According to lead investigator Lt. Tommy Pope, of the Fayette County Sheriff’s Department, in Fayetteville, Ga., the deaths of WWE Superstar Chris Benoit, wife Nancy and son Daniel were the result of a double murder-suicide, WWE.com has learned.

Benoit failed to appear both at Saturday’s live event in Beaumont, Texas, and WWE’s Vengeance: Night of Champions in Houston Sunday night, after informing WWE of a family emergency. Several curious text messages sent by Benoit early Sunday morning prompted concerned friends to alert Richard Hering, VP of Government Relations for WWE, Inc. Hering, in turn, spoke with Fayette County sheriffs Monday, and requested they respond to the Benoit residence to check on him and his family.

Authorities representing the Sheriff’s Department initially had a difficult time entering Benoit’s new Fayetteville home Monday afternoon, which had been guarded by two large German Shepherds roaming freely around the property.

Once authorities entered the residence, they quickly located the bodies of Benoit, Nancy and Daniel. WWE was notified of the discovery at approximately 4 p.m.

At 10 p.m. Monday night, Lt. Pope held a press conference in conjunction with Scott Ballard, the district attorney for Fayette County. The press conference officially ruled authorities’ findings as a double murder-suicide from within the home.

WAGA, a FOX-owned and operated television station in Atlanta, reported that investigators believe Benoit killed his wife and 7-year-old son over the weekend, then himself on Monday.

The three bodies have been received by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation’s crime lab, in Decatur, Ga., where autopsies will be performed Tuesday morning. Toxicology reports will not become available for at least two weeks.

I used to watch wrestling as a kid.. i find this shocking and very sad. My thoughts go out to all families involved.

i used to watch it didnt he dive off the ropes and head but them. and the crossface as well! Is this definitely real?

Not sure what he did m8 as i don't really watch it, yes it's for real http://www.wwe.com/inside/news/benoitupdate

Wow he actually killed his family thats totally disturbing. He had to be off his head on drugs at the time. Just reading a forum on funkypool and they said thaey had to scrap a storyline of vince mcmahon dying so he could pay respect to benoit (not that he deserves it!)

Theres more and more of this stuff going on in the world these days. Parents killing their kids and then committing suicide, its the most selfish and disturbing actions anybody could take.

he does look like a nasty piece of work benoit...

thats because of the steroids wrestlers have to take to give them the muscles. He looked like his veins were popping out of his arms!

If you read the reports you will see the police confirmed immediately that no drugs of any kind were involved in the incident.

No matter what we thought of him as an entertanier, we have to accept nothing "happened" to him.

Simply a sick and twisted mind.

So unfortunate for WWE running that tribute just minutes before finding out what really happened.

The text messages have been released now, chilling indeed.

I last nights announcement on ECW was very classy. Couldn't believe the live crowd though.

twisted and sick.. they will not know about drugs until the toxiology tests come back which may take a couple of weeks.

He did what he did then took the easy way out if there is a god he wont be joining him! The others will though. I wonder whats gonna happen o the wwe next week!

Edit: wwe not wwf

Edited at 21:59 Wed 27/06/07 (BST)

police say that steroids were found inside the benoit house and are investigating wether this had any influence on the murders

they do make you more aggresive so i wouldnt be surprised

maybe so but to kill your own family is still not entirely to do with the drugs!