A steroid-fueled tragedy?

July 04, 2007

Investigators have a lot of work to do to unravel the apparent suicide of professional wrestler Chris Benoit and the killing of his wife and child. But already steroid abuse is a prime suspect in the tragedy.

Mr. Benoit's personal doctor, Phil Astin, turned himself in to authorities Monday. Federal agents have raided Dr. Astin's west Georgia office twice and want to know whether he improperly prescribed anabolic steroids, growth hormones and other drugs to Mr. Benoit. Investigators found the drugs in Mr. Benoit's home and want to know whether they played a role in the killings. Steroids are known to cause depression, mood swings and violent outbursts known as "roid rage."

Toxicology tests on the victims may help uncover what happened. Steroid abuse has been linked to wrestling for years, and unlike other professional sports, there is no credible testing program for wrestlers. The senseless and violent nature of the killings surely would seem to suggest psychological damage. Police believe Mr. Benoit strangled his wife and 7-year-old son in their home, placing Bibles next to their bodies, before hanging himself on the cable of a weight machine.

Dozens of suicides among high school and amateur athletes across the country have been attributed to steroid abuse. Teens are particularly vulnerable to the powerful drugs. Last week, Gov. Crist signed into law a pilot program for random testing of participants in high school football, baseball and weight lifting. The program, one of the first of its kind in the nation, will test about 1 percent of the athletes in those sports at 650 schools.

In March, Florida and New York investigators broke up a steroid distribution network that used the Internet to send out the drugs from an Orlando pharmacy. One of the outlets for the drugs, according to investigators, was the Palm Beach Rejuvenation Center in Jupiter. The owner of the center was a prominent booster for the state-champion Jupiter Christian wrestling team. An investigation by the Florida High School Athletics Association could find no link between the team and steroid use, but the association is too close for comfort.

Steroids can cause cancer and major organ damage. The potential psychological damage remains poorly understood. The triple killing in Georgia is a sobering warning about where the abuse might lead.