Chris Benoit, family, found dead.

[tellner]

We'll never absolutely know, Bob, but you're probably exactly right. That's the classic situation where a man murders his family and commits suicide. Help? I wish it had been available for her and the child. For him? At any time he could have said "I am not going to murder them," or walked into a therapist's office and said "I'm feeling angrier all the time and am afraid I might snap. Please help me."

Lots of people have said how charming he was. That's not unusual for abusers.

As he murdered his future, let the future return only death to him.

 

[Blotan Hunka]

If steroids are proven to be a factor, this could shake the wrestling world to its foundations.

Can there really be any doubt that these guys are juicing? Theres only so much muscle a "non-enhanced" human body can develop and/or support.

 

[Bob Hubbard]

WWE reports him clean as of the end of April. Course, that was 2 months ago. The media wants to keep focusing on that, but the sheriff reported all drugs found were legal. Also, another source has indicated that these were too organized to be simply roid rage. Something really snapped in Benoits head.

 

[Blotan Hunka]

Guys in mainstream sports are using them quite frequently and somehow they are able to beat tests. Or the organizations they work for are "cooking the books" to turn a phrase. Look at the fairly recent baseball controversies.

I found an interesting site on wrestling and steroid use at:

http://thewrestlingvoice.com/roundtable/headlines/142627437.shtml

Matt Green: I have no real problems with steroids in the business because fact is, most workers use them, but the people it shows on like Guerrero, Benoit, Dynamite Kid, Bulldog et cetera all use them without the rest. Steroids are meant to be used in spurts rather than seven days a week. That’s where it hurts the wrestlers in the business: by not using them properly which is mainly for physical appearance which Vince McMahon should have to answer for with his Greek god fetish. That leaves the only way for small guys to get a push is to jack up on 'roids and, of course, suffer the consequences Mike so kindly listed above. If they’re used properly, they can help the business, but used in the way most guys use them, it's the reason why the business gets so much flack in mainstream media.

And if you have been juicing long enough, the damage can be done even if you quit cold turkey.

But nobody knows all the facts yet.

 

[Sapper6]

I think the thread in the Hall of Remembrance section needs to be renamed to just, the Benoit Family. Since when do we pay respect to someone who killed his ****ing family?

sure, that information wasn't available at the time the thread was started but it's quite evident now. all the good **** about the guy doesn't matter now. that went out the window when he killed his wife and kid. **** him.

 

[Bob Hubbard]

Thread in the HOR has been renamed.

When this started, we didn't know anything other than 3 people were dead. Now, with each bizarre new note, it gets stranger and more depressing.

 

[Blotan Hunka]

http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2007-06-25-chris-benoit_N.htm?csp=34

Investigators found prescription anabolic steroids in the house and want to know whether the muscle man nicknamed "The Canadian Crippler" was unhinged by the bodybuilding drugs, which can cause paranoia, depression and explosive outbursts known as "roid rage."

Nevertheless, Nancy Benoit filed for a divorce in 2003, saying the couple's three-year marriage was irrevocably broken and alleging "cruel treatment."

She later dropped the complaint, as well as a request for a restraining order in which she charged that the 5-foot-10, 220-pound 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.

Benoit, 40, apparently killed himself several hours and as long as a day later, Ballard said. His body was found in a downstairs weight room, his body found hanging from the pulley of a piece of exercise equipment.

The prosecutor said he found it "bizarre" that the WWE wrestling star spread out the killings over a weekend and appeared to remain in the house for up to a day with the bodies.

Toxicology test results may not be available for weeks or even months, he said. As for whether steroids played a role in the crime, he said: "We don't know yet. That's one of the things we'll be looking at."

Brrrrrr!!!!

 

[Sapper6]

Thread in the HOR has been renamed.

When this started, we didn't know anything other than 3 people were dead. Now, with each bizarre new note, it gets stranger and more depressing.

rightfully so. thanks Bob.

 

[tellner]

I think the thread in the Hall of Remembrance section needs to be renamed to just, the Benoit Family. Since when do we pay respect to someone who killed his ****ing family?

Word. He was one of the most despicable sorts of murderers. No matter how charming he could be to other people he was still a bona fide monster. As my people say "May his name and memory be erased". And my G-d have mercy on his victims.

 

[tellner]

When this started, we didn't know anything other than 3 people were dead. Now, with each bizarre new note, it gets stranger and more depressing.

It's not strange. It's not bizarre. And if it's depressing it's mostly because it's common as dirt.

The abuser is charming to outsiders. He's successful and "go get 'em". The victim tries to leave, maybe starts the legal process to get a restraining order, a divorce and custody of the kid. He turns on the charm and threats. She pulls back. Things get worse. She tries to leave. When he thinks she really will reach escape velocity he kills her, the kids and maybe himself in one last evil, pathological act of control.

