It's been almost two decades since the most controversial day in wrestling history. Chris Benoit was one of WWE's biggest stars in 2007 when he took the life of his wife, his son, and later himself.

The news rocked the wrestling world, and it is still yet to fully recover. That a loved and respected professional could do such a thing seemed unfathomable, and many questions will remain unanswered forever.

Friends, family and fans all mourned Benoit's wife, Nancy, and his seven-year-old son Daniel, while trying to understand what had snapped in the ex-wrestler's head. The person left in the hardest position imaginable was his other son, David.

The Chris Benoit Tragedy

Over the course of the weekend spanning the 22nd to 24th of June 2007, Benoit murdered Nancy and Daniel before hanging himself from the weight machine in his suburban Atlanta home.

The man nicknamed 'The Rabid Wolverine' was scheduled to appear at a WWE event on the Sunday but cancelled, citing an undisclosed 'family emergency'. Authorities were prompted to carry out a wellness check after Benoit sent 'several curious text messages' to friends.

His body, along with his wife and son, was found on the Monday. Investigators believe Benoit killed Nancy first, before his son. Both died from asphyxiation.

Even 19 years later, a lot of details surrounding Benoit's motivation are unknown and are likely to stay that way. An autopsy revealed his brain showed evidence of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). However, there is no way of proving the role it played in his actions.

David Benoit Recalls His Father's Murder and Suicide

Speaking to Chris Van Vliet in 2020, David opened up on the harrowing reality of what his father did to his stepmother and half-brother. David, who was 14 at the time, is still convinced something went seriously wrong in Chris' head that day.

"It wasn’t him, man. It definitely wasn’t. He would never do that, I know he wouldn’t. I think something terribly went wrong. The doctor said he had CTE. That’s what, at the beginning, gave me some closure. It just made my life a little easier, didn’t have to think about it. He had CTE. I don’t think it was him."

The now 33-year-old admitted that he struggled to believe it at the time and even punched a police officer. "I didn’t believe it for days, bro. I think the day it really hit me was his funeral. That was a hard day, that was a super hard day," he explained.

David's last-ever conversation with his dad came on Father's Day 2007. "We were just laughing and getting ready to make plans for the summer. I got to say ‘I love you’ one last time to him,” David said while welling up. "It feels good to get it off my chest. It feels good. I’ve never spoken about it."

Eddie Guerrero, Benoit's best friend, had passed away from heart failure in November 2005, and several people close to him have described how much it impacted him.

"That played a role. That took a toll on him, man, when Eddie passed away? That man was his best friend," David claimed.

Despite originally hosting a tribute show on the same day the news of his death was reported, WWE haven't mentioned Benoit's name ever since the truly shocking details came to light.

But David would like the company to recognise the professional achievements of his father, and even said he wants him in the Hall of Fame. He said: "I would like the WWE to remember him, at least for the good times. I want him in the Hall of Fame."

What David is Doing Now

David posted a picture from backstage at an All Elite Wrestling show alongside Chris Jericho, Adam Copeland (Edge) and Christian in 2026. It sparked speculation about a potential future in the business, as he'd discussed following in his dad's footsteps previously.

However, Fightful Select's Sean Ross Sapp suggested that he'd been told wrestling isn't for David. He explained during a Questions & Answers session:

Despite this, David still loves the sport, and is welcome at both AEW and WWE, as Sapp continued: "He did do an interview with Chris Van Vliet where he spoke very candidly about his life, and does seem to really enjoy watching wrestling and being around at shows. He’s always been welcomed at WWE and AEW from what I’ve heard."

He had spoken to Van Vliet about wrestling under the name 'Chris Benoit Jr' if he had his own way. It's hard to imagine any of the top companies would allow that, however.