The Professional Wrestler Who Killed His Family Due to the Effects of Steroids

Christopher Michael Benoit was a Canadian
professional wrestler who was described by
World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) as "a
favorite among WWE fans for his unbelievable
athleticism and wrestling ability." He was a
two-time world champion. Both of his world
title reigns were represented by the Big Gold
Belt. In 2004, he won the World Heavyweight
Championship.
However, all was not so good in Benoit's life.
On June 22, 2007, Chris Benoit murdered his
wife Nancy and their 7-year-old son Daniel;
he subsequently committed suicide with a
weight machine on June 24, 2007.
On June 25, 2007, police entered Benoit's
home on a "welfare check" after several
missed appointments caused concern. The
officers discovered the bodies of Benoit's
family.
Toxicology reports released on July 17, 2007
revealed that at their time of death, Nancy
had three different drugs in her system, all of
which were found at the therapeutic rather
than toxic levels. Daniel was found to have
Xanax in his system, which led the chief
medical examiner to believe that he was
sedated before he was strangled. Benoit was
found to have Xanax, hydrocodone, and an
elevated level of testosterone caused by a
synthetic form of the hormone in his system.
The chief medical examiner attributed the
testosterone level to Benoit possibly being
treated for a deficiency caused by previous
steroid abuse or testicular insufficiency.
After the double-murder suicide, former
wrestler Christopher Nowinski contacted
Benoit's father, suggesting that years of
trauma to his son's brain may have led to his
actions. 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." He was
reported to have had an advanced form of
dementia, similar to the brains of four retired
NFL players who had suffered multiple
concussions, sank into depression, and
harmed themselves or others. Bailes and his
colleagues concluded that repeated
concussions can lead to dementia, which can
contribute to severe behavioral problems.