WWE champion Chris Benoit, his wife and year-old son were all found dead in their home outside Atlanta on Monday. Police said the “instruments of death” were found at the scene, but would not say what they were, only that they were not stabbed or shot.

Benoit missed a pay per view event on Sunday, citing family reasons. It looks like a murder suicide, although that does not seem to have been definitely determined and it is unclear if Benoit killed his wife and son or if another series of events led to their deaths:

Wrestling star Chris Benoit, his wife, Nancy, and their 7-year-old son, Daniel, were found dead in their suburban Atlanta home Monday. The deaths are being investigated as a possible suicide and double homicide, authorities told ABC News.

Lt. Tommy Pope of the Fayette County Sheriff’s Department told ABC News that Benoit had missed several appointments over the weekend, leading concerned parties to ask police to do a “welfare check.” When sheriffs arrived at the Benoits’ home, they found the wrestler, his wife and their son dead.

There were no signs of gunshot wounds or stabbing, according to Pope. Authorities are not ruling out other causes, such as poisoning, suffocation or strangulation. Pope told ABC News that his department is looking at this situation as a “possible double murder, suicide.”

Pope said “the instruments of death were located on scene,” but he would not specify what those instruments are or where in the house the bodies were found. Pope added the department is “not actively searching for any suspects outside of the house.”

[From ABCNews.com]

Police now say that they think that Benoit killed his wife and son over the weekend and that he killed himself on Monday, but again it sounds like they haven’t finished the investigation:

WWE wrestler Chris Benoit, his wife and son were found dead Monday, and police said they were investigating the deaths as a murder-suicide.

Detective Bo Turner told WAGA-TV the case was being treated as a murder-suicide, but said that couldn’t be confirmed until evidence was examined by a crime lab.

The station said investigators believe the 40-year-old Benoit killed his wife, Nancy, and 7-year-old son, Daniel, over the weekend, then himself on Monday. The bodies were found in three rooms.

World Wrestling Entertainment said on its Web site that it asked authorities to check on Benoit and his family after being alerted by friends who received “several curious text messages sent by Benoit early Sunday morning.”

[AP Article from WFCCourier.com]

Here’s a link to a timeline of known events, including Benoit missing scheduled matches.

This is an incredibly tragic story and our thoughts go out to his family, friends, and fans.

In a 2000 interview with The Edmonton Sun, the former Edmonton, Canada resident and Montreal-born Benoit said that he liked to spend time at home, that Shawshank Redemption was his favorite movie, and that his favorite way to spend a Sunday was “Relaxing at home with my kids.”

Benoit is survived by two children from his first marriage.