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Owasso police officers suspected foul play was involved in Nex Benedict’s death, affidavit says

A search warrant that was executed on Feb. 12 shows what Owasso police collected from the high school amid their investigation

Owasso police officers suspected foul play was involved in Nex Benedict’s death, affidavit says

A search warrant that was executed on Feb. 12 shows what Owasso police collected from the high school amid their investigation

JESS. ALL RIGHT, DAMON, THANK YOU. REMEMBERING THE LIFE OF NEXT BENEDICT, A 16 YEAR OLD STUDENT FROM OWASSO WHO DIED EARLIER THIS MONTH. NEXT WAS NONBINARY, MEANING THEY DID NOT IDENTIFY EXCLUSIVELY AS MALE OR FEMALE. AND THIS WEEKEND, SEVERAL COMMUNITIES ARE HOSTING CANDLELIGHT SERVICES IN THEIR MEMORY STARTING TONIGHT AT SAINT ANDREW’S CHURCH IN STILLWATER AT 6:00. THEN TOMORROW AT 630 AT POINT A GALLERY IN OKC. STUDENTS AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS ALSO SAY THEY ARE PLANNING A PEACEFUL WALKOUT MONDAY MORNING AT OWASSO HIGH SCHOOL IN SUPPORT OF THE LGBT COMMUNITY THERE. AND WE’RE ALSO LEARNING SOME NEW DETAILS ABOUT THE INVESTIGATION INTO NECSA’S DEATH. KOCO JUST RECEIVING THE SEARCH WARRANT THAT WAS WRITTEN BY A OWASSO POLICE. THERE AT THE HIGH SCHOOL. WE DO WANT TO WARN YOU THESE DETAILS MAY BE DISTURBING. NEXT. BENEDICT PASSED AWAY EARLIER THIS MONTH, A DAY AFTER A FIGHT IN THE SCHOOL BATHROOM. NOW, DOCUMENTS SAY THE MORNING THE 16 YEAR-OLD DIED, THEIR MOM CALLED 911, SAYING NEXUS HANDS WERE CURLING, EYES WERE ROLLING BACK. THEY HAD SHALLOW BREATHING AND THEY WERE COMPLAINING OF A HEADACHE. NEXT WAS RUSHED TO THE E.R. AND LATER DIED. A PRELIMINARY REPORT FROM THE MEDICAL EXAMINER HAS NOT SAID HOW NECKS HAS DIED, ONLY THAT THEIR DEATH WAS NOT CAUSED BY TRAUMA OF OFFICERS LATER RETURNED TO THE SCHOOL TO TAKE PHOTOS AND SWABS OF THE BATHROOM WHERE THE FIGH
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Owasso police officers suspected foul play was involved in Nex Benedict’s death, affidavit says

A search warrant that was executed on Feb. 12 shows what Owasso police collected from the high school amid their investigation

