June 26, 2007, 6:14AM
Chris Benoit found dead with family
By DEBBIE NEWBY
Associated Press Writer
© 2007 The Associated Press
FAYETTEVILLE, Ga. — Details of the deaths of pro wrestler Chris Benoit,
his wife and their 7-year-old son may seem "a little bizarre" when
released to the public, a prosecutor said.
Authorities
were investigating the deaths at a secluded Fayette County home as a
murder-suicide and were not seeking any suspects outside the home.
Fayette
County District Attorney Scott Ballard told The Atlanta
Journal-Constitution, "The details, when they come out, are going to
prove a little bizarre."
Those details may emerge after the completion of autopsies scheduled for Tuesday.
Investigators
believe Benoit, (pronounced ben-WAH,) killed his wife and son over the
weekend and then himself sometime Monday. The bodies were found Monday
afternoon in three different rooms of the house on Green Meadow Lane,
in a subdivision off a gravel road about two miles from Whitewater
Country Club.
The autopsies were scheduled to be done at the Georgia Bureau of Investigation Crime Lab in DeKalb County.
Ballard told The Associated Press 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.
Fayette
County Coroner C.J. Mowell did not immediately return phone calls. The
answering service for his funeral home said he was out of town.
World
Wrestling Entertainment said on its Web site that it asked authorities
to check on Benoit and his family after being alerted by friends who
received "several curious text messages sent by Benoit early Sunday
morning."
Pope said the three were found about 2:30 p.m., but he would release no other details about the deaths.
Stamford,
Conn.-based WWE also said on its Web site it had further information on
the deaths of Benoit, 40; his wife, Nancy, 43; and son, Daniel, but had
been asked by authorities not to release it.
Benoit, a
native of Canada, was born in Montreal. He was a former world
heavyweight champion, Intercontinental champion and held several
tag-team titles over his career. He was known by several names
including "The Canadian Crippler."
"WWE extends its
sincerest thoughts and prayers to the Benoit family's relatives and
loved ones in this time of tragedy," the federation said in a statement
on its Web site.
Benoit was scheduled to perform at the
"Vengeance" pay-per-view event Sunday night in Houston, but was
replaced at the last minute because of what announcer Jim Ross called
"personal reasons."
Benoit maintained a home in metro Atlanta from the time he wrestled for the defunct World Championship Wrestling.
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 wrestling telecast.
Benoit's wife managed several wrestlers and went by the stage name, "Woman," The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported.
They
met when her then-husband drew up a script that had them involved in a
relationship as part of an ongoing story line on World Championship
Wrestling, the newspaper said.
Benoit has two other children from a prior relationship.
