Chris, Nancy, & Daniel Benoit found dead

[Guest teke184]

If so, "[h]e chose... poorly."

[Loss]

Here's a good recap of the MSNBC segment I was referring to from the Torch:

 

Bret Hart was a guest of Ross Abrams on Scorborough Country on MSNBC. He said he never saw Chris Benoit lose his temper or composure. He said when he first heard early reports, he hoped there was "a better explanation than this." He added: "I think it's going to be a long time before anyone gets over this in the wrestling business."

 

Abrams asked about Benoit dating Nancy while she was still married to another wrestler. Bret said he didn't know such details. He said Chris never confided marital problems to him. "I always thought he was a good family man and a good husband," he said. Bret said most of his experiences with Nancy came at funerals. Abrams seized that and asked about the deaths of wrestlers of the years. An on-screen graphic said that since 1997, there have been 1,000 pro wrestlers 45 and younger and 65 of them have died - 25 by heart attacks, five of 25 from steroid use, 12 deaths from use of other drugs. The death rate are seven times higher than the general population. There is 12 times the chance of a wrestler dying from heart disease.

 

Bret talked about steroids and pain kills. He said he understands a lot of that was remedied in recent years. "I don't want to see this pinned on steroids," he said. "I think that there is a deeper - it goes beyond that at this point."

 

Abrams asked: "Is this going to bring wrestling down? Is this going to be a pock that wrestling won't be able to overcome." Bret said, "No, wrestling will always keep going." He said there's no reason for this to ruin that for everybody. He said everybody loved and respected Benoit, noting, "That's why this is so hard to accept. We all loved him. This is a great man; I can't think of any wrestlers who wouldn't have come to the aid of Chris Benoit and support him in whatever he was carrying around." He said wrestlers are reeling from the deaths of so many of his peers, it's hard to accept. He said depression is a big part of it and this will only magnify it.

 

Abrams asked if people misread Benoit or was it steroids or another kind of drug that set him off. Bret said that should be left up to forensic experts. He said WWE had a strong drug testing policy in place since Eddie Guerrero died. He said they stamped out steroids. "There is no happy medium; it's no steroids, period," he said. He again said he hopes it's not related to steroids. But then he added that steroids may have been a factor and you need to look at the info as it comes in.

 

On MSNBC, after the Bret Hart interview, Ross Abrams interviewed a reporter with the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, author of Wrestling Babylon Irvin Muchnick, and Dr. Drew Pinsky.

 

Irv said he documented 87 wrestlers who have died over the last generation of drugs. "Wrestling fans are used to wrestlers dying; they're not used to the sensational details of this particular case," he said. "It's a sad commentary on the wrestling industry these days."

 

Abrams asked if drugs could explain why someone so many say is a nice guy did this. Pinsky said toxicology reports may not exonerate drugs as the issue because the withdrawal from getting off of drugs can lead to desperate acts.

 

Abrams read the WWE statement that Benoit tested negative on Apr. 10, 2007. Pinsky said, "That doesn't tell me anything. People cycle steroids, they don't use them every day. They use them in cycles for brief periods of time." He reiterrated that it's when wrestlers get off of drugs that can lead to "depressions, irritability, abnormal thinking." He said he has seen gruesome suicides and intense suicides on the drugs and off.

 

Abrams asked if it's a case of simply an angry husband. He read details of his martial problems. Muchnick said, "We can look at the pattern of the pandemic of deaths in wrestling in recent years and it's reasonable to speculate there was something more going on here than a simple marital dispute."

 

Abrams asked again about the way they met, and how it is "part of a wrestling stunt." Muchnick explained in detail the Kevin Sullivan-Woman-Benoit storyline in WCW. "Art imitated life and they ran off together," he said. He said Sullivan is known as the wrestler who booked his own divorse.

 

Abrams then went after WWE for blaming the media for speculating about steroids being involved in the subject. He then ripped them for honoring Benoit last night and said they have answers to give.

[Al]

Annnnnnnnnnnd WWE's "WE DIDN'T KNOW!" excuse is shot to hell as the local reporter on MSNBC just noted that the cops told her at 6-7ish last night that it was a murder/suicide.

Wow. This is not ending anytime soon.

 

Not to mindlessly defend WWE here, but on this board Loss himself nixed discussion based on "speculation" until the facts were in. That wasn't lifted until well after the show ended. Details were coming in throughout the day and of course WWE certainly had strong suspicions, but what if you go with something anti-Benoit and it turns out differently. WWE almost literally had minutes to react and throw together a show given the circumstances. If they changed course midway through the show, it would become a spectacle and make things worse. In hindsight, they certainly should not have done it. But it is a snap decision. The fact that they are apologizing for it is good enough for me. The company does a lot of controversial programming, but that's the nature of professional wrestling.

[Bix]

"Ross" Abrams? Fucking Keller.

 

Annnnnnnnnnnd WWE's "WE DIDN'T KNOW!" excuse is shot to hell as the local reporter on MSNBC just noted that the cops told her at 6-7ish last night that it was a murder/suicide.

Wow. This is not ending anytime soon.

