It looks like there is a question about who died first — Nancy or Daniel Benoit — in the tragic double-murder/suicide case. Following is an excerpt from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution:
A joint motion filed in the Fayette County Superior Court late last week by the Toffolonis [Nancy Benoit’s family] and Michael Benoit [Chris’ father], the administrator of his son’s estate, seeks a determination of the order of deaths so that estate issues can be finalized.
An initial Probate Court hearing has been scheduled for Aug. 28, but the issue of order of death is expected to be addressed later.
Georgia law stipulates that Chris Benoit is legally considered to have died first in the house. The intent of the “Slayer’s Statute” is to make sure neither the killer nor his heirs profit from their crimes.
Benoit had two children, David and Megan, from a previous marriage to Martina Benoit. As Daniel Benoit’s legal next of kin, they would be next in line for the inheritance.
The story goes on to say that the District Attorney and other authorities involved in the investigation stand by their initial assessment that Nancy died first, then Daniel and finally Chris.
Another interesting note in the case: Aqua Pro pool cleaners visited the Benoit home between 6 and 6:15 on Friday, June 22, and saw all three Benoits alive outside, reporting nothing out of the ordinary. This is noteworthy since Wrestling Observer Newsletter owner Dave Meltzer has previously written that a pool guy had seen Chris and Daniel swimming some time after Nancy was allegedly murdered. UPDATE: The Associated Press has picked up this story, with the only ‘new’ piece of information being that neither Chris nor Nancy Benoit left a will.
