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
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.
