FAYETTEVILLE, Ga. (AP) - Pro
wrestler... FAYETTEVILLE, Ga.
(AP) - Pro wrestler Chris
Benoit strangled his wife and
smothered his son before
hanging himself in his weight
room, a law enforcement
official close to the
investigation told The
Associated Press on Tuesday.

Authorities also said they are
investigating whether
more

FAYETTEVILLE, Ga. (AP) - Pro
wrestler... FAYETTEVILLE, Ga.
(AP) - Pro wrestler Chris
Benoit strangled his wife and
smothered his son before
hanging himself in his weight
room, a law enforcement
official close to the
investigation told The
Associated Press on Tuesday.

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. Steroid
abuse has been linked to
depression, paranoia, and
aggressive behavior or angry
outbursts known as 'roid
rage.'
'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.

Autopsies were scheduled
Tuesday by the Georgia Bureau
of Investigation.

Authorities were investigating
the deaths at a secluded
Fayette County home as a
murder-suicide and were not
seeking any suspects. The
official who described the
manner of death spoke on the
condition of anonymity because
the information was to be
released at a news conference
later Tuesday.


Chris Benoit, his wife and son
were found dead on Monday in
their Georgia home. ( /
Associated Press)

Investigators believe Benoit
(pronounced ben-WAH) killed
his wife, 43-year-old Nancy,
and son Daniel during the
weekend and then himself
Monday. The bodies were found
Monday afternoon in three
separate rooms of the house,
off a gravel road about two
miles from the Whitewater
Country Club.

Nancy Benoit filed for a
divorce in May 2003, saying
their three-year union was
irrevocably broken and
alleging 'cruel treatment.'
But she later dropped the
complaint, as well as a
request for a restraining
order in which she charged
that Benoit had threatened her
and had broken furniture in
their home.

In the divorce filing, she
said Benoit made more than
$500,000 a year as a
professional wrestler and
asked for permanent custody of
Daniel and child support. In
his response, Benoit sought
joint custody.

Fayette County Coroner C.J.
Mowell did not return calls
seeking comment. The answering
service for his funeral home
said he was out of town.

Asked about the condition of
the interior of the house,
sheriff's Sgt. Keith Whiteside
said investigators found
'nothing really out of the
ordinary.' He said Benoit was
found in the home's weight
room, his wife in an office
and the son in an upstairs
bedroom.

Neighbors said the Benoits led
a low-key lifestyle.

'We would see Chris walking in
his yard from time to time. He
wasn't rude, but he wasn't
really outwardly warm,' said
Alaina Jones, who lives across
the street.

Jimmy Baswell, who was
Benoit's driver for more than
five years, placed a white
wreath at the Benoits' gate.
'They always seemed like they
were the happiest people,' he
said.

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.'

The WWE, based in Stamford,
Conn., said authorities asked
that it not release further
information on the deaths.

Benoit, born in Montreal, was
a former world heavyweight
champion, Intercontinental
champion and held several
tag-team titles. His names in
the ring included 'The
Canadian Crippler.'

'WWE extends its sincerest
thoughts and prayers to the
Benoit family's relatives and
loved ones in this time of
tragedy,' the company said in
a statement on its Web site.

'He was like a family member
to me, and everyone in my
family is taking it real
hard,' said fellow Canadian
Bret Hart, a five-time
champion with the World
Wrestling Federation. The
federation has since changed
its name to World Wrestling
Entertainment.




Benoit had maintained a home
in metro Atlanta from the time
he wrestled for the defunct
World Championship Wrestling.
The Fayette County Tax
Assessors Office lists the
value of the house, situated
on more than 8.5 acres, at
nearly $900,000.

The WWE canceled its live
'Monday Night RAW' card in
Corpus Christi, Texas, and USA
Network aired a three-hour
tribute to Benoit in place of
the scheduled wrestling
telecast.

Benoit's wife managed several
wrestlers and went by the
stage name 'Woman.' They met
when her then-husband drew up
a script that had them
involved in a relationship as
part of a story line on World
Championship Wrestling, The
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
reported.

Benoit has two other children
from a prior relationship.
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