Authorities investigating a suspected murder-suicide in West Goshen Township, in Pennsylvania, issued a statement on Saturday evening confirming the victims as professional wrestler Charles “Chuck” Williams, who competed as “Rockin’ Rebel” in various wrestling promotions since the late 1980s, and his wife, Stephanie. The statement also included results of the investigation’s initial findings, which shed more light into what might have happened on Friday morning, when the tragic incident took place.
As previously noted by the Inquisitr , multiple wrestling publications had cited industry sources when they identified the male victim as Chuck “Rockin’ Rebel” Williams and the female victim as his wife, but authorities did not confirm these details on Friday, pending notification of the victims’ families. With this information now confirmed, West Goshen police also believe that Williams shot and killed his wife, then turned the gun on himself and committed suicide, based on the investigation’s preliminary findings.
“The decedents were a married couple in their fifties named Charles and Stephanie Williams,” read a statement from the West Goshen Township Police Department, as quoted by PWInsider .
“Both appear to have died as a result of gunshot wounds that occurred sometime in the overnight hours. Initial indications support that Stephanie Williams was shot by her husband. Charles Williams then fatally shot himself.”
I didn’t know Chuck Williams, aka #RockinRebel , well, but I did meet him at a few indie shows. He was always nice and personable. It goes to show you that… https://t.co/A5ZgVIf80N
— Brady Hicks (@bradyhicks) June 1, 2018
A report from Wrestling Inc. published on the same day as the suspected murder-suicide suggested that Chuck Williams was still actively posting on the Rockin’ Rebel Facebook account until a day before the incident. Most of the messages centered on the importance of loving one’s spouse and family, though in the days since news of the crime broke out, several users have taken to the Facebook page and posted negative comments about Williams. Some others, however, replied to the negative posts, asking commenters to show respect for the late wrestler’s children and other family members of the deceased.
“Taking five minutes out of your day to tell/show your other half you love them means the world to them,” read one of Williams’ final posts.
Chuck “Rockin’ Rebel” Williams started his professional wrestling career in 1988, shortly after being trained by WWE Hall of Famers The Rock ‘n’ Roll Express. A few years later, he worked for ECW, as the company transitioned from its old name of Eastern Championship Wrestling to its new Extreme Championship Wrestling name, while also popularizing hardcore wrestling in the U.S., as recalled by Pro Wrestling Sheet .
Additionally, Williams competed for a variety of other promotions in and out of the U.S., and was inducted into the Mid-Penn Wrestling Alliance Hall of Fame in 2015.
