More details are emerging about the deaths of Chris Benoit and his wife Nancy and their 7-year-old son Daniel. Lt. Tommy Pope of the Fayette County Sheriff’s Department told ABC News that Benoit had missed several appointments over the weekend, leading concerned parties to ask police to do a “welfare check.” When sheriffs arrived at the Benoits’ home, they found the wrestler, his wife and their son dead. There were no signs of gunshot wounds or stabbing, according to Pope. Authorities are not ruling out other causes, such as poisoning, suffocation or strangulation. Pope told ABC News that his department is looking at this situation as a “possible double murder, suicide.”
Detective Bo Turner confirmed to television station WAGA that the case was being treated as a murder-suicide, but said that couldn’t be proven until evidence was examined by a crime lab. The station said that investigators believe the 40-year-old Benoit killed his wife, Nancy, and 7-year-old son, Daniel, over the weekend, then himself on Monday. A neighbor called police, and the bodies were found in three rooms. Pope said “the instruments of death were located on scene,” but he would not specify what those instruments are or where in the house the bodies were found. Pope added the department is “not actively searching for any suspects outside of the house.”
An autopsy has been scheduled for Tuesday morning at 10 a.m. However, it could be weeks before there is a result.
UPDATE: WWE.com is reporting that the deaths of Chris Benoit, his wife Nancy and their son Daniel earlier today were the result of a double murder-suicide from within the home.
