Chris Benoit found dead

[Raph's Girl]

The funeral for Nancy and Daniel Benoit will be held on Saturday at 1PM in Daytona Beach, FL at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church.

Nancy's family has opened a Nancy & Daniel Benoit Foundation for Battered Women and Abused Children at c/o Decker, Hallman, Barber and Briggs, 260 Peachtree St., #1700, Atlanta, GA 30303.

[Leogeddon]

i'm still reeling from the utter shock... I can't believe this... I just also found a famous diving instructor was found dead... i'm guessing that's also old news, im slow when it comes to media because I don't watch TV anymore. I would watch a few channels... If I had them anyways... I just watch DVDs now.

[KROW]

I just want to remind people that are interested that this link, although the site is fantasy-wrestling-based, is reliable and is always updated. With that said, I'd like to show a video that might cool some heads and bring things to light thanks to wrestler Ken Kennedy.



Bravo, Kennedy. Bravo.

[Jo Dawn]

Breaking news as I type. (I'll be editing as it goes on.)

Daniel was drugged with Xanax before his death. That fairly much rules out a 'crime of passion' case. He drugged him so he didn't know what he was doing. Nancy had three different drugs in her (Xanax hydrocodone and hydromorphone), and Benoit had high level of steroid testosterone, as well as Xanax and Hydrocodone.

Boy, if this isn't a Poster Case for never taking steroids... I dunno what is. Though they haven't said it was the steroids (actually the opposite)... that would be enough to scare me off of the stuff. Just the possibility that this could potentially make you think of doing something like this. I mean, if an athlete were thinking of taking it, I'd really have to tell them to think of their family. Sadly, they believe we will never know just why it all happened.

Right now, it's plain murder, as it had to be planned and was not in any moment of passion.

[GK Punk]

They are saying there was no anabolic steroids, but a high level of Testosterone. (Which I thought went hand in hand) Maybe he was on some other form of steroid?

[Raph's Girl]

Article I found:
http://www.eonline.com/news/article/...rss_topstories

The test results are in and the suspicions confirmed: Chris Benoit had steroids in his system when he murdered his wife and child and then took his own life.

The anxiously awaited toxicology findings on the wrestler and his family were announced Tuesday by Dr. Kris Sperry, chief medical examiner for the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.

While the only steroid found in Benoit's was testosterone, the levels were elevated enough to indicate he was injecting it shortly before he died, Sperry said. But he cautioned that the results do not indicate the kind of abuse that may have triggered so-called 'roid rage.

"There's no way to know how this could’ve affected Chris’ behavior," Sperry told reporters at a press conference. "With respect to testosterone...There is nothing conclusive that could be said."

Sperry cited conflicting data from studies regarding how elevated levels of testosterone might contribute to altered behavior. He also noted that Benoit might have been taking testosterone just as easily for "testicular deficiency."

Benoit's personal physician, Dr. Phil Astin, has been charged with improperly prescribing drugs to patients other than the former wrestling champ. Astin, who has pleaded not guilty, came under scrutiny from federal officials after admitting to prescribing testosterone to Benoit.

The World Wrestling Entertainment has tried to downplay the steroid angle since the murder-suicide and has previously stated that Benoit tested clean for steroids as well as testosterone as recently as April. On Tuesday, the company pointed out that the toxicology results came up negative for anabolic steroids, but acknowledged that one of its biggest draws had been taking testosterone.

"It would appear that Mr. Benoit took testosterone sometime after his April 2007 test and the time he died. WWE understands that his dealings with Dr. Astin are currently being investigated, and WWE has no knowledge of whether Dr. Astin prescribed testosterone for Mr. Benoit at some point after the April 2007 tests," the company said in a statement.

The WWE also noted that it had launched an initiative last year shows to test its entertainers. "We believe our wellness program is at the very least comparable to those of professional sports and is a program that will benefit WWE Superstars for generations to come," the statement concluded.

Meanwhile, the coroner said "highly elevated levels" of the prescription drug Xanax were discovered in the body of Benoit's seven-year-old son, Daniel.

"There’s clear evidence to me that Daniel Benoit was sedated at the time he was killed," added Sperry. "That's an unusual finding."

Sperry also said the child appeared normal and that it was impossible to conduct any kind of genetic test to determine whether Daniel suffered from fragile X syndrome. A WWE official claimed the boy required growth hormones for the disorder—something vociferously denied by surviving family. The coroner also said that there wasn't any urine available to determine whether growth hormoes were in Daniel's system.

Three prescription drugs were also found in the body of Nancy Benoit: hydrocodone, hydormorphone and Xanax, but all were at "therapeutic levels" and were likely prescribed for orthopedic ailments.

Fayette County District Attorney Scott Ballard said the investigation will remain "ongoing" to determine why the 40-year-old pro grappler strangled his 43-year-old wife to death in their suburban Atlanta home, and then smothered his son the next day before hanging himself.

