Chris Benoit double murder - suicide The Chris Benoit double murder - suicide occurred over a three - day period ending on June 24 , 2007 . World Wrestling Entertainment ( WWE ) professional wrestler Chris Benoit killed his wife , Nancy Benoit , strangled his seven - year - old son , Daniel , and subsequently committed suicide by hanging . Autopsy results showed that Benoit first murdered his wife , Nancy . She was bound at the feet and wrists and died of asphyxiation some time on Friday , Fayette County District Attorney Scott Ballard told a news conference . She was wrapped in a towel and some blood was found under her head but Ballard said there were no other signs of a struggle . The couple ' s son , who also died of asphyxia , was apparently killed as he lay in bed on Saturday morning , hours before Benoit committed suicide by hanging himself in his weight room . Chris Benoit placed copies of the Bible alongside the bodies of his wife and son , as well as a third copy of the Bible on his weight lifting machine . Since Benoit ' s suicide , numerous explanations for his actions have been proposed , including concussions , steroid abuse , and a failing marriage with his wife . The murder led to numerous media accounts , and federal investigation into steroid abuse in professional wrestling . Murder and suicide . Murder of Nancy Benoit . On Friday , June 22 , Chris Benoit killed his wife Nancy in an upstairs office . Her limbs were bound , and her body was wrapped in a towel . A copy of the Bible was left by her body . Injuries indicated that Benoit had pressed a knee into the back while pulling on a cord around the neck , causing strangulation . Blood was also found under her head , suggesting she may have tried to fend off her attacker . However , officials stated there were no signs of immediate struggle . Between the two murders . At about 3 : 30 p . m . EDT on Saturday , June 23 , Chavo Guerrero received a voicemail message from Benoit ' s phone stating that he overslept and missed his flight and would be late for that night ' s house show in Beaumont , Texas . Guerrero called Benoit back and Benoit sounded tired and groggy as he confirmed everything that he had said in his voice message . Guerrero , who was " concerned about Benoit ' s tone and demeanor " , called him back twelve minutes later . Benoit did not answer the call and Guerrero left a message asking Benoit to call back . At 3 : 44 p . m . EDT , Benoit called Guerrero back , stating that he did not answer the call because he was on the phone with Delta Air Lines changing his flight . Benoit stated that he had a stressful day due to Nancy and Daniel " being sick with food poisoning " . A co - worker who often traveled with Benoit called him from outside the Houston airport and Benoit answered . Benoit told the coworker that Nancy was vomiting blood and that Daniel was also vomiting . On Sunday , June 24 , five text messages were sent to co - workers between 3 : 51 a . m . and 3 : 58 a . m . using both Chris Benoit ' s and Nancy Benoit ' s cell phones . Four of them were the Benoit ' s address and the fifth said that the family ' s dogs were in the enclosed pool area also noting a garage side door was left open . During this time Benoit called and left a voicemail for an unknown friend . Benoit later called WWE ' s talent relations office stating that his son was vomiting and that he and Nancy were at the hospital with him . He also stated that he would be taking a later flight into Houston , but would not make the live event in Beaumont . Murder of Daniel Benoit . Daniel Benoit was suffocated and killed in his bedroom , and a copy of the Bible was left by his body . The boy had internal injuries to the throat area , but showed no bruises . Daniel ' s exact time of death is unknown . The reports determined Daniel was sedated with Xanax and likely unconscious when he was killed . A large butcher knife was found underneath Daniel ' s bed , but the knife was not used in either murder . It was later alleged that Daniel had Fragile X syndrome , and that this was the cause of domestic problems in the Benoit family . It was also suggested that needle marks in Daniel ' s arms were the result of growth hormones given to him because Benoit and his family considered him undersized due to Fragile X . Benoit ' s coworker and best friend , wrestler Chris Jericho , stated that from his own research on the condition , the symptoms " fit Daniel to a tee , all across the board . " With regard to those who had publicly stated that they had no knowledge of Daniel suffering from the condition , Jericho said , " If Chris had decided that he wanted to keep it to himself , you wouldn ' t have been able to pry that out of him with anything . " Despite Chris Jericho ' s initial statements regarding Daniel , he later stated in his 2011 book " Undisputed " , " It turned out that Daniel didn ' t have fragile X , but