Search Warrant Served At Owasso School Day After Nex Benedict's Death

While we wait on the official cause of death of 16-year-old Owasso student Nex Benedict, we are getting new details about the Police investigation into the fight at school.

News On 6 obtained a copy of the search warrant filed by police. As News On 6 has been reporting, police say the medical examiner did a complete autopsy on Benedict and the preliminary reports show Benedict did not die as a result of trauma.

Owasso Police said in the beginning they would treat this as a criminal investigation until it was proven otherwise. A judge signed the search warrant less than 24 hours after Benedict died, giving police authority to collect evidence at the school.

Documents say investigators took 137 pictures of the school and inside the bathroom, collected two swabs of stains on the bathroom floor, and retrieved records and documents of all students involved in the altercation. The search warrant says Owasso Police Officers initially suspected foul play was involved, but that was written before the medical examiner did the autopsy.

The search warrant also says the school nurse recommended Benedict go to a medical facility after the altercation because Benedict mentioned having a headache. It says at the hospital, Benedict's mom did call police but said she did not want to file any charges at the time and asked the police to address issues at the school.

The documents also say Benedict's mom called 911 the day after the fight, saying Benedict's eyes had rolled back into their head and was struggling to breathe. Owasso paramedics did CPR on Benedict, who later died at the hospital. Investigators are still waiting on the toxicology report as well as the complete Medical Examiner's report which will show the cause and manner of death and that could still be weeks away.

Tulsa County District Attorney Steve Kunzweiler released a statement on Friday stating that his office will wait to see the results of the investigation before making any decisions.

"The Tulsa County District Attorney’s Office is not an investigative agency. Law enforcement agencies in our jurisdiction conduct investigations and subsequently forward those reports to our office if the agency believes that a criminal / juvenile delinquency charge may be warranted. We review those reports and make decisions based upon the factual information contained within those reports.

This currently is an active law enforcement investigation. As such, we do not comment upon nor do we speculate about what may or may not be a crime. Obviously, the unexpected death of a person, especially a child is a tragedy. A family in our community is grieving and we empathize with their sorrow during this difficult time. While much has been speculated about this child’s death in social media, we will maintain the integrity of law enforcement’s investigation, and allow them to do their job. This community, like any other community in the United States, deserves investigations of any allegation to be professional, objective, and not swayed by sentiments fueled by the passion of emotions which may be misinformed."

Related Coverage:

1. Family Issues Statement About Owasso Student's Identity; Cause Of Death Still To Be Determined
2. Investigation Into The Death Of An Owasso High School Student
3. Funeral Held For 16-Year-Old Owasso Student After Unexpected Death
4. 16-Year-Old Owasso Student Dies At Hospital 1 Day After Fight At High School
5. Owasso Mother Plans Vigil For Nex Benedict With Permission From Family
6. Owasso Student Express Concern After Increase In Threat, Police On Campus
7. Oklahoma Counter-Terrorism Task Force Investigating Threats Made At Owasso Schools