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OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) After weeks of waiting, the full autopsy report for the Oklahoma teen who died after being in an altercation at school is released.
A summary autopsy report was released March 13, more than a month after the death of nonbinary 16-year-old Nex Benedict, a student at Owasso High School. Family members said Benedict had been bullied at school and the teenager’s death in February drew concern from LGBTQ+ rights groups, as well as attention from Oklahoma’s governor and the White House.
In a 911 call on Feb. 8, Sue Benedict the teen’s grandmother and legal guardian had expressed concern about a head injury. The teenager 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 last month.
The preliminary autopsy stated the cause of death was suicide.
The complete report goes into more detail about how the coroner came to this conclusion.
The detailed report shows Benedict had diphenhydramine, fluoxetine, norfluoxetine, and trace amounts of dextromethorpha, and norchlorcyclizine in their system.
Fluoxetine is FDA-approved for major depressive disorder (for patients eight years and older), obsessive-compulsive disorder, panic disorder, bulimia, binge eating disorder, premenstrual dysphoric disorder, and bipolar depression as well as treatment-resistant depression when used in combination with olanzapine.
It also has several non-FDA-approved indications. This activity outlines the indications, mechanism of action, dosing, important adverse effects, contraindications, monitoring, and toxicity of fluoxetine, so providers can direct patient therapy to optimal outcomes in combating psychological conditions for which it is indicated.
Diphenhydramine – perhaps known most commonly as its brand name formulation Benadryl – is a first-generation H1 receptor antihistamine that is used extensively for the treatment of seasonal allergies, insect bites and stings, and rashes.
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, a pathologist in the medical examiner’s office, wrote in the autopsy report.
Past medical history included bipolar disorder, depression, anxiety, and self harm, chronic tobacco abuse, and chronic marijuana abuse. The report goes on to show that handwritten notes that are suggestive of self-harm were found in Benedict’s room which were provided by the family and given to law enforcement.
