----This was posted over at Trent's board a few days back. I just finished reading the issue about Chris Benoit yesterday and it really does paint a picture of a guy that was extremely depressed and disturbed. Below is what was posted, but I highly suggest subscribing to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter to just read his coverage of the Benoit story. I am not a big fan of the newsletter anymore, because of all the MMA coverage, but he did a great job on these issues.
Some of the Highlights or Lowlights
-Dave confirmed he used a form of the Crippler Crossface on Daniel. This is interesting since Bryan was adamant that the story was bullshit. Apparently investigators found marks on the boys arm and neck that they didn't understand and upon watching a tape of a Benoit match and seeing the move it made sense. They just said it was a "choke" as to not further sensationalize an already sensationalized story.
-Dave said Bryan was closer to Benoit (he found his writing hilarious) then he was and that Dave hardly ever talked to Chris (while Bryan seemed to indicate semi regular contact). Thought that was interesting as we rib Bryan about getting all his sources through Dave but I never thought he'd have more access to someone like Benoit then Dave.
-Benoit got a prescription for the anti-depressant Xanax at the doctor's visit on Friday.
-Benoit started going downhill after Eddy died because he lost the one guy who he could confide in and shared his problems with. Apparently close friends always knew Benoit had the same problems as Eddy (pills, etc.) and suggested Benoit seriously needed to see a therapist but no one suggested it since he wasn't the type to be open to that sort of thing.
-Apparently the death of Johnny Grunge hit Benoit even harder then Eddy since they were neighbors and him and Nancy fighting was somewhat common and he'd be the one to come over and defuse situations and make Chris laugh. After he died, Chris didn't have that buffer when things got out of control.
-Chris and Nancy had recently separated for a period of time, and Dave received a change of address form for an apartment different then their house (I believe Bryan mentioned he got a different address too).
-Chris recently opened up a new life insurance claim naming his ex-wife and his older 2 kids as the beneficiaries and refused to include Nancy or Daniel.
-When there were rumors of him leaving for TNA, Dave asked him about it and Chris was paranoid thinking Dave had inside info that WWE was going to release him. He apparently may have thought ECW was a demotion and the next step would be out the door. He was reportedly obsessed with establishing himself at the HHH/HBK level. He had grown increasingly paranoid that someone was out to get him and didn't let Nancy leave the house at night or Daniel to play outside and would take different routes from the airport home each time in case he was being followed.
-Nancy confided to a friend in wrestling days before the murders that she feared for her life and the friend told her to go take Daniel to her parents place in Florida (as she had done before when Chris became violent) but she didn't this time. Apparently she had a lockbox at the bank with notes indicating if something happened to her, it was Chris.
-Theory is that she told him she was leaving him for good and taking Daniel and that's when he snapped on her. Loved his son and when she filed for divorce all he wanted was joint custody. Theory is he killed Daniel because in his mind he couldn't bare to let him be alone without his parents and in his condition so it was a "mercy killing".
-Someone in WWE informed Dave before the RAW show that Chris had killed them, but others in the company were unaware but at least someone high up knew before the tribute show was put on the air.
-Dave says he can't write a proper obit/career retrospect and doesn't know if he ever will.
-Nancy visited Dr. Astin on Thursday asking questions about how she could raise Daniel on her own.
-Dave gave a description of the common profile of men who kill their whole families and it was eerily similar to Benoit (hard working, driven, experienced a loss, a few friends but no real support system, anxiety, etc."
-Said Chris was constantly anxious about something. When he was at home he was worried about wrestling, when wrestling he was worried about his family.
-How's this for eerie. When Vince called all the guys in the ring before RAW to give the news, the stage had been decorated with a casket, reefs, candles with Vince's picture, etc. like a funeral. Talent was told to bring dark suits like a funeral to the taping. I'm sure that was a blast. Vince apparently handled it really well, told anyone who wanted to go home would not be disciplined but guys were basket cases and trying to think of some rationalization (carbon monoxide, etc.)
-Regal was a neighbor of Benoit's and Grunge and would have known about the home troubles so that sheds some light on his "tribute".
***CLICK HERE on full details of subscribing to the WON.