 

Not to mindlessly defend WWE here, but on this board Loss himself nixed discussion based on "speculation" until the facts were in. That wasn't lifted until well after the show ended. Details were coming in throughout the day and of course WWE certainly had strong suspicions, but what if you go with something anti-Benoit and it turns out differently. WWE almost literally had minutes to react and throw together a show given the circumstances. If they changed course midway through the show, it would become a spectacle and make things worse. In hindsight, they certainly should not have done it. But it is a snap decision. The fact that they are apologizing for it is good enough for me. The company does a lot of controversial programming, but that's the nature of professional wrestling.

 

SURELY HIS HIGH PRICED LAWYERS COULDN'T HAVE WORMED THAT INFORMATION OUT OF SHOOK SMALL TIME COPS LIKE THE REPORTER DID

[Bix]

http://www.wwe.com/inside/news/chrisbenoittimeline

 

WWE/Chris Benoit timeline

Written: June 26, 2007

 

On Saturday, June 23, Chris Benoit was slated to appear at a WWE live event in Beaumont, Texas. That afternoon, Benoit contacted WWE to inform them that his wife and child were ill, and that he would not be able to attend the show.

 

WWE executives rebooked Benoit’s flight for the following morning, allowing Benoit to miss the Beaumont event making alternate arrangements for him to attend the pay-per-view event in Houston on Sunday.

 

WWE employees attempted to confirm with Benoit his travel plans but were unable to contact him.

 

Early Sunday morning, between 3:51 and 3:58 a.m., Benoit sent five text messages to co-workers:

 

 

Text Message 1 to two co-workers (sent 6/24 at 3:53am)- Chris Benoit’s cell phone

“My physical address is 130 Green Meadow Lane, Fayetteville Georgia. 30215”

 

Text Message 2 to two co-workers (sent 6/24 at 3:53am)- Chris Benoit’s cell phone

“The dogs are in the enclosed pool area. Garage side door is open”

 

Text Message 3 to two co-workers (sent 6/24 at 3:54am)- Nancy Benoit’s cell phone

“My physical address is 130 Green Meadow Lane.

Fayetteville Georgia. 30215”

 

Text Message 4 to two co-workers (sent 6/24 at 3:55am)- Nancy Benoit’s cell phone

“My physical address is 130 Green Meadow Lane.

Fayetteville Georgia. 30215

 

Text Message 5 to one co-worker (sent 6/24 at 3:58am)- Nancy Benoit’s cell phone

“My address is 130 Green Meadow Lane. Fayetteville Georgia. 30215”

 

Throughout the day on Sunday, WWE made numerous attempts to contact Benoit both at home and at local hospitals in the Atlanta area. As of 11:00 p.m., WWE officials were unable to establish contact with Chris Benoit.

 

At 12:30 p.m. on Monday, June 25, WWE officials were notified of the text messages sent to the co-workers the previous day. By 12:45 p.m., WWE had contacted Fayetteville County Sheriff’s office requesting they check on the Benoit family.

 

Fayetteville County Sheriffs office made contact with WWE at approximately 4:00 p.m. advising that they had entered the house of Chris Benoit and found three deceased bodies – an adult male, adult female and a male child. WWE was told that Benoit’s home was now considered a major crime scene.

 

The decision to cancel the live event scheduled in Corpus Christi that night was made between 4:00 and 5:00 p.m. In keeping with company policy, and with limited knowledge regarding facts of the case, WWE choose to air a memorial dedicated to the career of Chris Benoit. As facts emerged surrounding the case, all tributes to Chris Benoit were removed both on-air and on WWE.com.

Not that it would've changed anything most likely, but how the fuck did they sit on that for a day before calling the cops?

[Guest KCook]

They must have had hours to make the decision. No one would have blamed them if they'd simply said that a tragedy had taken place, that they hoped everyone would pray for the dead and their loved ones, and that WWE would have a statement to make Tuesday once the facts were in. That's clearly how it should have been handled, and that's not a judgment made in hindsight.

 

It's also obvious but should be said—WWE in particular has no credibility in this situation because of how they've handled this sort of thing in the past. If Derrek Lee killed his family and the Cubs dedicated a broadcast to his memory in similar circumstances, they'd get and deserve the benefit of the doubt. WWE really doesn't deserve it.

[Guest teke184]

The numbers they used on Scarborough Country are off, AFAIK.

 

 

More than 3 wrestlers below 45 have died due to non-drug, non-heart attack reasons over the past 10 years.

 

 

Meltzer listed a lot of deaths off a few years ago in the Observer and I remember at least 4 that didn't qualify here and there were likely several more.

 

1. Slick Robbie D of OVW committed suicide (he was in prison at the time IIRC)

 

2. A valet whose name escapes me died of complications from cosmetic surgery

 

3. An indy wrestler who'd gotten in a net-feud with someone like Scotsman had died after a recurrence of a brain tumor that had been previously treated.

 

4. APW trainee Ernest Ong died from head injuries during training after taking multiple spinebusters from Dalip Singh (Great Khali).

[Bix]

Brian Ong, not Ernest.

 

Liz Chase died from the surgical complications.