Newly released court documents say Owasso police officers suspected foul play in the death of Nex Benedict, the nonbinary 16-year-old student who died in early February after getting into a fight at the high school.NOTE: The details from the affidavit are disturbing. Also, KOCO 5 is using they/them pronouns for Nex Benedict, but this article uses direct quotes from court documents, which use she/her/daughter.The affidavit states that around 3:30 p.m. on Feb. 7, Owasso police responded to Bailey Medical Center's emergency room after a parent wanted to speak to an officer about an assault that happened at school. The mother indicated that she didn't want to file charges at the time but asked the officer to talk to the school about the issues between students. | MORE | Police release preliminary autopsy information on death of 16-year-old Owasso High School studentAround 2:50 p.m. on Feb. 8, Sue Benedict called 911 asking for medics for her 16-year-old. The affidavit states that the teenager was posturing and that their hands were curling, their eyes were rolling back and had shallow breathing.Sue Benedict "described her daughter getting into a fight at school yesterday where she hit her head on the bathroom floor," according to the affidavit. She also told the officer that the school advised her that "she may need to take her to the hospital because she was complaining of a headache."| MORE | Candlelight service to honor Nex Benedict in Oklahoma CityOwasso medics initiated CPR on the teenager and took them to St. Francis hospital around 3:20 p.m. on Feb. 8, "where she was later pronounced dead.""Owasso Police Officers suspect foul play involved and need to initiate an in-depth investigation into the death of the decedent and believe any relevant information held by Owasso Public Schools is necessary to do so," the affidavit says. A search warrant also shows that on Feb. 12, five days after the fight, police took 137 photos of the school and girls' bathroom where it happened, two swabs from stains found in the bathroom and records and documents of the students involved in the fight.| MORE | Parents of Owasso High School student who died correct errors of misidentifying their childOn Feb. 21, the Owasso Police Department issued an update saying preliminary information from an autopsy report conducted by the State Medical Examiner's Office indicates that Nex Benedict did not die as a result of trauma. The official autopsy report will be released at a later date. Police added that other comments on the cause of death are pending until toxicology results and other ancillary testing results come back.Nex Benedict's death has gained international attention, with the White House issuing a statement saying violence in schools will not be tolerated. A GoFundMe page set up to help their family has raised more than $120,000 as of Friday afternoon. Top Headlines Police investigating after 3 shot at convenience store in northeast Oklahoma City OKC family's fake story about toddler dialing 911, prompting SWAT response gets millions of views Police release preliminary autopsy information on death of 16-year-old Owasso High School student Passengers describe 'chaotic' moments after man tries to open emergency door on flight Police: 19-year-old Oklahoma State University student killed in hit-and-run was using crosswalk

Newly released court documents say Owasso police officers suspected foul play in the death of Nex Benedict, the nonbinary 16-year-old student who died in early February after getting into a fight at the high school.

NOTE: The details from the affidavit are disturbing. Also, KOCO 5 is using they/them pronouns for Nex Benedict, but this article uses direct quotes from court documents, which use she/her/daughter.

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The affidavit states that around 3:30 p.m. on Feb. 7, Owasso police responded to Bailey Medical Center's emergency room after a parent wanted to speak to an officer about an assault that happened at school. The mother indicated that she didn't want to file charges at the time but asked the officer to talk to the school about the issues between students.

| MORE | Police release preliminary autopsy information on death of 16-year-old Owasso High School student

Around 2:50 p.m. on Feb. 8, Sue Benedict called 911 asking for medics for her 16-year-old. The affidavit states that the teenager was posturing and that their hands were curling, their eyes were rolling back and had shallow breathing.

Sue Benedict "described her daughter getting into a fight at school yesterday where she hit her head on the bathroom floor," according to the affidavit. She also told the officer that the school advised her that "she may need to take her to the hospital because she was complaining of a headache."

| MORE | Candlelight service to honor Nex Benedict in Oklahoma City

Owasso medics initiated CPR on the teenager and took them to St. Francis hospital around 3:20 p.m. on Feb. 8, "where she was later pronounced dead."

"Owasso Police Officers suspect foul play involved and need to initiate an in-depth investigation into the death of the decedent and believe any relevant information held by Owasso Public Schools is necessary to do so," the affidavit says.

A search warrant also shows that on Feb. 12, five days after the fight, police took 137 photos of the school and girls' bathroom where it happened, two swabs from stains found in the bathroom and records and documents of the students involved in the fight.

| MORE | Parents of Owasso High School student who died correct errors of misidentifying their child

On Feb. 21, the Owasso Police Department issued an update saying preliminary information from an autopsy report conducted by the State Medical Examiner's Office indicates that Nex Benedict did not die as a result of trauma. The official autopsy report will be released at a later date. Police added that other comments on the cause of death are pending until toxicology results and other ancillary testing results come back.

Nex Benedict's death has gained international attention, with the White House issuing a statement saying violence in schools will not be tolerated. A GoFundMe page set up to help their family has raised more than $120,000 as of Friday afternoon.


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