Category: The Squared Circle

Benoit strangled his wife and smothered son

The latest from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution is a report that WWE wrestler Chris Benoit strangled his wife and smothered his son before hanging himself in his weight room.

The couple and their 7-year-old son were found dead Monday in their home on Green Meadow Lane just east of Peachtree City. Nancy Benoit and her son, Daniel, were killed during the weekend and Benoit died Sunday, police said.
The son was found dead in bed. Nancy Benoit was found in the home office. The cause of death for both was ruled asphyxiation.
Benoit is believed to have hanged himself on late Saturday or early Sunday.

The paper also reports that Benoit and his wife had previous marriage problems including some abuse and a separation in 2003.
To me this is such a sad state of affairs. It’s true evidence of a confused and lost world.
Only the king of deception, Satan himself, could lead someone to do something so horrific to their own family members.

Police suggest murder-suicide

Fayette County District Attorney Scott Ballard, who is investigating the deaths of Chris Benoit, his wife Nancy and their 7-year-old son Daniel have suggested things will “are going to prove a little bizarre” when the facts are released to the public.
Autopsies of the three bodies are scheduled for Tuesday morning.
According to the AP, investigators believe Benoit, killed his wife and son over the weekend and then himself sometime Monday. The bodies were found Monday afternoon in three different rooms.
Original reports said the family was found around 4 p.m. but the time was later updated to 2:30 p.m. WWE reports they were notified at 4 p.m.
Ballard told the AP that a gun was not used in any of the deaths. But he declined to say how the three died.
“We’re pretty sure we know, but we want to confirm it with the crime lab,” Ballard said early Tuesday.
From WWE.com:

Benoit failed to appear both at Saturday’s live event in Beaumont, Tx., and WWE’s Vengeance: Night of Champions in Houston Sunday night, after informing WWE of a family emergency. Several curious text messages sent by Benoit early Sunday morning prompted concerned friends to alert Richard Hering, VP of Government Relations for WWE, Inc. Hering, in turn, spoke with Fayette County sheriffs Monday, and requested that they respond to the Benoit residence to check on him and his family…
WWE.com has further information relating to both the investigation and the cause of death, but the Fayette County Sheriff’s Department has requested that WWE.com not release any additional details at this time.

Also from the AP:

The family had moved into the Fayetteville neighborhood last summer, said neighbor Alaina Jones.
None of the neighbors recalled seeing police at the house before. Monday night, about half a dozen cars idled on the circular driveway. Deputies stood guard outside the wrought-iron gates of the residence. A car full of youngsters who stopped to gawk at the scene were pulled out by deputies, frisked and sent on their way.

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 live program. The tribute highlighted many of the great matches Benoit had during his 22 year career (many of which are on the Benoit DVD WWE – Hard Knocks – The Chris Benoit Story) along with thoughts and tributes from many of the WWE Superstars.
Speculation has run wild over the Internet and several have suggested Benoit may have snapped from a number of things including repeated concussions which are known to lead to depression, the death of one of his best friends nearly two years ago – Eddie Guerrero, the wear and tear and stress of the business and the likely use of pain pills and possibly other drug use.
Either way the story is tragic and three individuals are now dead. I pray for his family, including two other children from a previous marriage. He was a great technician in the ring and he will be missed.

Chris Benoit and family found dead

WWE Superstar Chris Benoit, his wife Nancy and a 7 year old son, Daniel were found dead in their Atlanta home earlier today.
According to several sources, the 40-year-old Benoit missed a house show on Saturday night and the Vengeance Pay-Per-View last night due to a “family emergency.”
The family was found around 4 p.m.2:30 p.m. Monday afternoon.
The only news coming from Georgia Police, is that the ‘family was not shot to death’ but they are still investigating.

UPDATE: According to CNN/SI: Lt. Tommy Pope of the Fayette County Sheriff’s Department said the three were found at their home about 2:30 p.m., but refused to release details.
Pope said results of autopsies on Benoit, his wife Nancy, and 7-year-old son Daniel were expected Tuesday.

Read the latest from Google News
More on Benoit from Wikipedia
Incidentally, Benoit was best friends with Eddie Guerrero, from El Paso, who died in November of 2005, after his heart stopped in his hotel room, the night before a huge pay-per-view where Guerrero was expected to win the WWE Championship again.

chris benoit

Bringing light to Africa

Well, I’ve decided Nigeria is not the place for me this year.
I don’t know why (or why not) but I just haven’t had a peace about going back this year with the “Crazy Texas Team” and the CWF.
Maybe God has something else lined up for me – school, another ministry, I don’t know.
But while I was in Nigeria last year, I kept asking myself, “Why is there not more solar power being used.”
Africa is prime for renewable energy sources. We were constantly fighting with the power going out throughout the day or evening and so many others don’t even have the option for electricity.
But now a guy in Houston has put together a new light for Africa, BoGo.
It’s a solar powered flashlight. Seriously. Watch the video:

The flashlights run for 5 hours on a 10 hour charge. What a way to change a continent.
For $25 you can get your own flashlight and Mark Bent will send one of the flashlights to the African charity of your choice or a member of the US Military serving in Iraq or Afghanistan.
I’d like to challenge everyone to buy the flashlight and give it to the “Crazy Texas Team” to take with them at the end of September. I’ve sent an email to a couple people on the team, so hopefully they can sign up and be a partner as well, so everyone that is purchased can get another one sent to the group but until then you can pick another African charity to give your second light to as well.
If you’d like more information, let me know.

Friends of God

We watched Alexandria Pelosi’s documentary, “Friends of God” Thursday night on HBO. The Christian Wrestling Federation was featured for a full 1 min and 50 seconds. I thought it was a very fair portrayal.

Sure I’ve read a number of comments online with people laughing at the idea. But they’ve been doing that for the last seven years.

I believe our spot on the 56 minute documentary was the only one with an actual Gospel presentation. Pelosi said in an interview with the San Fransisco Chronicle that as a “lapsed Catholic” a number of evangelicals tried to convert her to Christianity off camera. I’m sure that was frustrating to her.

What would you have done in her shoes or if she was doing a story on you?

I also thought it was interesting that she said no one really made the connection about her and her mother (Nancy Pelosi) but once Jerry Falwell did he kicked her off his bus. Gotta enjoy that Christ-like love.

More coverage:
Americans United for Separation of Church and State
ABC News

(Photo via Wikimedia Commons)