at the time it made sense because I was grasping at straws . " However , District Attorney Ballard later released a statement saying that a source with access to Daniel ' s medical files found no mention of any pre - existing mental or physical ailments . Likewise , Daniel Benoit ' s educators reported that he was on par with other students and not about to be held back as previously thought . Whether Daniel suffered from Fragile X Syndrome has never been officially established . Suicide of Chris Benoit . Chris Benoit , according to District Attorney Ballard , committed suicide by hanging . Benoit apparently used a weight machine cord to hang himself by creating a noose from the end of the cord . When Benoit released the weights — approximately 240 pounds ( 110 kg ) , a total weight six pounds greater than that of Benoit ' s body — the move caused his strangulation . Ballard said the pull - down bar had been removed and Benoit was hanging from a pulley . Discovery of the Benoits ' bodies . On Monday , June 25 , WWE was notified of the text messages sent to Chavo Guerrero and Scott Armstrong . The company asked the Fayette County Sheriff ' s Department to check on the Benoit family . After discovering the bodies , the police notified WWE around 4 : 15 p . m . , informing them that they had discovered three bodies at the Benoit home and the house was now ruled as a " major crime scene " . A suicide note was not discovered during the initial investigation , but a note was later discovered in another Bible that had been included in Benoit ' s possessions that was sent to his first wife . According to Benoit ' s father Michael , " There was a note that was found in a Bible by the mother of Chris ’ s two children ( Martina Benoit ) that lives in Canada . . . The Bible was mixed in with Chris ’ s personal belongings that were shipped to them . He had a hand - written notation in there saying " " I ' m preparing to leave this Earth " " . Possible motives . WWE attorney Jerry McDevitt appeared on " Live with Dan Abrams " on July 17 , 2007 and said that Benoit was prescribed testosterone as part of a treatment for testosterone replacement therapy , which McDevitt said was a common medical practice for people who had used steroids in the past , and had suffered testicular damage as a result . Former wrestler Christopher Nowinski stated that Benoit may have been suffering from repeated , untreated concussions throughout his wrestling career , ultimately leading to an unstable mental state . Nowinski was quoted as saying that Benoit " was one of the only guys who would take a chair shot to the back of the head . . . which is stupid . " Tests were conducted on Benoit ' s brain by Julian Bailes , the head of neurosurgery at West Virginia University , and results showed that " Benoit ' s brain was so severely damaged it resembled the brain of an 85 - year - old Alzheimer ' s patient . " Tests conducted on Benoit ' s brain tissue revealed he did in fact suffer from severe chronic traumatic encephalopathy ( CTE ) , and had brain damage in all four lobes of the brain and brain stem . Bailes and his colleagues concluded that repeated concussions can lead to dementia , which can contribute to severe behavioral problems . Benoit ' s father suggests that brain damage may have been the leading cause of the double murder - suicide . A statement released by WWE dismissed this idea as " speculative " . Nancy Benoit had filed for divorce in May 2003 , allegedly after domestic abuse from Chris , but had withdrawn it in August 2003 . In February 2008 , " The Atlanta Journal - Constitution " ( " AJC " ) reported that Nancy may have suspected her husband of having an affair with a WWE Diva , and that they may have also argued over a life insurance policy . The " AJC " claimed the source was a recently released report from the Fayette County Sheriff ' s Office . Responses . World Wrestling Entertainment . The event was first reported to fans of World Wrestling Entertainment ( WWE ) on their WWE Mobile Alerts Service and posted to their official website soon after . On their website , the company released the following statement : WWE canceled the scheduled three - hour - long live " Raw " show on June 25 ( which , coincidentally , was supposed to be a scripted memorial for the Mr . McMahon character ) , and replaced the broadcast version with a tribute to his life and career , featuring past matches , segments from the " " DVD , and comments from wrestlers and announcers from the " RAW " , " Smackdown ! " and the now - defunct " ECW " brands . Shortly after the program aired , many of the aired comments were posted on WWE . com . It was not until the program was nearly over that reports surfaced that police were working under the belief that Benoit murdered his wife and son before killing himself . The next night , after some of the details of the deaths became available , the