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Old 07-02-2007, 12:18 PM
Danzig Danzig is offline
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ATLANTA —

The personal doctor of Chris Benoit surrendered to federal agents in Atlanta Monday as investigators probe the deaths of the professional wrestler and his family, FOX affiliate WAGA reported.

Attorney Manny Aurora said his client, Dr. Phil Astin, will speak to the media when he leaves the federal court building. Aurora described this as a meeting and there is no word yet whether Astin is under arrest.

Aurora said Astin was preparing himself in case charges are filed against him.

Federal drug agents have taken over the investigation into whether Astin improperly prescribed testosterone and other drugs to Benoit before he killed his wife and son and committed suicide last month. State prosecutors and sheriff's officials are overseeing the death investigation.

Attorney Manny Arora said he was trying to speak with federal prosecutors about their investigation of Astin.

"It looks like we'll get some results as to arrest, bail, all of those issues today," Arora told The Associated Press. "It may be today, we're not 100 percent sure."

Arora said he had not specifically been told Astin will be charged with a federal crime but he noted that investigators have conducted two raids at Astin's west Georgia office since last week.

"It's just my impression based on the preliminary parts of the investigation being done," Arora said.

A spokesman for the U.S. attorney's office in Atlanta, Patrick Crosby, declined to say Monday whether federal prosecutors were planning any charges.

Fayette County District Attorney Scott Ballard told The AP on Monday he had no plans to file state charges in the case.

Authorities have said Benoit strangled his wife and 7-year-old son, placing Bibles next to their bodies, before hanging himself on the cable of a weight-machine in his home.

Among other things, investigators who conducted the two raids at Astin's office were looking for Benoit's medical records to see whether he had been prescribed steroids and, if so, whether that prescription was appropriate, according to a law enforcement official speaking on condition of anonymity because records in the case remain sealed.

Astin prescribed testosterone for Benoit, a longtime friend, in the past but has not said what, if any, medications he prescribed when Benoit visited his office June 22, the day authorities believe Benoit killed his wife.

Meanwhile, toxicology tests on Benoit's body have not yet been completed, Ballard said.

Anabolic steroids were found in Benoit's home, leading officials to wonder whether the drugs played a role in the killings. Some experts believe steroids can cause paranoia, depression and violent outbursts known as "roid rage."

Ballard said finding a motive in the case remains elusive.

"I think it will always be undetermined as to 'Why?"' Ballard said. "I think it's because there can't be any satisfactory reason why you kill a 7-year-old."
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