No charges will be filed in the death of Nex Benedict. Photo: Nex Benedict Obituary page

The Oklahoma Medical Examiner’s Office has released the cause of death of Owasso teenager Nex Benedict, a little over a month after Nex’s death. The probably cause of death was suicide, according to the office.

The examiner has determined that Nex died from diphenhydramine and fluoxetine toxicity. 

Diphenhydramine is an antihistamine, commonly sold as Benadryl. Fluoxetine is a Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor (SSRI) commonly known as Prozac, taken for depression and or anxiety. 

Owasso Police released a statement about the report.

“From the beginning of this investigation, Owasso Police observed many indications that this death was the result of suicide. However, investigators did not wish to confirm that information without the final results being presented by the Oklahoma Medical Examiner’s Office. The Oklahoma Medical Examiner’s report has now been made public. See Oklahoma Medical Examiner’s report for Cause of Death and means. The Owasso Police Department would like to take this moment to inform anyone in crisis or contemplating suicide of the Oklahoma Mental Health Lifeline, just call or text 988.”

The full report will be available on March 22. This is a developing story.

Dana Piccoli is an award winning writer, critic and the managing director of News is Out, a queer media collaborative. Dana was named one of The Advocate Magazine’s 2019 Champions of Pride. She was...