Nonbinary teen Nex Benedict left handwritten notes suggestive of self-harm before dying by suicide, according to the final autopsy result which found no lethal trauma despite head injuries from a school fight a day earlier.
An initial one-page summary earlier this month had listed the 16-year-old’s cause of death as a suicide from a combined toxicity from a combination of an antidepressant and antihistamine.
The full report released Wednesday says that no lethal trauma was discovered despite several head injuries, including contusions, lacerations, abrasions and hemorrhages, according to the Washington Post.
Benedict — who used they/them pronouns — also had nonlethal injuries to their neck, torso and limbs, according to the pathologist, Dr. Ross Miller.
The student overdosed on Feb. 8, a day after getting into a fight with three girls inside a bathroom at Owasso High School in Oklahoma, where they were targeted by bullies over their gender identity, their family has said. 3 Nex Benedict, who was nonbinary, died by suicide last month. AP
The manner of death is not a legal determination of culpability or intent, as such decisions are outside the scope of the medical examiners role,” Miller wrote, according to the Oklahoman.
The full autopsy report notes that the teen suffered bipolar disorder, depression, anxiety, self-harm (cutting), chronic tobacco abuse and chronic marijuana abuse.
Handwritten notes that are suggestive of self-harm were found in the decedents room by family and provided to law enforcement, the 11-page report said, according to the Washington Post.
Last week, Tulsa County District Attorney Steve Kunzweiler announced that he would not file any charges in connection with Benedict’s death or the fight that preceded it.
He described the altercation as one of “mutual combat.”
Benedicts family has said the teen was bullied for being nonbinary and disputed earlier findings that the death was a suicide.
They hired attorney Jacob Biby, who released a statement from the family citing passages from the full autopsy report, saying they contradict allegations of the assault on Nex being insignificant, according to the outlet. 3 Benedict got into a fight with three girls the day before their death. AP
The Medical Examiner found numerous areas of physical trauma over Nexs body that evidence the severity of the assault, according to the statement, which argued that the injuries should not be overshadowed by the ruling of a suicide.
Biby and schools spokesman Jordan Korphage declined to comment to the Washington Post on Wednesday.
LGBTQ advocacy groups have called for outside investigations into the death.
There is no report that absolves those in leadership from their failures, Nicole McAfee, executive director of Freedom Oklahoma, told the outlet.
Nex Benedict should still be alive, and the least we can do in Nexs memory is to take urgent action to address the continued hostile school environments, she said. 3 People participate in a march for Nex Benedict at the state Capitol in Oklahoma City, on March 14. BRYAN TERRY/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK
The Human Rights Campaign has filed a complaint with the US Department of Education Office of Civil Rights, which is investigating allegations of sex-based harassment and discrimination in the school district.
The national group also has called for the department to investigate Ryan Walters, state superintendent of schools and an opponent of LGBTQ rights, as well as his department.
The full report does little to fill in the gaps in information about that day or the more than a year of bullying and harassment that led up to it. It does not answer the questions of so many in Oklahoma and across the country, Human Rights Campaign leader Kelley Robinson said.
She noted that the autopsy report does not change the fact that LGTBQ+ students in Oklahoma are not safe at school, according to the Washington Post.
If you are struggling with suicidal thoughts, you can dial the 24/7 National Suicide Prevention hotline at 988 or go toSuicidePreventionLifeline.org.