For a story about Michael Benoit (Chris’ father) on ABC’s Nightline, click here (ABCnews.com should have video of the appearance up later today, just as they did GMA footage).
In a CBSNews.com story, citing Michael’s appearance this morning on the Early Show, Michael said “Chris Benoit, our son, that was not the person that could have committed the horrendous acts that took place on that weekend in June. We lost our daughter-in-law, we lost our grandson, and we lost our son that we love very much. There had to be something else that contributed to this and we were searching for answers.” On Chris’ diary, Michael said that it “clearly showed that this was a man that really needed some help at that time” and that Chris “seemed very depressed. He seemed depressed by the fact there were so many of his friends that were dying at a very early age. And it also seemed that some of the writings were very troubling, to say the least.” There was no update in the article on whether or not Michael is looking to sue WWE or any other parties, but in interviews thus far, he has seemed clearly disenchanted with a business that allows danger such as shots to the head, etc.
Richard Decker, an attorney for Nancy Benoit’s mother, is quoted in the above story as saying the brain test results “don’t make a lot of difference to us” and that “even if the theories about the effects of continuing trauma on Chris’ personality are accurate, they don’t rule out Chris’ excessive steroid use, which we know he was involved in, as a factor in the murders. In either case, it wouldn’t excuse his conduct.”
PWInsider is reporting that Michael is scheduled to be on Larry King’s show tonight on CNN. I’m sure he’ll be doing more press as well, so if you read or see something, please send it to me or post it in the below comments section…
In a related note, Benoit is quoted in the Palm Beach Post saying (from yesterday’s press conference), “I work for a company that the No. 1 priority in the company is the health and safety of the people that work for us … I only wish that my son was in an organization that had the same values.” Chris Nowinski, in the same article, says, “I certainly was surprised to see that Chris had the most extensive damage of any of the cases that we’ve seen so far, especially because he was so high-functioning professionally at the end of his life.” (Note: The article actually leads with news that the NFL’s recently-suspended Rodney Harrison was getting human growth hormone from the Palm Beach Rejuvenation Center, and closes with an example on how athletes, including wrestlers, can get HGH and other drugs, citing a 2003 case (which was dropped due to lack of evidence) of a man posing as a doctor and running a Tampa medical clinic that allegedly sent “packages” to the Big Show and Ric Flair.)
