Wikipedia Writer Cops to Posting Dead Wife Entry Before Cops Find Benoit Murder-Suicide Bodies; New Weird Twist Now Under Investigation, Too
ATLANTA (AP), June 29–An anonymous user confessed early Friday to altering professional wrestler Chris Benoit’s online biographical Wikipedia entry to mention the death of Benoit’s wife hours before authorities discovered the bodies of the couple and their 7-year-old son.
An anonymous user with the same IP address as the person who made the Wikipedia edits made the admission 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 wrestling match Saturday night was “stemming from the death of his wife Nancy,” it said.
Wikipedia confirmed the authenticity of the time stamp and said entry was made by someone using an IP address registered in Stamford, Connecticut, where World Wrestling Entertainment is based. The anonymous user acknowledged being from Stamford, but claimed no connection to WWE.
Wikipedia referred all further questions to authorities investigating the deaths. Messages left for Fayette County District Attorney Scott Ballard were not immediately returned Friday.
Benoit strangled his wife and son during the weekend, 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.
Benoit’s father said Friday that everything seemed fine when he spoke with his son on Father’s Day, June 17, eight days before the bodies were found.
Michael Benoit told The Associated Press in a telephone interview from his home in Alberta, Canada, that his family is shocked and in disbelief over the killings.
“His comment to me on Father’s Day: ‘Where am I today?’ He said, ‘Unfortunately I’m on my way to work, dad. I would like to have spent the day with my family.’ That really wouldn’t give you an indication of someone who would do what he did a week later,” the father said.
Michael Benoit said his family has been overwhelmed by the media attention the case has drawn.
“We have no understanding of why it happened,” he said of the killings. “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.”
Also Thursday, federal drug agents said they had raided the west Georgia office of a doctor who prescribed testosterone to Benoit. No arrests were made.
Hours before the raid, Dr. Phil Astin told The Associated Press he had treated Benoit for low testosterone levels, which he said likely originated from previous steroid use.
Among other things, investigators were looking for Benoit’s medical records to see whether he had been prescribed steroids and, if so, whether that prescription was appropriate, according to a law enforcement official speaking on condition of anonymity because records in the case remain sealed.
Astin prescribed testosterone for Benoit, a longtime friend, in the past but would not say what, if any, medications he prescribed when Benoit visited his office on June 22.
WWE attorney Jerry McDevitt said that to his knowledge, no one at the WWE knew Nancy Benoit was dead before her body was found Monday afternoon. Text messages released by officials show that messages from Chris Benoit’s cell phone were being sent to co-workers a few hours after the Wikipedia posting.
On Thursday afternoon, the Wikipedia page about Benoit carried a note stating that editing by unregistered or newly registered users was disabled until July 8 because of vandalism.
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June 29th, 2007 at 9:27 pm
This story is bazaar.
Another family so hurt.
I heard today there was a rumor of his wife and child passing on the internet prior to the police arrival. I heard he was instant messaging ppl, it will be interesting to find out the context of those messages.
June 29th, 2007 at 9:35 pm
Art;
alot of people are saying this wasn’t Chris Benoit’s
character, do we know anything of Nancy’s character. I have not seen her family/friends speak out, could it be possible she harmed the child then Chris lost it? Is the evidence proof positive? According to WWE lawyer she was
finding it difficult to raise the child ‘alone’ and wanted Chris home more.
June 30th, 2007 at 12:56 am
Dear Art,
I find it so hard to believe this guy could kill his own young son, let alone his wife. I heard on the news that Chris Benoit absolutely adored his son. So why would he want to take the life of his own child? A news broadcast said that his wife filed for divorce a couple of years back, then withdrew the whole thing to work out the marriage. This guy had to be mentally ill to begin with, or he was filled with hatred for his wife. I don’t think steroids alone would cause someone to act like this. such a shame, a whole family-gone.
June 30th, 2007 at 1:35 pm
Any ‘BOY’ will also learn something from this ‘YOUNG MAN.’
I encourage parents to ‘LISTEN’ again, and again.
Our children are ‘pure’ genious, (mentally and physically).
Just give them a chance, love them, encourage them and watch them grow.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gquUW1u-BN0
June 30th, 2007 at 3:49 pm
Well, Art, I am highly suspicious of the person/s who wrote that entry at Wikipedia.
Yes, yes, this could be a triple-murder, made to look like a murder/suicide. A spurned fan, someone who is into extended psychological torture, and so on.
Definitely the Wikipedia poster should be found and questioned.
June 30th, 2007 at 3:52 pm
By the way.
The wrestlers are not completely fakes, yes, I too remember Rowdy Roddy Piper, he of the impish grin
The fact that they are prone to die early, also, so many of them suffer such grave, debilitating injuries, testify to that this is a dangerous sport, and certainly … a profession that requires great skill, stamina, and the willingness and ability to take a great deal of pain.
July 2nd, 2007 at 3:50 am
Art I would like to remove some of my post until proven!Please remove this from my first post. (I have not seen her family/friends speak out, could it be possible she harmed the child then Chris lost it? Is the evidence proof positive? According to WWE lawyer she was
finding it difficult to raise the child ‘alone’ and wanted Chris home more.) thank-you
July 4th, 2007 at 6:22 pm
freida, that was nice Mary S.
September 11th, 2007 at 11:04 am
Compounds,
Drugs!!!
Life’s hard enough.
WWIII…poppies?
October 16th, 2007 at 4:49 pm
Who’s the mod here?
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