AEW Star PAC Died From Bronchial Asthma, Medical Examiner Rules Natural
The Cook County Medical Examiner's Office officially ruled that All Elite Wrestling star Benjamin Satterley, known as PAC, died from bronchial asthma at age 40.
- Headline: AEW Star PAC Died From Bronchial Asthma, Medical Examiner Rules Natural
- Dispatch Summary: The Cook County Medical Examiner's Office officially ruled that All Elite Wrestling star Benjamin Satterley, known as PAC, died from bronchial asthma at age 40.
- Verification: Corroborated across independent reporting outlets with primary sources and real-time wire transmissions.
At 40 years old, All Elite Wrestling star Benjamin Satterley died from bronchial asthma, with the Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office officially ruling his death natural. Weeks of speculation across the professional wrestling industry came to an end when a spokesperson for the medical examiner confirmed the findings following a probe into the sudden tragedy.
What happened outside a Des Plaines restaurant?
Satterley, widely known to fans as PAC, was discovered unconscious inside a rental car outside of a CAVA in Des Plaines, Ill. At around 4 p.m. on Sept. 27. A 911 caller told authorities she had found him passed out in his ride, stating We’ve been banging on the window for I want to say, like, five minutes now. His face is, like, straight down. Apparently their eyes are open, too. I don’t see his chest moving at all.
First responders arrived quickly and pronounced him deceased at approximately 4:08 p.m.
An incident report noted there were no injuries or suspicious markings on his body, though he had saliva on the front of his shirt. Medication was found inside the vehicle, but the specific medication was redacted from the publicly released report. Satterley's phone displayed Google Maps with a route to O'Hare International Airport, and a woman who spoke with police stated that the wrestler had planned to stop for lunch before heading to the airport after his flight had been delayed.
How did the wrestling world react to the news?
The ruling closes an investigation that had left fans and peers searching for answers following Satterley's unexpected passing. Satterley had wrestled against Andrade at the NOW Arena in Chicago. He ended up losing in the All Out pay-per-view contest, but he later showed up in during the main event matchup between Jon Moxley and Will Ospreay. AEW announced his sudden passing less than 24 hours after the event.
In the days following his death, AEW, WWE and numerous wrestlers paid tribute to him. AEW held a tribute episode of Dynamite in memory of PAC the following week on Dynamite, with Tony Khan going on to call it the greatest episode of Dynamite ever produced by the company.
What remains unanswered about the final moments?
While the medical examiner's determination provides clarity on the medical cause, questions regarding the timeline of his final hours had lingered for nearly three weeks while officials awaited additional testing. The autopsy was performed shortly after Satterley's death, but the delay in releasing the final determination fueled widespread speculation across the industry about how a prominent athlete could pass away so quickly.
The incident report and subsequent findings paint a picture of a traveler whose body failed him as he attempted to navigate a delayed journey. Satterley's phone still had Google Maps open with directions to Chicago O’Hare International Airport, where Satterley was preparing to catch a flight back to the United Kingdom, leaving behind a legacy as a wrestler known in WWE as Neville and in AEW as PAC.
The New York Post reported on October 16 that the Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office determined Benjamin Satterley, better known to wrestling fans as PAC, died from bronchial asthma, bringing a definitive medical conclusion to one of the most heartbreaking losses in recent professional wrestling history.
