Christopher Michael Benoit was a Canadian professional wrestler who was described by World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) as "a favorite among WWE fans for his unbelievable athleticism and wrestling ability." He was a two-time world champion. Both of his world title reigns were represented by the Big Gold Belt. In 2004, he won the World Heavyweight Championship.

However, all was not so good in Benoit's life. On June 22, 2007, Chris Benoit murdered his wife Nancy and their 7-year-old son Daniel; he subsequently committed suicide with a weight machine on June 24, 2007.

On June 25, 2007, police entered Benoit's home on a "welfare check" after several missed appointments caused concern. The officers discovered the bodies of Benoit's family.

Toxicology reports released on July 17, 2007 revealed that at their time of death, Nancy had three different drugs in her system, all of which were found at the therapeutic rather than toxic levels. Daniel was found to have Xanax in his system, which led the chief medical examiner to believe that he was sedated before he was strangled. Benoit was found to have Xanax, hydrocodone, and an elevated level of testosterone caused by a synthetic form of the hormone in his system. The chief medical examiner attributed the testosterone level to Benoit possibly being treated for a deficiency caused by previous steroid abuse or testicular insufficiency.

After the double-murder suicide, former wrestler Christopher Nowinski contacted Benoit's father, suggesting that years of trauma to his son's brain may have led to his actions. Tests were conducted on Benoit's brain by Julian Bailes, the head of neurosurgery at West Virginia University, and results showed that "Benoit's brain was so severely damaged it resembled the brain of an 85-year-old Alzheimer's patient." He was reported to have had an advanced form of dementia, similar to the brains of four retired NFL players who had suffered multiple concussions, sank into depression, and harmed themselves or others. Bailes and his colleagues concluded that repeated concussions can lead to dementia, which can contribute to severe behavioral problems.