WWE star Benoit found dead

Fayetteville, Ga. — Well-known professional wrestler Chris Benoit and his family were found dead inside their house in Fayette County Monday afternoon.

Authorities confirmed that Benoit, his wife, Nancy, and their 7-year-old son, Daniel, were found dead at the home in Fayetteville about 4 p.m.

Officials were investigating the deaths as a murder-suicide.

Lt. Tommy Pope of the Fayette County Sheriff’s Department said results of the autopsies were expected Tuesday.

Benoit, a 40-year-old native of Canada, maintained a home in metro Atlanta from the time he wrestled for the now-defunct World Championship Wrestling. He was a former world heavyweight champion, Intercontinental champion and held several tag-team titles over his career.

Most recently, Benoit fought as part of the World Wrestling Entertainment organization. WWE canceled its live show in Corpus Christi, Texas, Monday night, and its broadcast of “Raw” on the USA Network was a three-hour retrospective on Benoit’s career.

“Obviously, all sorts of speculation are running rampant but I have talked to so many people and nobody really knows (whether the couple was having marital troubles),” said Bryan Alvarez, who runs Figurefour Weekly, a wrestling newsletter and Web site, from Linwood, Wash.

Benoit was scheduled to appear in a pay-per-view title match Sunday night, but was a no-show due to a “family emergency,” the WWE said during the broadcast.

Benoit’s wife managed several wrestlers and went by the stage name “Woman.”

They met when her then-husband drew up a script that had them involved in a relationship as part of an ongoing storyline on World Championship Wrestling.

Soon after, the two became romantically involved in real life and married, Alvarez said.

Benoit has two other children from a prior relationship.