'It hit my heart': Hundreds turn out for Nex Benedict vigil in Owasso

OWASSO — The collective glow of flickering flames illuminated Owasso’s Redbud Festival Park.

Around 200 people gathered at the downtown park Sunday night to join in a candlelight vigil for Nex Benedict, a 16-year-old Owasso High School student who died earlier this month.

Benedict, who identified as nonbinary and used gender-neutral pronouns, died Feb. 8, one day after being involved in a fight inside a restroom at their school.

Detectives are now investigating details and evidence relating to the Feb. 7 altercation after ruling out trauma as a cause of death, based on preliminary autopsy results from the Oklahoma State Medical Examiner’s Office.

Benedict’s high-profile death has caught the attention of millions across the globe as “speculation and misinformation,” cited by the school district, continue to spread amid public outcry over whether they were the target of a hate crime.

Despite the growing unrest and division surrounding the ongoing case, numerous vigil attendees like Lisa Mahoney paused to reflect on Benedict’s life and legacy.

“It (Nex’s death) hit my heart,” Mahoney told the Owasso Reporter. “With our daughter identifying as nonbinary, it just felt important to come and just be here.”

Mariah Brown, another attendee, added: “I felt compelled to come here tonight because I’m a member of this community … and just wanted to be a part of the communal support for Nex’s family.”

Event organizer Anna Richardson, who owns Prairie Bakeshop in Owasso, wanted to bring concerned citizens like Mahoney and Brown from across the Tulsa area together to honor benedict in a special way.

“I am a mother first and foremost, and losing a child is unimaginable to me,” Richardson told the Reporter. “So being able to have the capacity and the voice in the community and be able to gather the students to have a safe space to talk about this was important.”

Sunday’s gathering played host to several speakers who paid tribute to Benedict and the impact they left on not only their hometown of Owasso but now on thousands of communities throughout the world.

Robin Ingersoll, for example, who dated Benedict, took the stage and reminisced about their time together, using masculine pronouns.

“He was so much more than his transness,” Ingersol told attendees. “As an individual, Nex was one of the strongest and toughest people I have ever met. He could be one of the funniest and sweetest and most thoughtful people, and he would have done anything for someone that he cared about and loved.”

One of Nex’s closest friends, Allison, who declined to use her last name, echoed Ingersoll’s sentiments, also using both masculine and gender-neutral pronouns.

“They were such a brave, talented and playful soul that knew exactly how to light up a room, and it’s a shame that more people didn’t know them,” Allison said. “More than anything, I wish he would walk back into class and everything would be normal again. He was an amazing friend and I love him very dearly. He will always be missed.”

Leaders of regional advocacy groups also graced the spotlight. Olivia Gray, founder and president of Northeast Oklahoma Indigenous Safety & Education, or NOISE, called on attendees, particularly local students, to embrace peace and diversity in honor of Benedict, who was a Choctaw citizen.

“Whether we’re in the same tribe or not, whether we are related by blood or not, we’re all relatives. Everyone’s fallen in love with Nex. … This is your friend. This is your relative,” Gray said. “You demonstrate how to love; you demonstrate how to show acceptance and kindness, because when enough of you do that, the people who hate lose all of their power.”

Olivia Cotter, administrative coordinator at Oklahomans for Equality, added: “We do not have the ability to change anything that happened yesterday, but we can act today. We can comfort the injured and seek better for everyone. As a community, we need to draw close to each other to protect and support our youth.”

Sunday’s event also gave organizations such as NOISE, Free Mom Hugs and the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, or GLAAD, an opportunity to meet with and show support to attendees in need of their services.

Benedict’s legacy — radiated by the glow of Sunday’s outdoor service — will continue to live on in the hearts of many as the world awaits further answers in the ongoing investigation of their death.

The latest update in the investigation revealed police body cam footage in which Benedict explains to an officer the circumstances that led to the fight.

Police released surveillance footage from the hallway at OHS showing Benedict walking to an administrative office following the fight. The agency also released audio of 911 calls made by Benedict’s mother on Feb. 8 and Feb. 9.

The evidence collected from a police search warrant issued to OHS will accompany pending toxicology and other ancillary testing results, in addition to Benedict’s official autopsy report, which will be available at a later date.

Owasso’s vigil was among several across the state held in honor of Benedict in cities like McAlester, Oklahoma City, Tahlequah, Tulsa and Bartlesville. Several others were also held nationwide in places like Washington, D.C.; Boston; Huntington Beach, California; and more.