[Guest teke184]

Brian Ong, not Ernest.

 

Liz Chase died from the surgical complications.

There was also a different indy wrestler who died in a motorcycle accident, IIRC.

 

 

The point being that the Scarborough County statistics, while somewhat accurate, were not 100% accurate.

 

While the overwhelming amount of wrestling deaths are either drug-related or heart attacks, there were more than 3 deaths below the age of 45 outside of those causes.

 

 

 

Also, how old was Chris Adams when he died? The man was shot to death. (That one's borderline, though, as I think he was in his mid-to-late 40s.)

 

EDIT - Found it, he was 46. That skirts the edge of the range.

 

Renegade was clearly under 45 when he committed suicide, but that could be classified as drug-related.

[Loss]

Well, that was hardly an apology. That said, at least Vince didn't comment on steroids.

[Bix]

In fairness, they didn't say they'd apologize, the news organizations said they would.

 

I thought Vince was tasteful enough.

 

Well, as tasteful as possible given that they knew.

[Al]

Is it really that upsetting?

[Loss]

Is it really that upsetting?

The fact that they are apologizing for it is good enough for me.

Which is it?

 

It's not upsetting, as I was surprised by anyone reporting that they would apologize in the first place. I was merely pointing out that they didn't.

 

According to live reports, building security confiscated every Benoit sign in the crowd at tonight's taping in San Antonio.

[Bix]

"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 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, the WWE performers will do what they do better than anyone else in the world--entertain you."

[Mad Dog]

I think they should've just straight up dedicated the show to Nancy and Daniel.

[Bix]

According to live reports, building security confiscated every Benoit sign in the crowd at tonight's taping in San Antonio.

I have no problem with this.

[Mad Dog]

According to live reports, building security confiscated every Benoit sign in the crowd at tonight's taping in San Antonio.

Good, they should've fucking punched those people in the face afterwards if they were pro-Benoit signs.

[sek69]

So who were the two co-workers Benoit was sending the text messages to? One obviously was Chavo, but who was the second person?

[Bix]

I would guess Malenko.

[Bix]

http://www.wstm.com/Global/story.asp?S=6714550&nav=2aKD

 

Dead wrestler was client of company in steroids probe

 

Associated Press - June 26, 2007 10:05 PM ET

 

ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) - A professional wrestler who killed himself and his family was a former customer of a company implicated in an upstate New York investigation of illegal steroid sales.

 

That's according to the Albany County District Attorney's Office, which is conducting the investigation here.

 

Authorities in Fayetteville, Georgia, say today that Chris Benoit strangled his wife, suffocated his 7-year-old son before hanging himself over the weekend.

 

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

 

In Albany, the DA's office confirms the 40-year-old Benoit was a customer as recently as last year of the south Florida company MedXLife.

 

2 of its co-owners pleaded guilty to drug charges in Albany County in April, admitting they helped get prescriptions drugs in 2006 for customers in upstate New York who had no medical need for them. The pair testified Signature Pharmacy of Orlando filled the orders.

 

MedXLife, no longer taking orders, attracted customers through its Web site.

[Mad Dog]

Those text messages pretty well debunk the roid rage and insane defenses.

[Bix]

Well, legally insane, yes.

[Mad Dog]

I don't think either hold a lot of water honestly. Roid rage doesn't explain the lapses between killing his wife and son. If he would've flown off in a rage he would've killed them in one shot. I also find insanity hard to swallow at this point as this all seems extremely calculated on his part.

[Bix]

http://www.news1130.com/news/topstory/arti...626_212836_4500

 

Delta woman says wrestler Chris Benoit had a son with Fragile X syndrome

Tuesday, June 26 - 06:28:36 PM Katharine Kitts

 

DELTA (NEWS1130) - We may never know the reasons behind Chris Benoit's decision to take the life of his wife, young son and himself. However, a Delta woman, who was in contact with the Canadian wrestler a few years ago, said she might have some insight into the family. Pam Winthrope said Benoit's son had a genetic condition called Fragile X syndrome. Winthrope said she has experienced the condition first hand and knows how it can tear a family apart.

 

Fragile X syndrome is an inherited mental impairment. Pam's 12-year-old son has the condition and she said in an effort to shed light on the syndrome, her husband called Chris Benoit about five years ago.

 

She said, "We talked to him because I was trying to set up a support group in BC and in Canada, we only have a couple of them. My husband was struggling when we got diagnosed with our son, and Chris was struggling with his. They talked for a few minutes and then he said he didn't want to be a public face for Fragile X, he just wanted to keep it really, really quiet."

 

Winthrope said she couldn't believe the news that Benoit had taken his life along with his wife and 7-year-old son. She added that families can be torn apart by the disease because it's very difficult to find help and support. She said, "You as a parent have to go out there and find what's available and it's not easy --they don't tell you."

 

Authorities offered no motive for the killings, which were spread out over a weekend, and would not discuss Benoit’s state of mind.

Umm.

[Bix]

"We want Benoit!" chants during Punk-Burke.

 

Holy fuck wrestling fans what the fuck.

 

EDIT: Maybe "We want tables."