoit was dead in the living room, Daniel was found dead in his room, and chris was found dead in his weight room. Chris Benoit strangled his wife nancy, smothered his son daniel, and then hung himself. I think Steroids might have been a factor.

Chris Benoit was one of the great wrestlers. I'm going to miss seeing him wrestle.

R.I.P Chris, Nancy, and Daniel Benoit

I think the shock of it all is unbelievable.

A great wrestler on top of his game, with a lovely wife and son, are gone.

Only Chris knows what was his final thoughts were.

While his and Nancy's friends, family and Chris's countless wrestling fans are left to figure out what went terribly wrong.

Hopefully, whatever Chris was going through can be discovered so that something like this does not befall another family.

May Chris, Daniel and Nancy rest in peace.



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Agnes (JTJ)

The preliminary results from Chris' autopsy shows "antibiotcial steroids". The final results from the toxicology tests from the autopsy will be in around two weeks from now.

It seems that Chris strangled his wife, whose body was found in a room made into an office; he then smothered his son, whose body was found in his bedroom. Chris then hung himself, and his body was found in the weight room.

It's obvious that the man snapped and went out of control.

One can only wonder if, when his friends and co-workers received those "weird" text messages, and had they acted sooner than Monday, that he and his wife and child might have been saved.

Rest in peace Chris, Nancy and Daniel...God has you all safely in his arms now.

I don't believe acting faster would have saved them, as by the time the co-worker received them, Nancy was supposedly dead, and Daniel also probably would have been.

I am saddened by the deaths of the innocent Nancy and Daniel, but I cannot bring myself to feel compassion towards Mr. Benoit or to pray that "God has him safely in his arms." What he did was a despicable act, though it seems more people are showing compassion for him than you would expect of a murderer. I remember the reactions to the VT massacre, and the feelings towards the shooter weren't anywhere near the same as those towards Chris Benoit.

Has it occurred to you that Chris Benoit could have been depressed, stressed out, or just got to the point of no return? I mean anything is possible, so not to feel compassion for a man who, obviously, went nuts is a shame.

To compare Chris with the Virgina Tech murderer is wrong. The Virginia Tech murderer planned what he was going to do in advance. It's not like he flipped his nut one day and went on a rampage. He planned his shootout days, maybe weeks in advance.

Police are now leaning towards the fact that it was planned. His wife's feet were bound, and bibles were found next to both bodies. There was also time in between the murders, suggesting it was not an act of rage, and in fact premeditated.

Has it occured to you that the Virginia Tech murderer was depressed, and most likely stressed out? Being 'stressed out' is no excuse to kill your wife and child, nor is it an excuse to go on a rampage.

Oh, and since when are crimes spawned when he just 'busted a nut' better than another's murder? Surely taking a life is an awful thing to do in almost all circumstances.

I'm not saying it's an excuse; what's done is done. Vilifying the man will not bring back his wife and child.

However, learning about what led him to do it, may help someone else down the line. Maybe someday, someone else will be in his frame of mind and maybe that person's friends and family will see the signs and get that person the help he/she desperately needs.

As far as him planning the murders of his wife and child, I think that is incorrect. Just because she was bound, doesn't mean he planned it in advance.

Compassion and perspective are the two things that divide people about this tragic event.

To me as a person that has no interest in wrestling as a whole and wrestlers in particular this event takes on no special interest. The killer will always be referred to as Benoit not Chris and I will feel nothing but hatred for the man, if he didn`t kill himself I would have liked to see him hanged anyway.

He will always be to me a person that took mind altering drugs that he must have been aware would be detrimental to his mental health but still he took them to improve his money earning career.

That this killer perhaps just lost it means little to me,he has killed his child and his wife, that is how I will remember him.

I feel sorrow for the murdered and I can,in an abstract manner,relate to the feeling of sorrow that his fans feel, but I`m relating to their pain not any feeling of compassion for their hero.

I hope that this brings about more drug testing in the wrestling world and an increase in penalties for those that are caught.

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I hope that this brings about more drug testing in the wrestling world and an increase in penalties for those that are caught.

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I agree with you on this. Let's hope that this tragedy will bring about mandatory drug testing for the professional wrestlers and other athletes.

While I occasionally differ with roos on these matters (I tend to run more towards the "middle ground", which is not meant to suggest an indictment to those on either side of my "middle", of course ) I agree with him on this one. There are any number of reasons to understand why something went terribly wrong with Mr. Benoit, and to hope to use this horror to help others who might find themselves in such a black corner of themselves. I strongly feel that, as a forty-year old man, he had the built-in right to do with his own life as he chose to. I even think I can (try to) understand a couple so lost in some passionate place that violence erupts when they get to it. However, to take the life of an innocent child is beyond my own comprehension. ANY child, much less your OWN child. That, to me, erases any valiant understanding(s) I might have for this man now and what he did. I feel much sorrow for his legion of fans (and I know there are many, and that he deserved and earned the success he found). Their disappointment must be large. However, in my opinion, that "largeness" should not, probably can not, remove the truth that he murdered his own son. And that's just my opinion on the matter, though.

I have to wonder, yet again: if this country can withdraw spinach (which countless people consume daily) because it poses a health concern, why is it that steroids are still legal/available? Not very many folks indulge in those and the results rarely seem anything but disastrous. What's it going to take to get rid of them. Yes, I realize the black market will always supply such things. But "harder to get" might mean "less carnage to clean up" at the end of the day.

Ultimately, though, a death is a death. The loss to people who loved him and his family is no different because of how it happened. To the Benoit survivors I offer my sincere condolences.

Gats, as always, very well put and have to say right on the money.

Even though I was/am an admirer of Benoit, I feel that someone, somewhere within the WWE knew that Benoit was not his normal self. That person or group of people had the right to notify someone somewhere of what as going on, and no one did.

I find myself on the middle ground with this.

While I truly respected him for his ability in the wrestling ring, there was something in Benoit's personal life that was missed...something very serious.

Perhaps it was his over use of steroids. Perhaps not. No one will know for sure until the toxicology reports come back.

However, the one resounding good thing that can come of this would be for the stable of McMahon wrestlers to be tested rigorously for illegal and legal substance abuse. I thing just by doing that, it can and will save lives.


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Agnes (JTJ)

I don't watch wrestling at all but on the channel here that normally shows it there was a message saying that for legal reasons the WWE told them not to show it and that a special presentation would be on Saturday. I'm going to risk making an [censored] out of myself but am going to assume it's to do with this death ... but am wondering what the 'legal' implications could be?