Benoit's Dad Seeks Reason ; Awaits Toxicology Report

Jun 30, 01:15 PM

Current Headlines: By HARRY R. WEBER, THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

ATLANTA The father of pro wrestler Chris Benoit said Friday that he was eager to see whether chemical tests can help explain why Benoit killed his wife and son and committed suicide, acts the wrestler's father said he had no clue were coming.

Michael Benoit said by phone from his home in Canada that his family is shocked and in disbelief over the slayings.

"We have no understanding of why it happened," he said. "We need some time to gather our thoughts and wait and see. There's still more information that's going to come out from toxicology tests that will give us some understanding of why this happened."

Anabolic steroids were found in Chris Benoit's home in an Atlanta suburb, leading officials to wonder whether the drugs played a role in the killings, which took place last weekend. Some experts believe steroids can cause paranoia, depression and violent outbursts known as "roid rage."

The wrestler strangled his wife and 7-year-old son, placing Bibles next to their bodies, before hanging himself on the cable of a weight machine in his home, authorities said. No motive was offered for the killings.

Investigators had not yet discovered the bodies Monday when someone altered Benoit's Wikipedia entry to mention his wife's death, authorities said.

An anonymous user with the same IP address as the person who made the edits confessed early Friday on an online discussion page attached to the Web site, saying the changes were based on rumors and speculation, not hard evidence.

The authenticity of the posting could not immediately be confirmed.

"I just can't believe what I wrote was actually the case, I've remained stunned and saddened over it," the user wrote.

According to Wikinews, an online news source connected to Wikipedia, the Internet protocol address of the individual is identical to that of the user who edited Benoit's profile early Monday morning. An IP address is a unique series of numbers carried by every machine connected to the Internet.

Benoit's page on Wikipedia, a reference site that allows users to add and edit information, was updated at 12:01 a.m. Monday, about 14 hours before authorities say the bodies were found. The reason he missed a match Saturday night was "stemming from the death of his wife Nancy," it said.

Wikipedia confirmed the authenticity of the time stamp and said the entry was made by someone using an IP address registered in Stamford, Conn., where World Wrestling Entertainment is based. The anonymous user acknowledged being from Stamford, but claimed no connection to WWE.

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