The full autopsy and toxicology report in the death of 16-year-old Nex Benedict, which was ruled a suicide, was released Wednesday by the Oklahoma Office of the Chief Medical Examiner. The Owasso High School sophomore, who identified as nonbinary and preferred masculine or gender-neutral pronouns, died Feb. 8, one day after a fight in a school restroom. Friends and family said Benedict had been targeted for bullying and harassment at school for several months. Photos: Owasso High School, left, screengrab from Owasso Police Department body camera
The full autopsy and toxicology report in the death of 16-year-old Nex Benedict, which was ruled a suicide, was released Wednesday by the Oklahoma Office of the Chief Medical Examiner.
The Owasso High School sophomore, who identified as nonbinary and preferred masculine or gender-neutral pronouns, died Feb. 8, one day after a fight in a school restroom.
Friends and family said Benedict had been targeted for bullying and harassment at school for several months.
Benedict’s death became a rallying cry for LGBTQ+ advocates in Oklahoma and across the nation who thought the teenager might have been the victim of a hate crime.
The Department of Education has opened an investigation into the Owasso school district.
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LGBTQ+ advocates also have pointed out that Oklahoma has become more hostile to the community in the past couple of years.
- Oklahoma lawmakers passed a law in 2022 requiring that students only be allowed to use the bathrooms that align with their sex assigned at birth
- Passed a law in 2022 banning transgender students from school sports
- Passed a law that banned birth certificate markers different from “female” or “male.”
- In August, Gov. Kevin Stitt issued an executive order requiring state agencies to use limited definitions of female and male.
- In November 2023, the state Department of Education passed a rule mandating that all school staff report any student they know or suspect to be queer or trans to that student’s parents and/or guardians, further limiting access to having safe conversations about being LGBTQ+, two spirit, and gender nonconforming students, even among friends, in a school environment.
In a 911 call on Feb. 8, Sue Benedict — the teen’s grandmother and legal guardian — was concerned about a head injury. Benedict was conscious and alert after the fight a day earlier when they told police about the attack by three girls that occurred after the teen squirted them with water, according to police video released in February.
The summary autopsy said the cause of death was suicide due to a toxic combination of Benadryl and Prozac, the medical examiner said earlier this month.
Full autopsy details
The full report goes into detail about how the coroner came to this conclusion.
The detailed report shows Benedict had Diphenhydramine, Fluoxetine, Norfluoxetine, and trace amounts of dextromethorphan, and norchlorcyclizine in their system.
The document notes that Benedict used the preferred first name, Nex, but the legal document reflects the legal name of the teen.
“In my opinion, based on the circumstances surrounding death and the findings at autopsy, that Dagney Benedict died as a result of diphenhydramine and fluoxetine combined toxicity. The manner of death is suicide,” Ross Miller, MD.
Toxicology report
The full toxicology report notes the concentrations of each drug found in Benedict’s system: between 1.2 and 1.9 mcg/mL of fluoxetine and between 15 and 25 mcg/mL of diphenhydramine, according to Tulsa World.
A therapeutic level of fluoxetine would not exceed 0.5 mcg/mL.
Published research indicates that an excess of 8 mcg/mL of diphenhydramine can be fatal.
The average blood concentration in a fatal diphenhydramine overdose may be as high as 15 mcg/mL.
Fluoxetine can be dangerous at high blood concentrations, especially in combination with diphenhydramine, by inducing a potentially fatal effect known as serotonin syndrome.
The medical examiner’s report references Benedict’s previous medical history, including bipolar disorder, depression, anxiety, self-harm, and chronic tobacco and marijuana abuse, the publication said.
Injuries
The autopsy also details injuries Benedict possibly sustained in the fight, but none of them was lethal. It lists two contusions and hemorrhaging on the right side of Benedict’s head and neck, along with two small lacerations and two abrasions on the right cheek and ear, Tulsa World said.
It also notes scattered abrasions and contusions along the extremities.
Additionally, Benedict’s torso had an abrasion and an abraded contusion likely sustained during resuscitation efforts, the report said, according to the newspaper.
The release of Benedict’s full autopsy comes less than a week after Tulsa County District Attorney Steve Kunzweiler said nobody will be charged in connection with the Feb. 7 fight.
Jacob Biby, the Benedict family attorney, said Wednesday that they had no statement in response to the release of the full autopsy, Tulsa World said.
If you or someone you know needs mental health resources and support, please call, text, or chat with the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline or visit 988lifeline.org for 24/7 access to free and confidential services. Trans Lifeline, designed for transgender or gender-nonconforming people, can be reached at 877-565-8860. The lifeline also provides resources to help with other crises, such as domestic violence situations. The Trevor Project Lifeline, for LGBTQ+ youth (ages 24 and younger), can be reached at 866-488-7386. Users can also access chat services at TheTrevorProject.org/Help or text START to 678678.
