Nex Benedict’s autopsy revealed that the non-binary Oklahoma teen suffered from multiple mental illnesses and abused drugs prior to their tragic suicide.
Nex’s death last month sparked outrage after it was reported that the 16-year-old collapsed one day after a fight with three other girls in the school bathroom at their Owasso high school.
The death of the non-binary 16-year-old sparked a firestorm among LGBTQ activists who accused Owasso Public Schools of ignoring the bullying Nex endured in a state where students can only use bathrooms reserved for their biological sex.
A recently released 11-page autopsy report determined that Nex’s death was a suicide and that the teen had taken a lethal combination of antidepressants and antihistamines.
It revealed that Nex’s medical history included bipolar disorder, depression, anxiety and self-harm through cutting. The report also mentions chronic tobacco abuse and chronic marijuana use.
The autopsy of 16-year-old Nex Benedict revealed that the transgender teen from Oklahoma suffered from multiple mental illnesses and used drugs prior to the tragic suicide.
A recently released 11-page autopsy report determined that Nex’s death was a suicide and that the teen had taken a lethal combination of antidepressants and antihistamines.
According to the autopsy, Nex reported having a headache and seizure-like activity before becoming unresponsive.
The report found that the ‘antemortem history’ included involvement in a ‘physical altercation’, referring to the fight at school.
However, the report found ‘no fatal trauma’, despite Nex listing several head wounds including bruises, cuts, abrasions and bleeding.
According to the autopsy, handwritten notes “suggesting self-harm” were found in Nex’s bedroom by family members who showed the letters to police.
A preliminary summary of the report, released March 13, determined that Nex died due to “combined toxicity” from mixing diphenhydramine and fluoxetine — but did not indicate why the medical examiner believed the overdose was suicide.
But Nex’s relatives issued a statement following the partial release of the teen’s autopsy, saying the full report shows the child had clear signs of “physical trauma.”
“The Benedicts feel compelled to provide a summary of the findings that have not yet been released by the medical examiner’s office,” the family said through their attorney.
“Those who contradict the allegations of the attack on Nex are particularly significant.
“As detailed in the full report, the medical examiner found numerous areas of physical trauma over Nex’s body that evidence the severity of the attack.”
According to the autopsy, Nex reported having a headache and seizure-like activity before becoming unresponsive
The transgender 16-year-old’s death sparked a firestorm among LGBTQ activists who accused Owasso Public Schools of ignoring the bullying Nex endured in a state where students can only use bathrooms reserved for their biological sex
Hundreds of people attended a candlelight vigil for Nex and their family in the nearby city of Tulsa
Police bodycam footage showed Nex describing the attack just two hours later while they were being interviewed by officers at the hospital on February 7.
“I got jumped at school,” Nex told the officer.
“They said something like ‘why are they laughing so much,’ and they were talking about us, in front of us,” Nex added. “So I went up and poured water on them, and all three of them came towards me.”
Nex was released from hospital but was readmitted the next day after the teen began to lose consciousness.
The case became a flashpoint in Oklahoma, where LGBT rights have been vigorously opposed and currently more than 40 bills on the issue have passed through the state legislature, including 14 aimed at changing school policies.
The state schools superintendent, Ryan Walters, blamed “radical leftists” for the backlash, insisting, “There are not multiple genders. There are two. This is how God created us.”
State Senator Tom Woods (left) sparked outrage after calling transgender people “filth” when questioned about the death. State Schools Superintendent Ryan Walters (right) blamed “radical leftists” for the backlash
A walkout for Nex Benedict at Owasso High School on Monday, February 26
“I really see that there is a civil war going on, where the left is really fighting for the soul of our country,” he added.
“They undermine the very principles that made this country great, our Judeo-Christian values and our traditions in this country.”
Oklahoma Senator Tom Woods sparked outrage after calling transgender people “filth” when questioned about the teen’s death.
Insisting that his “heart goes out” to the family, he told a community meeting that “I represent a constituency that doesn’t want that filth in Oklahoma.”