The Wrestler Who Suffered Severe Brain Damage and Killed His Family
Content warning: this article includes graphic descriptions of murder. Read at your own discretion.
“Benoit’s brain was so severely damaged it resembled the brain of an 85-year-old Alzheimer’s patient.” — Dr. Julian Bailes of the Sports Legacy Institute.
I don’t watch wrestling anymore, and I haven’t watched it since my childhood. But I remember the most emotional I ever got over the sport: when Chris Benoit died in 2007 in his Atlanta suburban home. One day, WWE played a tribute to the life of Chris Benoit, his wrestling career, accomplishments, and lasting profound legacy among other wrestlers. Many of them cried on screen and honored the man. To me, Benoit was a legend, one of my favorite wrestlers outside Jeff and Matt Hardy. I still have the chills when I hear Benoit’s theme song.
The day later, that video was erased. I couldn’t find any mention of Benoit on the WWE website. Authorities had just revealed that the cause of Benoit’s death was suicide after killing his wife, Nancy Benoit, and son, Daniel Benoit. Benoit killed himself after killing his family.
Not only that, but multiple news accounts went into a graphic account of how Benoit killed his wife, son…