This is absolutely classic. That's one of the reasons the abused (particularly women) don't leave their abusers. They know that it's incredibly dangerous. The criminal has the money, the power, the good opinion of their friends and business contacts. She'll be without social support, without money, without the house and without the ability to protect her children.

I'd be willing to lay 6 to 5 or even 7 to 10 that the bastard went to counseling for a little while right after the possibility of divorce came up. He wouldn't have stuck with it wouldn't have made any real progress. It would have been window dressing and part of the charm offensive.

No "respect for the dead" for him. For his victims, certainly. Like I said before, it's a tragedy, but it's a very common one. His celebrity doesn't change that one way or the other.

 

[tshadowchaser]

On maybe a little off topic to this:

I think that wrestlers maybe should go through a 6 hour or so psych review and care every 6 months or so. This might be a way to stop some of the personal demons befor they take over a person. I realise that it would be expensive to the companies that they work for nut considering all of the problems these people have controling pain, time away fro home, etc it just might be a help in some cases

 

[arnisador]

He was one of the most despicable sorts of murderers. No matter how charming he could be to other people he was still a bona fide monster. As my people say "May his name and memory be erased".

I'm glad the other thread was renamed in light of this new info., but let's also recall the possibility that he was mentally ill before passing judgments like this.

 

[Bob Hubbard]

A theory on what went wrong in his head has been offered, but the coroner doesn't seem to want to look into it.


From NYTimes

But Christopher Nowinski, a former professional wrestler who worked with Mr. Benoit, and who was forced to quit because of head injuries, said he believed that repeated, untreated concussions might have caused his friend to snap.

“He was one of the only guys who would take a chair shot to the back of the head,” Mr. Nowinski said, “which is stupid.”

Mr. Nowinski has written a book called “Head Games: Football’s Concussion Crisis” (Drummond Publishing Group, 2006), about chronic traumatic encephalopathy, a condition that can cause memory loss, depression and “bizarre, paranoid behavior.”

Mr. Nowinski said that he had been trying to persuade the coroner examining Mr. Benoit to allow a brain exam to look for the telltale neurofibrillary tangles in the brain’s cortex, but that he had thus far been rebuffed.

“Part of me hopes there was something wrong with his brain,” Mr. Nowinski said. “The Chris Benoit I knew was always more concerned about everybody else’s well-being than his own.”

and Mike Johnson at PWInsider:

The New York Times covered the Benoit tragedy today in a long article that features comments from former WWE star Chris Nowinski, who's now renowned for his work in research for concussions .....

.

It was noted that Nowinski is trying to persuade the coroner examining Mr. Benoit to allow a brain exam to look for neurofibrillary tangles in the brain’s cortex, which has been refused in the past. Nowinski has previously been able to link the suicide of former NFL defensive back Andre Waters to concussion induced depression based on forensic work done on Waters' brain matter. “Part of me hopes there was something wrong with his brain,” Nowinski told the Times. “The Chris Benoit I knew was always more concerned about everybody else’s well-being than his own.”

Considering Benoit's signature move was that diving headbutt, how many concussions can he possibly have sustained in a 10+ year career? I've heard more than 3 in your life was bad...he's got to have had dozens of them.




Some info on Nowinski:

In October 2006, Nowinski released a book, Head Games: Football's Concussion Crisis, which details his career-ending injury and also discusses the dangers of concussions in football and other contact sports. The book includes stories from NFL players as well as fellow wrestlers, with an introduction by Jesse Ventura. Later in the year, Nowinski initiated an inquiry into the suicide of Andre Waters, a 44-year old former NFL defensive back who shot himself on November 20, 2006. Waters had sustained several concussions over his career, and at Nowinski's behest, Waters's family agreed to send pieces of his brain to be tested. Dr. Bennet Omalu of the University of Pittsburgh announced that "the condition of Waters' brain tissue was what would be expected in an 85-year-old man, and there were characteristics of someone being in the early stages of Alzheimer's."[4][5]

Nowinski played an integral role in the discovery of the 4th case of CTE in a former NFL football player, former Pittsburgh Steelers offensive lineman Justin Strzelczyk, who was killed in a fiery automobile crash in 2004 at age 36 after a 37 mile police chase at speeds up to 100 miles per hour on the wrong side of the highway. Dr. Julian Bailes, the chairman of the department of neurosurgery at West Virginia University and the Steelers’ team neurosurgeon during Strzelczyk’s career, insisted to Nowinski over a phone conversation that he thought Strezelcyzk’s death, which was precipitated by strange behavior that some had labeled as “bipolar”, was worth looking into due to its similarities to the Andre Waters case. Nowinski contacted Dr. Bennet Omalu, who discovered the brain was still available, and Nowinski called Mary Strzelczyk, Justin’s mother, to ask for permission to Dr. Omalu to examine it for CTE. Omalu’s positive diagnosis was confirmed by two other neuropathologists. [6] [7]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christopher_Nowinski

 

[Bob Hubbard]

The current theory is that it was in part caused by too many concussions over his career.