company aired a recorded statement by its Chairman Vince McMahon before their " ECW " broadcast : After learning about the full details of his and his family ' s deaths , WWE quickly distanced itself from Chris Benoit : Professional wrestling industry . Numerous individuals in professional wrestling , past and present , commented on the deaths and their aftermath : In 2003 , Benoit had been inducted into the Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame . As a result of the double murder - suicide , his induction underwent a recall election in 2008 . Benoit was retained as a member by a narrow margin . Media . When the news was released about Benoit ' s death , most mainstream news outlets covered the story , including MSNBC and Fox News Channel . Benoit made the cover of " People " magazine . ECW Press announced on July 16 that noted wrestling writer Irvin Muchnick had written a book on the Benoit case , due out in 2008 . At the " Comedy Central Roast of Flavor Flav " in August 2007 , Jimmy Kimmel joked to honoree Flavor Flav that " Chris Benoit is a better father than Flavor Flav " , which drew a shocked , appalled response , and laughs from the crowd . Immediately following the deaths , WWE Classics On Demand , WWE ' s subscription video on demand service , began removing the likeness and mentions of both Chris and Nancy Benoit from archival footage . They eventually returned Nancy to programming , but continue to remove Chris from bi - weekly uploaded episodes of " WCW Monday Nitro " . Government . With Benoit and his death allegedly linked to steroid abuse , WWE is currently under investigation by the United States House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform regarding their talent wellness policy . As of June 2009 Congress has taken no action against either the WWE or any other professional wrestling company . In January 2009 , Henry Waxman , outgoing chairman of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform , requested that the Office of National Drug Control Policy chief , John P . Walters , " examine steroid use in professional wrestling and take appropriate steps to address this problem . " In the letter , Waxman stated " In the first year of WWE ' s testing program , which began in March 2006 , 40 % of wrestlers tested positive for steroids and other drugs , even after being warned in advance that they were going to be tested . " He also wrote about how wrestlers who test positive for performance enhancers receive light punishment and afterwards can often participate in wrestling events . The committee investigation also uncovered how easily wrestlers can secure " therapeutic use exemptions " ( TUEs , permission to take banned substances for medical reasons ) so they can continue performing while using steroids . When Waxman ' s staff interviewed Dr . Tracy Ray , a physician contracted by WWE , Ray claimed there was " shadiness in almost every [ TUE ] case that I ' ve reviewed . " Steroids debate . Background . Steroids were found in the home , leading some media organizations to hypothesize that a steroid - induced rage may be the cause of Benoit ' s actions , as some doctors have linked steroid use to uncontrollable anger , among other psychological issues which include paranoia . WWE released a press - statement , challenging the " roid - rage " claims . One part of the statement reads : Prosecutors in New York investigated the deliveries Benoit received from Signature Pharmacy and MedXLife . com , which sold steroids and human growth hormone ( HGH ) over the internet . Terence Kindlon , the lawyer for MedXLife co - owner Dr . Gary Brandwein , denied allegations that his client ' s company sold steroids to Benoit . Brandwein plead not guilty to six counts in New York state court related to the criminal sale of a controlled substance . According to a report from " Sports Illustrated " , three packages sent to Benoit were from Signature Pharmacy with the first one sent in December 2005 to San Antonio , Texas . The second package was sent on February 13 , 2006 to an address in Peachtree City , Georgia and the third package was sent in July 2006 to Fort Walton Beach , Florida . This followed eleven superstars that were announced in a " Sports Illustrated " steroids investigation that began March 2007 , which included Kurt Angle , Eddie Guerrero , Oscar Gutierrez ( Rey Mysterio , Jr . ) , Paul Levesque ( Triple H ) , Adam Copeland ( Edge ) and Gregory Helms , with both Copeland and Levesque receiving a high amount of steroids . WWE attorney Jerry McDevitt stated that " they believe the facts of this crime do not support the hypothesis that ' roid rage ' played a role in the murders . " They cite evidence of premeditation in addition to the lack of a toxicology report , and the fact that the steroids found within Benoit ' s home were legally prescribed . Dr . Gary I . Wadler who currently serves on the World