On June 25, 2007, police discovered the bodies of professional wrestler Chris Benoit, his wife Nancy, and their seven-year-old son Daniel. The incident, which is explored in the ‘Behind the Titantron’ series, remains one of the most perplexing aspects of the case. The Wikipedia edit, made at 12:01 a.m. on June 25, stated that Chris Benoit was replaced by Johnny Nitro for the ECW Championship match at Vengeance due to personal issues stemming from his wife’s death.
Wikipedia is an online encyclopedia that relies on collaborative contributions from largely anonymous volunteers. The open nature of the platform allows anyone with internet access to edit articles, subject to certain restrictions. Wikipedia’s editors aim to include information from reliable sources. In the case of the Benoit Wikipedia page, the timeline revealed that within an hour of the initial edit, concerns were raised about the authenticity of the source to support the claim about Nancy Benoit’s death. Subsequent edits added an attribution to “several Pro Wrestling websites,” but this was also considered unreliable information.
The changes to the Wikipedia page caught the attention of website editors, who then requested the original anonymous user for the proper documents to verify the information. According to reports, Wikipedia notified the Fayetteville Police (North Carolina) around 11 a.m., stating that the edits were made on their site at 12:01 a.m. (Eastern Standard Time). While police did not find the bodies of Benoit, his wife, and son until 6.30 pm local time, the Wikipedia entry on the death of Benoit’s wife was updated much earlier – first from a computer apparently in Connecticut, and then an hour later from a computer connected to the internet via Australian provider Unwired.com.au.
The police faced challenges due to the Wikipedia post. Lt. Tommy Pope, a spokesman for the Fayette County, Ga., Sheriff’s Department, expressed frustration at the hindrance it posed to their investigation. Investigators had to invest time and effort to determine if the post was a hoax or if someone had insider knowledge of the tragedy. According to Wikinews, an online news source connected to Wikipedia, the Internet protocol address of the individual was identical to that of the user who edited Benoit’s Wikipedia page early morning on June 27, 2007.
Wikipedia confirmed the authenticity of the time stamp and said the entry was made by someone using an IP address registered in Stamford, Conn., where World Wrestling Entertainment is based. The anonymous user acknowledged being from Stamford but claimed no connection to WWE.
On June 29, 2007, the individual who edited Benoit’s Wikipedia page, identified as Matthew Greenberg, posted a confession on a wrestling news site. Greenberg, a 19-year-old residing in Stamford, allowed detectives to examine his computer and conducted a cooperative interview. He claimed to have posted speculative information based on rumors and was shocked when the tragedy unfolded in reality. Greenberg had a history of vandalizing Wikipedia entries and was known for a racist edit about NBA star Ron Artest.
The investigation into the second Wikipedia edit, traced to an Australian-based internet service provider, was limited, raising questions about the depth of the overall investigation. The connection between the edits and online conversations speculating about Benoit’s absence at the Vengeance pay-per-view adds another layer of complexity. Some individuals in a WWE.com chatroom had discussed Benoit’s wife being dead before the tragedy was publicly known, suggesting that more than one person had speculated about the events.
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Wikipedia reported the bizarre events on Benoit’s entry as follows:
“…one hour later after the first edit reversion, another anonymous edit by 125.63.148.173 using unwiredAustralia.com.au, a wireless Internet service provider, was made adding about the aforementioned personal issues: “Which according to several pro wrestling websites is attributed to the passing of Benoit’s wife, Nancy.” That edit was reverted just under 20 minutes later, with the comment: “Saying ‘several pro wrestling websites’ is still not reliable information.”
Irvin Muchnick, an investigative author who wrote the book “Chris and Nancy: The True Story of the Benoit Murder-Suicide and Pro Wrestling’s Cocktail of Death,” questioned the competence of the investigation into the Wikipedia edits. He raised concerns about whether Matthew Greenberg had inside information and criticized the Stamford police for what he deemed a minimal effort in probing the edits. The timing of when the WWE became aware of text messages from Chris Benoit to Chavo Guerrero Jr. and Scott Armstrong also emerged as a crucial element in the puzzle.
In the early morning hours of Sunday, June 24, Chris Benoit sent cryptic text messages containing only his physical address in unincorporated Fayetteville to fellow wrestler Chavo Guerrero and referee Scott Armstrong. Surprisingly, WWE company executives were only made aware of these messages on Monday afternoon. This raises questions about the timeline of when the WWE learned about the text messages and whether there might be a connection between the text messages and Matthew Greenberg, the individual who edited Chris Benoit’s Wikipedia page.
Muchnick particularly examined the timing of when the WWE became aware of the text messages. He also explored the possibility that the WWE sent someone to the Benoit residence before the bodies were discovered. If this were the case, it could suggest that the WWE knew about Benoit’s news sooner than they admitted, potentially for public relations reasons. The WWE had even run a tribute for Chris Benoit on their broadcast the night after the bodies were found.
Muchnick’s focus in this investigation is on whether Greenberg had any connection with Chavo Guerrero. Greenberg was known for vandalizing Wikipedia entries, but interestingly, he had removed offensive comments from Chavo’s Wikipedia page, leading to speculation about a potential link between them. The insinuation here is that Chavo may have tipped off Greenberg about the text messages.
Muchnick examined the Stanford police investigation of Greenberg, particularly the videotaped interrogation. He questioned the thoroughness of the investigation, pointing out discrepancies and raising concerns about the police’s assurances that Greenberg was harmless. Muchnick obtained the full video of the interrogation after legal challenges, and it can be found on YouTube. The difficulties faced in obtaining the video and the incomplete information provided by the police raised further questions about the investigation’s integrity.
The reporter highlighted the lack of investigation into the Australian edit on Wikipedia, emphasizing the apparent ability of WWE to influence criminal investigations, drawing parallels with a 1980s case involving wrestler Jimmy Snuka. Muchnick questioned whether there was pressure on the Stanford police to dismiss the Wikipedia edits as coincidences quickly and whether the investigation was as thorough as it should have been.
In his book Muchnick probed the story of the massive supplies of steroids and human growth hormone found in Chris’s home ― all prescribed by a “doctor to the stars” who got indicted by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, and all dismissed by a WWE “wellness policy” that promoted everything except its talent’s wellness. The Benoit case led to unprecedented scrutiny of wrestling’s overall health and safety standards, by Congressional investigators and others, and this book is the primary source of what they found and what they should continue to look for.
Several unanswered questions persist: Did Matthew Greenberg guess the information or stumble upon a piece of the truth? Was there any connection between Greenberg and Chavo Guerrero? Did Greenberg have friends or relatives working for WWE or its contractors? What specific language inspired Greenberg’s Wikipedia edit about Nancy Benoit, and from which discussion boards did he gather this information? These questions, Muchnick argues, were not adequately addressed by the police.
The possibility remains that Greenberg made the Wikipedia edit without prior knowledge of the case. However, the uncertainty surrounding these questions and the perceived flaws in the investigation leave room for doubt. Muchnick concludes by inviting viewers to share their thoughts on whether these questions have been sufficiently answered or if further exploration is warranted. The mysterious case of the Wikipedia edit in the Chris Benoit tragedy continues to perplex, raising concerns about the thoroughness of the investigation and the potential for undisclosed connections.
