Police in Georgia have raided the office of Canadian professional
wrestler Chris Benoit's personal physician, authorities said Thursday.
Astin was a longtime friend of Benoit and said earlier this week he had been
treating the Montreal-born wrestler for low testosterone levels. The
condition likely originated from previous steroid use, said the doctor.
Astin would not say what, if any, medications he prescribed when Benoit
visited his office last Friday -- just hours before the wrestler killed his
wife and son and then hanged himself at their home in Fayetteville.
Anabolic steroids were found in Benoit's home, leading officials to
speculate on whether the drugs played a role in the slayings. Some experts
believe steroids cause paranoia, depression and violent outbursts known as
"roid rage."
World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) dismissed the steroid theory after the
deaths were announced, saying Benoit tested negative for the drug the last
time he was tested on April 10.
On Thursday, WWE owner Vince McMahon urged the public not to assume steroids
were behind the murder-suicide.
"It's all speculation until the toxicology reports come back," McMahon said
on NBC's "Today" show.
Authorities in Georgia, meanwhile, were investigating a link between Benoit
and Signature Pharmacy and MedXLife.com -- a Florida business that sold
steroids on the Internet.
AP reports that prosecutors in upstate New York, who have been investigating
the company's drug sales, said Benoit bought the company's products.
The lawyer for MedXLife co-owner Dr. Gary Brandwein denied allegations that
his client's company sold steroids to Benoit. Brandwein was accused of
signing and sending prescriptions without ever seeing patients. He pleaded
not guilty to six counts related to the criminal sale of a controlled
substance.
Six people have pleaded guilty in the investigation, and 20 more have been
arrested, including doctors and pharmacists.
Jerry McDevitt, a lawyer for the WWE, said the drugs found in Benoit's house
were legitimately prescribed.
"There's no question, none of these drugs are out there, none of these drugs
came from Internet pharmacies," he said.
Also on Thursday, the father of Chris Benoit said a private memorial service
will be held in Canada, but he did not give a date for the service and no
further details were available.
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Benoit had a son, who was a dwarf, that they think was caused by his parents
drug use. Then he goes into a roid rage, binds his trophy wife, then chokes
her to death with his bare hands. Smothers his son, then rigs a hanging
contraption from his weight machine, and hangs himself..............and
there are still people out there that say professional athletes should have
the right to take performance enhancing drugs. I just don't understand,
this madness from Riis, to Tyler, to Floyd, to Benoit. You can turn
yourself into the incredible hulk, with the right mixtures of drugs, but
can't you see it's all madness.