Anti - Doping Agency ' s Prohibited List and Methods Committee and has served on its Health , Medicine , and Research Committee agreed stating that " that was a premeditated act and that ' s not rage " . Investigators seized both Chris and Nancy ' s medical records . They also have medical records of Mark Jindrak , Hardcore Holly ( Robert Howard ) , Lex Luger ( Lawrence Pfohl ) , Rey Mysterio , Jr . , Buff Bagwell ( Marcus Bagwell ) , and Johnny Grunge ( Mike Durham ) , all of whom were patients of Dr . Phil Astin . The toxicology report on Chris Benoit ' s body was released Tuesday , July 17 , 2007 at 2 : 30 p . m . EDT . Toxicology results . At the press conference held by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation at 2 : 30 p . m . EDT on July 17 , 2007 , it was announced that three different drugs were found in Nancy Benoit ' s system : hydrocodone , hydromorphone and Xanax . All three drugs were found to be at levels investigators considered normal for therapeutic treatment ( as opposed to recreational use or abuse . ) A blood - alcohol level was found at 0 . 184 . Dr . Kris Sperry added it was impossible to say whether any of the blood findings was due to ingestion of alcohol or the post - mortem process . It was also ruled out that Nancy was sedated by Chris before she was murdered . Xanax was found in Daniel Benoit ' s system . District Attorney Scott Ballard noted this was not a drug that would be given to a child under normal circumstances . It is believed that Daniel was sedated prior to being murdered , with Dr . Sperry ruling out that Daniel died of a drug overdose . The GBI , however , said in the press conference that it could not perform tests for steroids or human growth hormones on Daniel because of a lack of urine . Xanax and hydrocodone were also found in Chris Benoit ' s system , at levels investigators called consistent with therapeutic use . Elevated levels of testosterone cypionate were found in his urine ; investigators believed that the level found suggested it had been taken recently . No artificial steroids were found in Chris ' s urine ( with the exception of this testosterone cypionate ) nor was there evidence of GHB , contrary to speculation . Benoit also tested negative for blood alcohol . Dr . Astin . Dr . Philip C . Astin III was the personal doctor for Chris Benoit . Attorneys for Dr . Astin had asked a judge to throw out evidence seized during a raid on Astin ' s office after the death of Benoit and his family . Astin ' s attorney , Manny Arora claimed that the search exceeded authority granted in a search warrant and that authorities seized patients ' records other than Benoit as well as three years of bank records and computers . This comes from Wrestling Observer , a newsletter dedicated to professional wrestling . According to the Associated Press in February 2008 , Astin had been charged with overprescribing medication in a case not connected to Benoit . On January 29 , 2009 , Astin admitted he illegally prescribed drugs , sometimes without even examining the patients first and pleaded guilty to all 175 counts against him . Astin faced a maximum of 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $ 1 million on each count . He was sentenced to 10 years in prison for illegally prescribing medicine to his patients . Wikipedia controversy . A statement regarding Nancy Benoit ' s death was added to the Chris Benoit English Wikipedia article fourteen hours before police discovered the bodies of Benoit and his family . This seemingly prescient addition was initially reported on Wikinews and later on Fox News Channel . The article originally read : " Chris Benoit was replaced by Johnny Nitro for the ECW World Championship match at Vengeance , as Benoit was not there due to personal issues , stemming from the death of his wife Nancy . " The phrase " stemming from the death of his wife Nancy " was added at 12 : 01 a . m . EDT on June 25 , whereas the Fayette County police reportedly discovered the bodies of the Benoit family at 2 : 30 p . m . EDT ( 14 hours , 29 minutes later ) . The IP address of the editor was traced to Stamford , Connecticut , which is also the location of WWE headquarters . After news of the early death notice reached mainstream media , the anonymous poster accessed Wikinews to explain his edit as a " huge coincidence and nothing more . " Police detectives " seized computer equipment from the [ man held ] responsible for the postings " and called the posting an unbelievable " hindrance " to their investigation , but believed he was otherwise uninvolved , declining to press charges . The man had found several rumors on - line which supported his theory about the Benoit " family emergency " as reported in wrestling news ; the IP from which he made the edit in question has been tentatively traced to the Wikipedia entries for Ron Artest , Stacy Keibler , and Naugatuck , Connecticut .