This just in from the Atlanta Journal Constitution:
Police: Benoit killed wife, son, left Bibles by their bodies Superstar wrestler's wife had once claimed abuse, filed for divorce
By SAEED AHMED, KATHY JEFCOATS, S.A. REID
The Atlanta-Journal Constitution
Published on: 06/25/07
Superstar wrestler Chris Benoit allegedly strangled his wife and child to death, and left Bibles beside each body, authorities said at a Tuesday afternoon press conference. Then, a day later, he killed himself in his weight room.
Outside of Benoit's home, Fayette County Sheriff's Lt. Tommy Pope said deputies went to check on Benoit after his employer told them that he missed some out-of-state "engagements."
Benoit on Friday had strangled his wife, police said.
Police said they are still looking for a motive.
Nancy Benoit was found dead in an upstairs family room, wrapped in a towel, her wrists and feet bound. A Bible was placed beside her, said District Attorney Scott Ballard.
A few hours later, probably Saturday morning, Benoit did the same to his son, strangling him to death as well. The son, Daniel, 7, was found in his bed. Authorities do not know whether he was asleep when he was strangled.
And then sometime late Saturday – several hours later, but no more than a day -- he committed suicide by hanging himself in the basement weight room, authorities said. He used the cords on weights attached to pulleys to kill himself.
He did not leave behind a suicide note.
Pope said deputies had not been called to the house on any domestic calls in the past. He did not know if the couple was in the process of a divorce.
Authorities found some steroids in the house. "There were some prescription medications ... that we believe at this time were legal," Pope said.
Pope said Benoit had text messaged a co-worker, who received it several hours after it was sent. Pope did not elaborate on the content of the message.
Fayette County District Attorney Scott Ballard said, "I don't think we'll ever be able to wrap around minds around this completely."
Ballard said he knew very little about the divorce petition that Benoit's wife, Nancy, filed in May 2003. She later withdrew it in August 2003, Ballard said.
"I think we are pretty confident it was a murder-suicide," Ballard said.
Toxicology results from the autopsies will take weeks.
The couple and their 7-year-old son were found dead Monday in their home on Green Meadow Lane just east of Peachtree City.
The couple had lived together since 1997 and were married in 2000.
When Nancy Benoit, 43, a wrestling manager who worked under the stage name "Woman," filed for divorce in May 2003, she alleged in an accompanying petition for protection from domestic abuse, that she was intimidated by threats of violence from her 40-year-old, 5-foot-10, 220-pound husband, who was known as the "Canadian Crippler."
Benoit, the petition said, "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."
In another count, she claimed Benoit had destroyed furniture in the home.
On May 12, 2003, the same day the divorce and protective order petitions were submitted, a judge issued a restraining order against the wrestler and barred him from the family home.
On Aug. 19, 2003, Nancy Benoit filed to have the divorce and protective petitions dismissed, and both were.
Benoit's employer, World Wrestling Entertainment, said on its Website Tuesday that Benoit had sent "several curious text messages" to friends, but police on Tuesday said they had identified only the one.
Authorities initially had trouble getting to the home because of two large German shepherds on the property, the WWE said.
Sheriff's deputies were standing guard at the home on Tuesday morning, keeping back the media and the curious.
Benoit failed to appear at Saturday's live wrestling event in Beaumont, Texas., and at WWE's "Vengeance: Night of Champions" in Houston Sunday night. WWE then said Benoit had a "family emergency."
As news of the death's spread, the wrestling blogosphere erupted in 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.
The WWE issued a statement Monday night:
"Chris was beloved among his fellow Superstars, and was a favorite among WWE fans for his unbelievable athleticism and wrestling ability. He always took great pride in his performance, and always showed respect for the business he loved, for his peers and towards his fans. This is a terrible tragedy and an unbearable loss. WWE extends its sincere condolences and prayers to the Benoit family and loved ones in this time of tragedy."
A native of Canada, Benoit maintained a residence in metro Atlanta from the time he wrestled for the now-defunct Ted Turner-owned World Championship Wrestling organization.
He began his career in Calgary more than 20 years ago and had wrestled in Japan before moving back to North America.
While working in Atlanta with WCW, he met his future wife.
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 Peachtree City 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.
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