According to authorities Chris Benoit, a professional wrestler smothered his 7-year-old son and strangled his wife than he later hung himself in his weight room. After murdering his wife and son he placed Bibles at their sides.
The deaths were ruled a double homicide and a suicide. An investigation is being conducted to see if steroids were a factor in the deaths.
There were prescription anabolic steroids found in the home as well as other legal prescriptions.
Steroid abuse has been linked to depression, paranoia, and aggressive behavior or angry outbursts known as "roid rage."
"There was a lot of prescription medication that he had received from doctors with what we believed to be at this time legal prescriptions," said Lt. Tommy Pope of the Fayette County Sheriff's Department.
Nancy Benoit was found in an upstairs family room. Her legs and wrists were bound and their was blood under her head. According to Fayette County District Attorney Scott Ballard Nancy died of asphyxiation on Friday.
Daniel, the Benoits' son died of asphyxiation sometime on Saturday morning, Ballard said. The seven year old boy was found in his bed upstairs. Their were Bibles placed at both of their sides.
Benoit was found in the basement. He was hanging from the pulley of a weight machine. He was estimated that he died sometime late Saturday or Sunday.
In May of 2003 Nancy had filed for a divorce
saying their three-year union was irrevocably broken and alleging "cruel treatment."
Later she dropped the complaint. She also dropped a restraining order. She had charged that Benoit had threatened her and had broken furniture in their home.
The World Wrestling Entertainment wrestler canceled a pay-per-view appearance at the "Vengeance" event in Houston because of "personal reasons" a day before the trio were found dead.
The bodies had been found on Monday at their home.
Because of text messages from Benoit the police went to the home to investigate.
"The sheriff's department will only confirm that he sent one text message sometime around 4:30 a.m. Saturday, and I know that the WWE is saying that he sent several others, which is what prompted them to contact the sheriff's office to go do a welfare check at the house," Saeed Ahmed of the Journal-Constitution told FOX News.
World Wrestling Entertainment had been contacted by friends about
"several curious text messages sent by Benoit early Sunday morning
Authorities have asked the WWE to not release and further information about the deaths.
