Oklahoma prosecutors will not press charges in Nex Benedict case

Prosecutors in Oklahoma say they will not pursue charges in the death of Nex Benedict.

Nex was a 16-year-old nonbinary student whose death last month was ruled a suicide. They had been injured in a fight with high school classmates the day before.

Nex, who used both he/him and they/them pronouns, had been targeted by bullies in the months leading up to their death because of their gender identity, according to their family.

Bullying someone to attempt or complete suicide is a felony in Oklahoma, reported member station KOSU. But Tulsa County District Attorney Steve Kunzweiler says the fight was not one-sided and there's not enough evidence to press charges.

"Based upon the investigation of the Owasso Police Department, I am in the agreement with their assessment that the filing of juvenile charges is not warranted," Kunzweiler said in a press release Thursday. "From all the evidence gathered, this fight was an instance of mutual combat. I do not have a reasonable belief that the State of Oklahoma could sustain its burden of proof beyond a reasonable doubt if charges were presented for prosecution."