Final Autopsy Report For Owasso Nonbinary Teen Death Released
Authorities have released the full autopsy report for an Owasso High School student who died last month.
Nex Benedict, who identified as nonbinary, died by suicide after a fight in a school bathroom.
The medical examiner’s report released Wednesday shows a combination of over-the-counter and prescription drugs in Benedict’s system.
The report also says Benedict suffered from depression and anxiety, and had a history of self-harm.
Benedict died the day after a fight in a school bathroom with three girls who reportedly picked on them for how they dressed.
Benedict told police they threw water on the girls, and that a fight broke out ending with the girls beating them on the floor until they were unconscious.
Tulsa County District Attorney Steve Kunzweiler has declined to file charges in Benedict’s death, calling the fight “mutual combat.”
But attorneys for Benedict’s family have emphasized the injuries detailed in the report.
Benedict’s death has prompted demonstrations across the country, a federal investigation into Owasso Public Schools and a push to enhance Oklahoma’s criminal laws surrounding bullying.
Norman Holds Election April 2 For Two Races
Voters in Norman will decide next week who will serve seats for city council and the Norman school board.
Matt Peacock and Russell Rice are competing in a runoff for City Council Ward 2, after neither candidate received enough votes to secure a win in February.
Meanwhile, Dawn Brockman and Scott Christian are running for Norman Board of Education Seat 4.
Ahead of Election Day on April 2nd, voters can cast ballots Thursday and Friday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the Cleveland County Election Board.
Oklahoma Claims Millions in Damages from Swadley’s Foggy Bottom Kitchen Amid Legal Battle
Nearly two years into a legal back-and-forth between the State of Oklahoma and Swadley’s Foggy Bottom Kitchen, the state says the barbecue chain owes it millions of dollars in damages.
Swadley’s Foggy Bottom Kitchen signed on to remodel and manage six restaurants in state parks using taxpayer money.
About a year and a half into that contract, a whistleblower told state authorities Swadley’s had been cooking its books so it could overcharge taxpayers.
The state ended its deal and sued Swadley’s for breach of contract in April 2022.
Last month, Swadley’s filed a motion claiming Oklahoma owed the company more than $2.6 million for operations and renovations.
The state responded this week, saying Swadley’s actually owes Oklahoma more than $4.7 million in damages.
There are a bevy of accusations, including overstating the value of remodels, paying managers before the restaurants opened and invoicing the state for uncompleted work.
In addition to the civil suit, the state has filed criminal charges against Swadley’s owner Brent Swadley and two others. Two of them are slated to appear in court on April 4.
Oklahoma Embryos Could Become Victims of Battery, Assault Under New Legislation
A bill that would allow Oklahomans to be charged with battery against an unborn child passed another legislative hurdle.
House Bill 3002, authored by Lawton Republican Rande Worthen, would extend rights to a woman’s unborn child, saying the child could also be a victim of battery, and aggravated assault and battery.
Opponents of the bill expressed concerns about potential impacts on fertility treatments, saying an unlawful use of force could apply in situations where damage occurs to an embryo during treatments.
Moore Republican Darrell Weaver, the bill’s Senate author, says that would be a stretch.
“I cannot connect the dots with that. I really can't. I don't think that has anything to do with what we're doing here," Weaver said.
Concerns sparked from the impacts of a recent Alabama Supreme Court ruling, which defined frozen embryos as children.
The decision prompted fertility clinics to shut down because they feared lawsuits.
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