Wade Keller at TheTorch has an excellent writeup on the whole thing. We'll never know the complete truth.

http://www.pwtorch.com/artman/publis...le_20673.shtml

I suggest before pointing fingers and joining the clueless media who likes their scapegoats, that folks take some time and actually read the large amount of information coming out from reliable and informed sources.


My theory:
- Daniel was suffering from Fragile X Syndrome. This most likely put a lot of stress on the family, not made easier by a father always on the road.
- Rumors a while back indicated that Chris had been trying to get a lighter road schedule, in order to spend more time with his family.
- Rumor is that he was scheduled to win the ECW title on last Sundays PPV. The champion is on the road, alot.
- The steroids found at the house were Daniels, not Chris's, and were legal.
- Chris has sustained numerous concussions during his career, and recently had had neck surgery as well due to ring related injuries.
- Chris has had a history of anger issues as reported in the 2003 divorce filing.

My theory is that when plans of pushing Chris were brought up at home, he and Nancy argued. Her wanting him to be home more to help raise their son. The argument heightened, with her possibly using the "if you leave, we wont be here when you get back" line. It then became physical as he lost control of his anger, he restrained her, the argument continued, and he lost it, strangling her with a nearby power cord.

Reality and the "what the hell did I do?" sets in, and he panics.

In grief, he isn't thinking straight. He has a dead wife, is looking at long term jail, possibly even the death penalty. His career is ruined, as is his reputation. Without him, who will take care of his son? Remember, his mind is clouded. He does what he thinks is right. He ends his sons suffering, and then takes his own life out of grief, guilt or as an act of atonement for his crimes.



I don't think he sat down 7 years ago and said, I wanna get married and have a kid so I can kill em. I think this was a domestic situation that got out of control, and spiraled into destruction. As information comes to light, I find I can't hate him. I simply pity him, that his life and legacy came to this.


PWTorch has an article on the murder-suicide concept.



In addition, the DA says they are still looking at the possibility of there being others involved, though they say it is unlikely.

 

[Ceicei]

My theory is that when plans of pushing Chris were brought up at home, he and Nancy argued. Her wanting him to be home more to help raise their son. The argument heightened, with her possibly using the "if you leave, we wont be here when you get back" line. It then became physical as he lost control of his anger, he restrained her, the argument continued, and he lost it, strangling her with a nearby power cord.

Reality and the "what the hell did I do?" sets in, and he panics.

In grief, he isn't thinking straight. He has a dead wife, is looking at long term jail, possibly even the death penalty. His career is ruined, as is his reputation. Without him, who will take care of his son? Remember, his mind is clouded. He does what he thinks is right. He ends his sons suffering, and then takes his own life out of grief, guilt or as an act of atonement for his crimes.

Ok, Bob, I understand your theory. However, where does binding the hands and ankles of his wife come in?

- Ceicei

 

[tshadowchaser]

I reserve judgement till all the facts are heard.
This act seems strange and bizzar with the time line. I think a complet scan of the brain should have been done to see if there where any bleeds, tumors, etc.
I personaly can not understand how he could have done what he did but then I am not him and therefor do not know all the pain and mental turmoil of his life and last days

 

[Sapper6]

I reserve judgement till all the facts are heard.
This act seems strange and bizzar with the time line. I think a complet scan of the brain should have been done to see if there where any bleeds, tumors, etc.
I personaly can not understand how he could have done what he did but then I am not him and therefor do not know all the pain and mental turmoil of his life and last days

Are you saying brain scans as a part of the autopsy? if so, why? it doesn't take away from the reality he killed his family. should we brain scan all crazy people who kill people?

regardless of who he was, and what he accomplished in life, the only fact that matters is that he killed his family.

 

[Bob Hubbard]

Ok, Bob, I understand your theory. However, where does binding the hands and ankles of his wife come in?

- Ceicei

If she said "I'm leaving", it may have been to keep her from doing that. Her body was found in their office, she may have been fleeing, she may have stormed off and tried to call for help.

More information is coming out every couple hours, and it's entirely possible that there is still a note or message out there explaining things.

Again, I'm just speculating based on everything I've been reading.

 

[Bob Hubbard]

Are you saying brain scans as a part of the autopsy? if so, why? it doesn't take away from the reality he killed his family. should we brain scan all crazy people who kill people?

regardless of who he was, and what he accomplished in life, the only fact that matters is that he killed his family.

I think the "Why" is very important, especially if there was a medical reason for it. There's already a connection between concussions and destructive behavior. If they can find a reason, it may help stop future tragedies from occurring.

Personally, as a long time fan of both his and Nancy's, I'd like to know the answer, or as much as I can get of one.

 

[OnlyAnEgg]

Fact is, we're not likely to have a real answer in this. This guy was famous, as was his wife, and there's gonna be spin all over this for some time.

While it is a tragedy that this kind of thing happens with alarming frequency, the simple fact is that some people aren't wired right and some lifestyle choices change the person we are.