Cause of Death for Owasso Teen Nex Benedict Released by Medical Examiner

Nex Benedict’s cause of death was suicide.

According to KOCO news, that finding came from the medical examiner’s office, which ruled that “the probable cause of death as Diphenhydramine and Fluoxetine combined toxicity. Diphenhydramine is an antihistamine to relieve allergies, and Fluoxetine is an antidepressant.”

Owasso police wrote in a statement on Facebook on March 13, “From the beginning of this investigation, Owasso Police observed many indications that this death was the result of suicide. However, investigators did not wish to confirm that information without the final results being presented by the Oklahoma Medical Examiner’s Office. The Oklahoma Medical Examiner’s report has now been made public. See Oklahoma Medical Examiner’s report for Cause of Death and means. The Owasso Police Department would like to take this moment to inform anyone in crisis or contemplating suicide of the Oklahoma Mental Health Lifeline, just call or text 988.”

In a February 21 update in the case, which has garnered national attention, Owasso police confirmed that a “physical altercation” occurred in an Owasso High School restroom on February 7, the day before Benedict died.

However, “trauma” did not cause Benedict’s death, police wrote.

“While the investigation continues into the altercation. preliminary information from the medical examiner’s office is that a complete autopsy was performed and indicated that the decedent did not die as a result of trauma,” the Owasso Police Department’s statement says.

“At this time, any further comments on the cause of death are currently pending until toxicology results and other ancillary testing results are received. The official autopsy report will be available at a later date.”

However, a police spokesman said police suspected “foul play.”

“We are investigating a crime,” Owasso Police Lt. Nick Boatman told the Owasso Reporter. “The investigator in this case suspected foul play … in reference to the reported assault and battery.” The newspaper reported that police executed a search warrant to collect evidence in the investigation.

According to CNN, Benedict, 16, identified as nonbinary and “advocates point to a heightened and hostile climate against the LGBTQ+ community.”

Here’s what you need to know:

The Owasso Police Department Confirmed There Was a ‘Physical Altercation’ Involving Juveniles at the High School

Since February 7, the Owasso Police Department “has been actively involved in an investigation into a physical altercation that occurred at the Owasso High School and Owasso Public Schools has been cooperative throughout the investigation,” the police statement reads.

“The students involved in the incident were all juveniles and juvenile files are confidential and inaccessible to the public in most circumstances.”

Police provided a timeline that they wrote was based on “reports, records, and statements of witnesses.”

“On February 7, 2024, a physical altercation occurred in a restroom at the Owasso High School West Campus,” police wrote. “The physical altercation was broken up by other students who were present in the restroom and a school staff member who was supervising outside of the restroom.”

All students “involved in the altercation walked under their own power to the assistant principal’s office and nurse’s office,” the police statement reads. “School administrators began taking statements from the students present in the restroom and began contacting parents/guardians of the students involved in the physical altercation.”

Benedict’s mother Sue told The Independent, “I said ‘you’ve got to be strong and look the other way, because these people don’t know who you are.’ I didn’t know how bad it had gotten.”

The Independent reported that Nex was experiencing bullying at school starting in 2023. Sue Benedict told The Independent that Nex was “badly beaten with bruises over their face and eyes, and with scratches on the back of their head.” The fight involved Nex, another transgender student, and three older girls, The Independent reported.

Sue Benedict told the Independent the school did not call an ambulance or the police and suspended Nex for two weeks.

Each Student Involved in the Altercation Received a Health Assessment & Nex Benedict Was Examined at a Medical Center, Police Say

According to Owasso police, “All of the students involved in the altercation was given a health assessment by a registered nurse at the school and it was determined that ambulance service was not required.”

“While it was determined that ambulance service was not required, the school nurse recommended that Nex Benedict visit a medical facility for further examination,” the statement says.

“On the afternoon of February 7, 2024, an Owasso School Resource Officer was assigned to respond to Bailey Medical Center where Nex Benedict was being examined. The School Resource Officer interviewed Nex and their parent concerning the altercation at the Owasso High School,” the statement says.

“The following morning, the School Resource Officer followed up with the parent,” it reads. “On the afternoon of February 8, 2024, Owasso Fire Department medics were dispatched to a medical emergency involving Nex Benedict, who was transported to the St. Francis Pediatric Emergency Room where they later died.”

The statement does not provide further details about the nature of the medical emergency.

According to CNN, Nex’s family said in a statement: “We urge those tasked with investigating and prosecuting all potentially liable parties to do so fully, fairly and expediently.”

Benedict’s family shared the teen’s final text messages with Fox 23. “I got jumped at school 3 on 1 had to go to the ER,” Benedict wrote. Benedict wrote, “If I’m dizzy or nauseous in the morning I might have a concussion.” Asked why Benedict was jumped, the teen responded, “They had been bullying me and my friends and I got tired of it so I poured some water on them and all 3 came after me,” according to Fox 23.

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