Fayetteville, Georgia- Superstar wrestler Chris Benoit sent “several curious text messages” to friends before taking his life in the Fayette home where his wife and 7-year-old son lay dead, Benoit’s employer, World Wrestling Entertainment said on its Website Tuesday.

Police late Monday called the deaths a murder-suicide.

WAGA-TV reported investigators believe the 40-year-old Benoit killed his wife, Nancy, and son, Daniel, over the weekend, then himself on Monday.

Police have not said how the three died. The bodies were found in three rooms. Autopsies were planned for Tuesday.

“The details, when they come out,” said Fayette County District Attorney Scott Ballard, “are going to prove a little bizarre.”

WWE spokesman Richard Hering said on the company Website that “several curious text messages sent by Benoit early Sunday morning prompted concerned friends” to contact the wrestling company, which then asked Fayette County sheriff’s on Monday to go to Benoit’s Green Meadow Lane home and check on the family.

Authorities initially had trouble getting to the home because of two large German shepherds on the property, the WWE said. Sheriff’s deputies were standing guard at the home on Tuesday morning, keeping back the media and the curious.

Benoit failed to appear at Saturday’s live wrestling event in Beaumont, Texas., and at WWE’s “Vengeance: Night of Champions” in Houston Sunday night. WWE said Benoit had a “family emergency.”

As news of the death’s spread, the wrestling blogosphere erupted in disbelief.

“Obviously, all sorts of speculation are running rampant but I have talked to so many people and nobody really knows,” said Bryan Alvarez, who runs Figurefour Weekly, a wrestling newsletter and Web site, from Linwood, Wash.

The WWE issued a statement Monday night:

“Chris was beloved among his fellow Superstars, and was a favorite among WWE fans for his unbelievable athleticism and wrestling ability. He always took great pride in his performance, and always showed respect for the business he loved, for his peers and towards his fans. This is a terrible tragedy and an unbearable loss. WWE extends its sincere condolences and prayers to the Benoit family and loved ones in this time of tragedy.”

A native of Canada, Benoit maintained a residence in metro Atlanta from the time he wrestled for the now-defunct Ted Turner-owned World Championship Wrestling organization.

He began his career in Calgary more than 20 years ago and had wrestled in Japan before moving back to North America.

While working in Atlanta with WCW, he met his wife, Nancy, who managed several wrestlers and went by the stage name, “Woman.”

At the time, her then-husband drew up a script that had the couple involved in a relationship as part of an ongoing storyline.

Soon after, the two became romantically involved in real life and married. Benoit has two other children from a prior relationship.

He joined WWE in 2000, and four years later, won its world heavyweight championship.

The family had moved into the Fayetteville neighborhood last summer, said neighbor Alaina Jones.

None of the neighbors recalled seeing police at the house before. Monday night, about half a dozen cars idled on the circular driveway. Deputies stood guard outside the wrought-iron gates of the residence. A car full of youngsters who stopped to gawk at the scene were pulled out by deputies, frisked and sent on their way.

The Monday night broadcast of WWE’s “Raw” on the USA Network was supposed to have been a who-dunit into the “death” of Chairman Vince McMahon, whose limousine burst into a fiery explosion moments after he stepped into it after a bout in Wilkes-Barre, Pa., two weeks ago.

The organization scrapped the storyline following Benoit’s death, and instead televised a three-hour retrospective on Benoit’s career.

Staff writer S. A. Reid and the Associated Press contributed to this report.

FAYETTEVILLE, Ga. — Details of the deaths of pro wrestler Chris Benoit, his wife and their 7-year-old son may seem “a little bizarre” when released to the public, a prosecutor said.

Authorities were investigating the deaths at a secluded Fayette County home as a murder-suicide and were not seeking any suspects outside the home.

Fayette County District Attorney Scott Ballard told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, “The details, when they come out, are going to prove a little bizarre.”

Those details may emerge after the completion of autopsies scheduled for Tuesday.

Investigators believe Benoit, killed his wife and son over the weekend and then himself sometime Monday. The bodies were found Monday afternoon in three different rooms of the house on Green Meadow Lane, in a subdivision off a gravel road about two miles from Whitewater Country Club.

The autopsies were scheduled to be done at the Georgia Bureau of Investigation Crime Lab in DeKalb County.

Ballard told The Associated Press a gun was not used in any of the deaths. But he declined to say how the three died.

“We’re pretty sure we know, but we want to confirm it with the crime lab,” Ballard said early Tuesday.

Fayette County Coroner C.J. Mowell did not immediately return phone calls. The answering service for his funeral home said he was out of town.

World Wrestling Entertainment said on its Web site that it asked authorities to check on Benoit and his family after being alerted by friends who received “several curious text messages sent by Benoit early Sunday morning.”

Pope said the three were found about 2:30 p.m., but he would release no other details about the deaths.

Stamford, Conn.-based WWE also said on its Web site it had further information on the deaths of Benoit, 40; his wife, Nancy, 43; and son, Daniel, but had been asked by authorities not to release it.

Benoit, a native of Canada, was born in Montreal. He was a former world heavyweight champion, Intercontinental champion and held several tag-team titles over his career. He was known by several names including “The Canadian Crippler.”

“WWE extends its sincerest thoughts and prayers to the Benoit family’s relatives and loved ones in this time of tragedy,” the federation said in a statement on its Web site.

Benoit was scheduled to perform at the “Vengeance” pay-per-view event Sunday night in Houston, but was replaced at the last minute because of what announcer Jim Ross called “personal reasons.”

Benoit maintained a home in metro Atlanta from the time he wrestled for the defunct World Championship Wrestling.

The WWE canceled its live “Monday Night RAW” card in Corpus Christi, Texas, and USA Network aired a three-hour tribute to Benoit in place of the scheduled wrestling telecast.

Benoit’s wife managed several wrestlers and went by the stage name, “Woman,” The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported.

They met when her then-husband drew up a script that had them involved in a relationship as part of an ongoing story line on World Championship Wrestling, the newspaper said.

Benoit has two other children from a prior relationship.

From wwe.com: World Wrestling Entertainment was informed today [Monday] by authorities in Fayette County, Ga., that WWE Superstar Chris Benoit, his wife, Nancy, and his son were found dead in their home. Authorities are investigating, but no other details are available at this time.

Instead of its announced programming for Monday on USA Network, WWE aired a three-hour tribute to Chris Benoit.

Chris was beloved among his fellow Superstars, and was a favorite among WWE fans for his unbelievable athleticism and wrestling ability. He always took great pride in his performance, and always showed respect for the business he loved, for his peers and towards his fans. This is a terrible tragedy and an unbearable loss.

WWE extends its sincere condolences and prayers to the Benoit family and loved ones in this time of tragedy.