Chris Benoit double-murder and suicide

Over a three-day period from June 22 to 24, 2007, Chris Benoit, a 40-year-old Canadian professional wrestler employed by World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) and living in Fayetteville, Georgia, murdered his wife Nancy and their 7-year-old son, Daniel, before hanging himself. Autopsy results showed that Benoit's wife was murdered first as she was bound at the feet and wrists and died of asphyxiation on the night of June 22. On June 25, Nancy was found wrapped in a towel with blood under her head, although Fayette County District Attorney Scott Ballard reported no other signs of a struggle. The couple's son, Daniel Christopher Benoit, who also died of asphyxia, was killed as he was lying sedated in his bed on the morning of June 23. Then, on the evening of June 24, Benoit killed himself in his weight room, when he used his lat pulldown machine to hang himself. He placed Bibles near the bodies of his wife and son. Since Benoit's suicide, numerous explanations for his actions have been proposed, including severe chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), steroid use, and alcohol use disorder, leading to a failing marriage and other personal problems. The incident led to numerous media accounts, and a federal investigation into steroid misuse in professional wrestling.

Murder-suicide
Benoit murdered his wife, Nancy Benoit, on Friday, June 22. Her limbs were bound, and her body was wrapped in a towel. A copy of the Bible was left by her body. Injuries indicated that Benoit had pressed a knee into her back while pulling on a cord around her neck, causing strangulation.

The following day, Benoit murdered their son, Daniel. Benoit sedated him using Xanax and suffocated him. Like Nancy, a copy of the Bible was placed next to his body.

In between the two murders, Benoit's close friend, fellow wrestler Chavo Guerrero, received a voicemail message from Benoit's phone stating that he had overslept and missed his flight and would be late for that night's house show in Beaumont, Texas. Chavo called Benoit back and found that Benoit sounded tired and groggy as he confirmed everything that he had said in his voice message. Chavo, who was "concerned about Benoit's tone and demeanor," called him back 12 minutes later. Benoit did not answer the call, and Chavo left a message asking Benoit to call back. Benoit did so, lying to Chavo and saying he was changing his flight and also saying that his wife and son were sick with food poisoning. Benoit ended the conversation by saying "I love you" to Chavo, who has stated in interviews was out of character for him.

On Sunday, June 24, five text messages were sent to co-workers between 3:51 a.m. and 3:58 a.m. using both Chris Benoit's and Nancy Benoit's cell phones. Four of them were the Benoits' address; the fifth said that the family's dogs were in the enclosed pool area, and also noted that a garage side door had been left open. That day, Benoit had been scheduled to wrestle at WWE's Vengeance: Night of Champions pay-per-view event and win the vacant ECW World Heavyweight Championship against Phillip "CM Punk" Brooks. When Benoit didn't make it to the pay-per-view, John "Johnny Nitro" Hennigan filled in for him.

Benoit committed suicide later that day by hanging himself from his weight machine. According to investigators, he created a noose from the end of the cord from which the bar had been removed. When he released the weights, his neck had been broken almost instantly.

The WWE became worried when they hadn't heard from Benoit the following day. They contacted the Fayette County Sheriff's Department and requested that they conduct a welfare check, whereupon they discovered the bodies of the three Benoits. A suicide note was not discovered during the initial investigation, but a note was later discovered in another Bible that had been included in Benoit's possessions that were sent to his first wife. According to professional wrestling journalist Dave Meltzer, "There was a note that was found in a Bible by the mother of Chris's two children (Martina Benoit) who lives in Canada. The Bible was mixed in with Chris' personal belongings that were shipped to them." Chris Benoit's father Michael Benoit stated, "He had a hand-written notation in there saying 'I'm preparing to leave this Earth.'

WWE cancelled their regular broadcast of Monday Night Raw that night and instead aired a 3-hour long tribute show to Benoit. However, the company got the news later that same night that the case was being considered a murder-suicide. On the following day's broadcast of ECW, company chairman Vince McMahon made the following statement:

"Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. Last night on Monday Night Raw, the WWE presented a special tribute show, recognizing the career of Chris Benoit. However, now some 26 hours later, the facts of this horrific tragedy are now apparent. Therefore, other than my comments, there will be no mention of Mr. Benoit's name tonight. On the contrary, tonight's show will be dedicated to everyone who has been affected by this terrible incident. This evening marks the first step of the healing process. Tonight, WWE performers will do what they do better than anyone else in the world: entertain you."

Since then, Benoit's name and accomplishments have never been mentioned on WWE programming again.

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