WSB-TV, Channel 2 in Atlanta, “has obtained” the Benoit home answering machine messages and hyped them into a story. A reader of ProWrestling.net told Jason Powell, who duly posted a link. Bully for Channel 2.
I’m not posting this because I care about credit for a non-story. As I said on this blog a week ago in
“Benoit’s Home Answering Machine Still Had Eddie Guerrero’s Last Messages”
“I’m inclined not to upload the answering machine audio because the only ‘highlights’ are ghoulish” and have “very little forensic value.” The home answering machine messages had been belatedly released to the public as a result of my inquiries about gaps in the record.
I mention this because I hope Jason Powell — as well as other serious wrestling journalists, such as Dave Meltzer and Wade Keller — will start reporting aggressively on what is the real story here: the mysterious lost voicemail on Chris Benoit’s cell phone. Combined with the choice in the sheriff’s report to cut off the explanation of Verizon Wireless’s transactions of cell calls more than 60 calls short of the end of the list — at 1:50 p.m. on Sunday, June 24, a full day before World Wrestling Entertainment called 911 — it makes you wonder if the local investigators are consciously carrying water for WWE, or just having a difficult time finding the bass fiddle hidden in the closet.
Again, I exempt from my criticism Bryan Alvarez, whose Figure 4 site is linking regularly to our reports on this huge developing story. Needless to add, Bryan does so with his inimitable comic rhythm.
Irv Muchnick