[GK Punk]

Yeah I'm getting confused here. SOme of the reports I've read said no Steroids, others say he did have them.

Edit: And on Nancy Grace they were just talking about how he had elevated Testosterone levels, but no Steroids. Now I'm going to go bash my head in to a wall.

[Jo Dawn]

Hmm, I've never seen a report yet that didn't say he didn't have steroids in him. Testosterone caused by steroids. But, maybe it changed, who knows.

And I'm reading Raph'sGirl's post (pretty much a longer version of mine, lol, with actual names added in )... and I don't recognize alot of what the examiner said... and I watched the whole thing. So I'm kinda confused.

[KROW]

Benoit had a form of steroids in his system that increased his testosterone level, but did not have anabolic or any other form of steroids. He also had Xanex (an anti-depressant) and Hydrocodone (a painkiller) in his body. Out of the three, the only high level in his system was the testosterone. He was also tested for blood alcohol, which came out to zero.

Nancy had 3 different drugs in her system: Hydrocodone, Hydromorphone, and Xanex. All 3 drugs are at a therapeutic level and not toxic.

Daniel's blood tested positive for Xanex at 100 micrograms per liter, which is elevated for a child and not a drug that would be given to one. Based upon this finding, it is the opinion of the GBI that Daniel was sedated by Xanex at the time of his death.

So, plain and simple, this was not due to "Roid Rage."

As a matter of fact, there are now theories and rumors that this whole thing isn't even a double-murder suicide, but a possible triple-homicide.



Leave some room at that wall for me, Michi.

[KROW]

I know this is a month old, but new crap has surfaced in this toilet of tragedy and rather than start a new topic just to have it merged here, I'm continuing where we all left off on the subject.

ATLANTA (AP) — The future of pro wrestler Chris Benoit's millions could come down to the timing of a horrible crime: Did Benoit — having taken high doses of steroids — strangle his wife and then their young son before killing himself, or did the boy die first?

Lawyers for Benoit's mother-in-law, Maureen Toffoloni, filed a petition last week asking a court to determine the order of the deaths, which could affect whether she gets any of the estate.

Neither Benoit nor his wife left a will, so the death order could mean the difference in whether Toffoloni or Benoit's children from a previous marriage inherit the two homes, several bank and investment accounts and other assets estimated to be worth millions. Lawyers in the case declined Wednesday to provide an exact value.

Investigators have repeatedly said that Benoit killed his wife, then their son and himself during the weekend of June 22.

District Attorney Scott Ballard has said the wrestler used a cord to strangle his wife, then killed his son with a choke hold, then placed Bibles next to the bodies and hanged himself on a piece of exercise equipment.

Under that scenario, the estate would pass to Benoit's surviving two children, who live in Canada with their mother, said Cary Ichter, an attorney for Benoit's father, Michael.

But if the boy was killed first and then the wife, under Georgia law at least some of the estate would pass to Toffoloni, lawyers in the case said.

That's because of a forfeiture statute that takes into account the fact that Benoit was the killer. As such, the law for purposes of estate distribution would consider Benoit to have died before his wife and son.

Ichter said that if the boy was killed first, the estate would pass to the wife and, since she was killed, it would then pass to her family. But he noted that police don't believe that is how it happened.

Richard Decker, an attorney for Toffoloni, of Daytona Beach, Fla., said he doesn't believe the order of deaths is clear. He said he is asking the Fayette County court to make a determination based on the law "and not what we hear on TV."

Investigators have not given a motive for the killings, but the question of whether steroids played a role has lingered. Anabolic steroids were found in Benoit's home, and tests showed Benoit had roughly 10 times the normal level of testosterone in his system when he died.

Besides the Fayetteville home, estimated to be worth $1.5 million to $3.5 million, the Benoits had a home in nearby Peachtree City, which was for sale for $400,000 at the time of the killings, according to Decker. The house was not sold and has since been taken off the market, he said.

A probate court hearing over the appointment of estate administrators is scheduled for Aug. 28, Ichter said.

Ballard did not return a call Wednesday seeking comment. A spokesman for the Georgia Bureau of Investigation declined to comment

SOURCE

Apparently now there's a debate on the order of deaths, when we all thought it was established that Nancy died before Daniel. Ugh.

I feel that most, if not all, of his financial earnings should go to the children he left behind, with his wife's family receiving funds to cover the funeral costs and any legal fees they're currently accruing. That's just me, though.

[ZariusTwo]

Its been confirmed, Benoit had brain damage



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The father of Chris Benoit and a doctor who examined brain matter from the former pro wrestler said Wednesday that brain damage caused by multiple concussions might have contributed to the deaths of Benoit, his wife and his son.

