The Oklahoma Office of the Chief Medical Examiner has released a complete autopsy and toxicology report in the death of 16-year-old Nex Benedict, which was ruled a suicide.
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. Benedict’s death became a rallying cry for LGBTQ+ advocates who thought the student might have been the victim of a hate crime.
As previously reported, Benedict’s autopsy cites suicide as the cause of death due to combined toxicity of drugs commonly known as Prozac and Benadryl.
“The manner of death is a medical opinion as part of the death certification primarily for the purpose of vital statistics,” the autopsy report states. “The manner of death is not a legal determination of culpability or intent as such decisions are outside the scope of the Medical Examiner’s role.”
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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. If used appropriately, 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 (cutting), and chronic tobacco and marijuana abuse.
The autopsy also details injuries Benedict possibly sustained in the fight but which were not lethal.
It reveals 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. 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 indicates.
The release of Benedict’s full autopsy comes less than a week after Tulsa County District Attorney Steve Kunzweiler said juvenile charges were not warranted in connection with the Feb. 8 altercation.
In this edited video, the officer uses feminine pronouns for the 16-year-old who identified as nonbinary, saying "she essentially started it."
In a statement announcing that decision, Kunzweiler said the evidence he had viewed indicated the fight “was an instance of mutual combat” and he did not have “a reasonable belief that the State of Oklahoma could sustain its burden of proof beyond a reasonable doubt if charges were presented for prosecution.”
Jacob Biby, the attorney representing the Benedict family, said Wednesday that they had no statement in response to the release of the full autopsy.
The family did release a statement earlier this month, however, when the summary report of the autopsy revealed suicide as the cause of death:
“The Benedicts want to ensure other pertinent portions of the report are not overshadowed by the ‘classification’ of Nex’s death. Rather than allow incomplete accounts to take hold and spread any further, the Benedicts feel compelled to provide a summary of those findings which have not yet been released by the Medical Examiner’s office, particularly those that contradict allegations of the assault on Nex being insignificant. As outlined in the full report, the Medical Examiner found numerous areas of physical trauma over Nex’s body that evidence the severity of the assault.”
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