Chris Benoit family's 'drug cocktail'
July 18, 2007 06:17am
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- Chris Benoit tested positive for testosterone
- His wife and son had also taken prescription drugs
- Unclear whether Benoit gave his family the drugs
WRESTLER Chris Benoit had a cocktail of drugs in his body when he murdered his wife and son, and even his seven-year-old son tested positive for anti-anxiety pills.
Benoit killed his wife and son, placed Bibles next to their bodies and then hanged himself on the cable of a weight machine in the family home.
According to Associated Press (AP), investigators have confirmed Benoit's body contained elevated levels of testosterone, as well as the anti-anxiety drug Xanax and the painkiller hydrocodone. However, he tested negative for alcohol.
Benoit's seven-year-old son Daniel was found to have Xanax in his system when he died, AP reported, and the wrestler's wife, Nancy, also tested positive for prescription drugs.
She had Xanax, hydrocodone and the painkiller hydromorphone in her body, according to AP.
It is unclear whether Benoit was reponsible for giving them Xanax or the other drugs before he killed them.
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation, which performed the drug tests, said it could not test Daniel Benoit for steroids or human growth hormones because of a lack of urine.
AP had earlier reported that anabolic steroids were found in Chris Benoit's home, which fuelled speculation about whether the drugs caused him to snap.
There is some evidence that steroids can cause paranoia, depression and violent outbursts - known as "roid rage."
According to AP, Dr Kris Sperry said the results do not show whether steroids played a part in the killings last month at the Benoits' suburban Atlanta home.
Authorities have charged Benoit's doctor, Dr Phil Astin, with improperly prescribing painkillers and other drugs to two patients other than Benoit. He has pleaded not guilty, AP reported.
Investigators have raided Dr Astin's office several times since the deaths, seizing prescription records and other documents.
Before he was charged, Astin told AP he prescribed testosterone for Benoit, who was a longtime friend.
According to AP, Dr Astin would not say whether he prescribed any medication to Benoit when the wrestler visited his office on June 22, the day authorities believe Benoit killed his family.
http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,22093823-2,00.html
