Benoit Doctor Sentenced

[klunderbunker]

NEWNAN, Ga. -- The personal doctor to a professional wrestler who killed himself, his wife and their 7-year-old son was sentenced to 10 years in prison for illegally distributing prescription drugs to patients.

Dr. Phil Astin, 54, was sentenced Tuesday after pleading guilty Jan. 29 to 175 counts that including illegally distributing prescription drugs.

World Wrestling Entertainment's Chris Benoit killed his family and then himself in 2007 in their suburban Atlanta home. A medical examiner couldn't say whether the steroids Astin prescribed for Benoit played a role in the deaths.

U.S. District Judge Jack Camp said there was no doubt the 54-year-old Astin tried to help hundreds of patients at his western Georgia clinic. But the judge said he could not overlook the fact that two patients died as a result of Astin's misconduct.

Astin pleaded guilty in January to a 175-count federal indictment. He also admitted that prescriptions he issued resulted in the overdose death of a female patient in 2007.

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.

Source: ESPN.com

This has kind of flown under the radar. If my memory serves me right, Benoit's blood found little if any steroids in them, but that doesn't mean that his body wasn't damaged because of steroirds or that they didn't play some role in his death. Obviously since the doctor illegally distributed pills he should be placed in prison or punished however the law prescribes. This I suppose finally puts an end to this story which is what needs to happen. While it's kind of an aftermath piece, does this really mean anything now?

 

[Scott Free]

Source: ESPN.com

This has kind of flown under the radar. If my memory serves me right, Benoit's blood found little if any steroids in them, but that doesn't mean that his body wasn't damaged because of steroirds or that they didn't play some role in his death. Obviously since the doctor illegally distributed pills he should be placed in prison or punished however the law prescribes. This I suppose finally puts an end to this story which is what needs to happen. While it's kind of an aftermath piece, does this really mean anything now?

Well, this is the work of social justice, a crime was committed, the actual criminal, Benoit, was already beyond punishment, so someone else had to pay, hence the doctor was given as a scapegoat, not that he was innocent, but my guess is that there are millions of such doctors around, it might serve as a deterrent for the rest, but for me, as a fan of Chris Benoit and Nancy, it means nothing, there is no closure, and I fear there will never be.

 

[RVD420]

I completely agree.....it does nothing for closure. And to add insult to injury, the good doctor pled guilty to 175 counts, yet only received 10 years. This is disgusting and the punishment definately did not fit the crime.

 

[Shua]

With the amount of media attention the Benoit case was given when the tragedy first struck, I'm surprised nothing happened until now.

I'm sure that, if the sentence was carried out back then, Astin would have gotten more than ten years....but it does absolutely nothing to help the Benoit family (or Nancy's).

 

[Slyfox696]

Source: ESPN.com

This has kind of flown under the radar. If my memory serves me right, Benoit's blood found little if any steroids in them, but that doesn't mean that his body wasn't damaged because of steroirds or that they didn't play some role in his death. Obviously since the doctor illegally distributed pills he should be placed in prison or punished however the law prescribes. This I suppose finally puts an end to this story which is what needs to happen. While it's kind of an aftermath piece, does this really mean anything now?

Benoit's body had testosterone something like ten times the normal level.

Well, this is the work of social justice, a crime was committed, the actual criminal, Benoit, was already beyond punishment, so someone else had to pay, hence the doctor was given as a scapegoat, not that he was innocent, but my guess is that there are millions of such doctors around, it might serve as a deterrent for the rest, but for me, as a fan of Chris Benoit and Nancy, it means nothing, there is no closure, and I fear there will never be.

What kind of closure are you looking for? Benoit was an evil man, killed his wife and son, and the doctor who prescribed him medication illegally is put in jail. How is that not closure? What are you looking for?

but it does absolutely nothing to help the Benoit family (or Nancy's).

Well, modern medical science hasn't figured out how to bring people back from the dead yet, so nothing is going to help the families.

Some people...geez...

 

[Chrisjeffers]

sorry.... I got excited when I read it..... I didn't see this one here....

But still.... I felt good after reading that someone was held responcible to the huge blow to wrestling.....

Mind you there are many that have their hands in that.... But the doctor is someone that should be held responcible....

 

[HBK-aholic]

I just can't put blame on someone else as much as I want to. The doctor should have been jailed regardless of whether Benoit did this, as he was breaking the law. But I see them as completely different, this just doesn't seem to mean anything when it comes to what happened to the Benoit family.

 

[Scott Free]

What kind of closure are you looking for? Benoit was an evil man, killed his wife and son, and the doctor who prescribed him medication illegally is put in jail. How is that not closure? What are you looking for?

I'm looking for the truth. Was it steroids, painkillers, concussions or something else ? We don't know, never will. You can buy that "evil man" simplistic answer if you want, after all, it's the easy way out, and it's all we got, but I rather have the truth, and since that's gone to the grave with Chris, there will not be closure for me.

 

[Chrisjeffers]

I have closure....Its not my family.... I never knew benoit personally... I can't confirm or deny the he was an evil man.... From what I read.... just like all of you.... Beniot was destroyed both mentally and physically....

So who's to blame? When a drunk driver kills someone he still gets charged.... so #1 Benoit was to blame!

2 Vince mcmahon only pushing big guys and not talented guys!
3 doctor that provided him with the means to destroy himself!
4 Jim Ross.... he's the vp of talent relations.... doesn't that make him responcible for
making sure all talent are mentally ok?
5 Bobby Lashley.... Well... every wrestler that would rather make movies or fight in the
UFC....
you don't make a mockery out of a mans passion....

But... when all is said and done... Beniot is dead! And the industry has moved on....
To bad Benoit didn't retire with class..... But many wrestlers haven't....

Want the truth? Well you can't have it! I would like to know the truth about the afterlife too.... But there is no way to finding out! make you best judgement and move on!

 

[Bottom_Line]

I don't think the doctor being sentenced is any sort of closure on the Benoit situation. His charges had nothing to do with the Benoit murders. He was charged with distributing illegal drugs, nothing that can be proven to cause Benoit going nuts. The story doesn't say all the charges but none of them dealt with murder. This can't be closure, because I don't believe that the doctor can ever be blamed for his role. There must be hundreds of doctors country wide that have no problem prescribing drugs illegally. How else would hundreds of athletes get their hands on them?