The state Medical Examiner's office in Oklahoma concluded that 16-year-old high school student Nex Benedict took their own life on Wednesday, ending a period of speculation that lasted for over a month.
The teenager, who belonged to the Two-Spirit, transgender, and gender non-conforming community, passed away on Feb. 8 after consuming a harmful dose of antihistamines and antidepressants, as outlined in a report acquired by The Hill.
According to Oklahoma law, the complete medical examiner's report will be made public on March 27.
Benedict, a sophomore at Owasso High School in Owasso, collapsed at home on Feb. 8, a day following an incident described by the school district and local authorities as a physical altercation in the girls' restroom at school.
Sue Benedict, who was referred to as mom by Benedict, mentioned that she took Benedict to the hospital directly after the altercation and again the next day. In a video released last month by Owasso Police, Benedict stated that they were assaulted in the restroom on Feb. 7 by three unidentified girls.
In the video, Benedict explained that they splashed water at the girls in response to the girls mocking their and another student's attire, and in turn, the girls punched them.
Sue Benedict mentioned in an interview with The Independent in February that Benedict had been a victim of bullying at school since at least the start of the previous year. The school district attended by Benedict, Owasso Public Schools, stated in a release on Feb. 20 that it followed all necessary procedures following the altercation, which included having the students assessed by a registered nurse and informing parents about the option to file a police report. On Wednesday, Owasso Police revealed that they had long suspected that Benedict's death was a result of suicide.
The authorities explained that throughout their investigation, they noticed numerous signs indicating that the death was due to suicide. However, they refrained from confirming this until the final results were presented by the Oklahoma Medical Examiner's Office. The state Medical Examiner's office in Oklahoma concluded that 16-year-old high school student Nex Benedict took their own life on Wednesday, ending a period of speculation that lasted for over a month. The teenager, who belonged to the Two-Spirit, transgender, and gender non-conforming community, passed away on Feb. 8 after consuming a harmful dose of antihistamines and antidepressants, as outlined in a report acquired by The… it followed all its protocols following the fight, including giving the students involved a health assessment by a registered nurse and informing parents of the option to file a police report.
Owasso Police on Wednesday said investigators had long suspected that the cause of Benedict’s death was suicide.
“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,” police said in a statement.
