More details have come out about the case involving the tragic death of Nex Benedict.
As we previously reported, the 16-year-old nonbinary teenager passed away earlier this month after being involved in a fight in a bathroom at Owasso High School. Before their death, Nex sent a text message to a family member saying they were “jumped” by three girls who had been “repeatedly beating [their] head across the floor.” They ended up in the ER. During this time, Nex’s grandmother and legal guardian, Sue Benedict, called the Owasso Police Department about the incident. However, law enforcement said the school did not file a report.
Related: Grisly New Details In Murder Of 22-Year-Old Georgia Nursing Student Revealed
Nex ended up being discharged that same day. The following morning, though, they were taken back to the hospital after suddenly collapsing at home. Sadly, they died soon after. Police did not say whether their death was related to injuries sustained from the bathroom attack at first. However, the Owasso Police Department later stated on Facebook that “preliminary information” from the medical examiner’s office indicated that Nex “did not die as a result of trauma” from the fight.
So what happened to them?! Unfortunately, we don’t have all the answers yet. Or any, really. Law enforcement didn’t actually share what did cause the teenager’s death in the statement, noting they are waiting for “toxicology results and other ancillary testing results.” Police added:
“The official autopsy report will be available at a later date. This investigation is ongoing.”
Despite saying Nex didn’t die from the attack, however, OPD spokesperson Lieutenant Nick Boatman told Popular Information that murder charges are still a possibility! Amid Sue’s claim she thought the Owasso Police statement was a “big cover,” Boatman explained to the outlet the authorities only “reached out to the medical examiner’s office to try to head off some of this national scrutiny” around the death of Nex. As for the statement on the medical examiner’s preliminary information? Boatman noted the medical examiner did not explicitly tell him Nex “did not die from something as a result of that fight” — but that was how he had interpreted the comments.
What?!
He further stressed the medical examiner “emphasized they are waiting for toxicology,” which he considered to be “kind of a red flag.” Why? Boatman said he is “assuming when I get that [toxicology report] back, something’s going to be there.” That said, the attack hasn’t been ruled out entirely as the cause of death. An affidavit for a search warrant by Detective Penny Hamrick noted the Owasso Police suspected “foul play” and were investigating Nex’s death as a “murder.” Boatman further told Popular Information that murder charges are still “on the table.”
We’ll see what happens next once the medical examiner determines the official cause of death. Our hearts continue to go out to Nex’s loved ones during this difficult time. Reactions? Let us know in the comments.
To learn more about how you can help the LGBTQ+ community, check out https://www.glaad.org/
[Image via GoFundMe, NBC News/YouTube]
Related Posts
-
Categories