Authorities say Benoit killed his wife, Nancy, on June 22 and then killed their son, Daniel, the next day before taking his own life at their Fayetteville home.

Dr. Julian Bailes, chairman of the Department of Neurosurgery at West Virginia University and a founding member of the Sports Legacy Institute, told ABC's Good Morning America Wednesday that damage to the wrestler's brain was "striking and maybe shocking."

Bailes showed images of Benoit's brain matter, and said the images showed "dead brain cells" and damage that mimicked that found in Alzheimer's patients.

He said his study had found brain damage that was "very abnormal and something you shouldn't see in a 40-year-old."

Asked whether previous concussions could have led to the damage, Bailes said, "We think we have great anatomical damage here from previous trauma," Bailes said. "Whether it had a psychiatric or behavioral expression, we certainly think that's most likely."

Benoit's father, Michael Benoit, said his son suffered "quite a number" of concussions during his wrestling career.

"Our research has shown that three major concussions may be the threshhold that serious later consequences may occur," Bailes said.

The Sports Legacy Institute, a research group founded to study degenerative brain conditions caused by repetitive brain injuries, planned a late-morning press conference in New York to release the findings of the study on Benoit's brain.

In July, a GBI toxicology report showed Benoit had highly elevated levels of testosterone. But medical experts warned against automatically assuming that steroids were responsible for Benoit's alleged murder of his wife and son.


...Hate to say it, but this is the definition of "someone with brain damage can wrestle better than John Cena"

[KROW]

Damn. That is shocking, if nothing else. I'm surprised that it wasn't detected sooner. Or maybe it was, but Benoit didn't want to lose his career over it.

[Buslady]

So it is worth risking one's health and well being for money and that big fat "championship" belt?
This so called "Pro-Wrestling" sport where big steroid pumped up men clobber each other worth it; worth destroying your brain or any other part of your body? It's not even what wrestling really is! It's not even close, so they need to call it something else other than the sport of wrestling. Wrestlers don't beat each over the head with chairs, jump on each other, drop them on their heads...it's a bad sport if these guys are going to end up so bad because of their head injuries that they go kill themselves, and/or others.

[Raph's Girl]

So basically he was nuts cuz of too many hits to the head. Ah Dain Brammage er Brain Damage... Homer Simpson syndrome.

[GK Punk]

Originally Posted by Buslady

So it is worth risking one's health and well being for money and that big fat "championship" belt?
This so called "Pro-Wrestling" sport where big steroid pumped up men clobber each other worth it; worth destroying your brain or any other part of your body? It's not even what wrestling really is! It's not even close, so they need to call it something else other than the sport of wrestling. Wrestlers don't beat each over the head with chairs, jump on each other, drop them on their heads...it's a bad sport if these guys are going to end up so bad because of their head injuries that they go kill themselves, and/or others.

Yeah, because every pro-wrestler in on steroids, and they all murder their families and eachother. This obviously happens all the time. right.

[Katie]

I saw some of the slides of his actual brain tissue from the autopsy today on TV. They were comparing them to images of folks who died of demensia and Altzheimer's. It looked exactly the same.

My great grandma had altzheimers. I remember going over to feed her every day (cause she would forget) and one day while we were there she picked up a kitchen chair and threw it at my great grandfather. Unfortunately aggression is one of the symptoms of stage 2 Altzheimers. That was what they were comparing his brain tissue to. a stage 2 altzheimer's patient.

[Peanut]

Originally Posted by Michi heavenly6

Yeah, because every pro-wrestler in on steroids, and they all murder their families and eachother. This obviously happens all the time. right.

Typical person who knows dick all about the industry, dude.

[Buslady]

I ain't saying they're ALL on drugs, but alot of them are. They can deny it all that wanna, there are some that do.

[ThirdMarioBro]

Originally Posted by Buslady

So it is worth risking one's health and well being for money and that big fat "championship" belt?
This so called "Pro-Wrestling" sport where big steroid pumped up men clobber each other worth it; worth destroying your brain or any other part of your body? It's not even what wrestling really is! It's not even close, so they need to call it something else other than the sport of wrestling. Wrestlers don't beat each over the head with chairs, jump on each other, drop them on their heads...it's a bad sport if these guys are going to end up so bad because of their head injuries that they go kill themselves, and/or others.

Dear lord, that statement is shallow, narrow minded, and downright insulting. Wrestling is a sport, and every sport has corrupt athletes who cheat themselves (and others) by going the easy route and taking steroids. Wrestling may have had a bad year, but don't condemn the majority who are honest people doing a job just because one person went apesh*t.

[GK Punk]

Of course, but that can be said for every industry. There was a school bus Driver in my area arrested for driving under the influence of Cocaine. We shouldn't run around screaming that all Bus drivers do that, because obviously that's not true.

Kurt Cobain was a heroine addict. It doesn't mean all musicians are. I could keep going but you get the idea.