According to a medical examiner’s report released on Wednesday, March 14, Nex Benedict died by suicide.
On February 7th, Nex Benedict (he/they), a 16-year-old student at Owasso High School, was attacked by three of their classmates and sent to the hospital. He told police that the three students “jumped him” after he threw water on them because they were making fun of Benedict and his friend. Benedict died in the hospital the next day.
A preliminary statement was released by the Owasso Police Department that indicated that Benedict’s death was “not a result of trauma,” but the fight would not be ruled out. The medical examiner’s report stated that the probable cause of death was a “combined toxicity” of a prescription and over-the-counter drug.
In a statement on Facebook following the release of the official report, the Owasso Police Department stated, “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.”
On February 26th, the students at Owasso High School organized a walkout to protest the bullying that has become part of their high school culture. One of the organizers, Kane, who is non-binary, spoke about why this demonstration was so important.
“There’s been bullying issues. This time, the bullying has gone so far that a student has passed,” Kane said. “To me, it doesn’t matter if Nex passed from a traumatic brain injury or if they passed from suicide. What matters is the fact that they died after getting bullied, and that is the story for so many other students. I’ve been close to ending it myself because of bullying. It’s not new for so many students.”
Kelley Robinson, the president of the Human Rights Campaign, spoke out Wednesday to reaffirm the need for an investigation.
“Nex was failed by so many and should still be here today,” she said in a statement. “We hold their family in our hearts as they grapple with the devastating reality that their beloved child, a teen with a bright future, is no longer making this world a brighter place.”
