Tag: suicide

No charges in Nex Benedict case following teen’s death: prosecutor

No criminal charges will be filed against anyone involved in the high school bathroom brawl with nonbinary teen Nex Benedict, who took their own life the following day, an Oklahoma prosecutor said.

Tulsa County District Attorney Steve Kunzweiler said in a statement Thursday he agreed with Owasso police investigators that the fight between Benedict and three girls was an “instance of mutual combat.”


Nex Benedict, who was nonbinary, died by suicide last month. AP

“When I review a report and make a decision to file a charge I must be convinced — as is every prosecutor — that a crime was committed and that I have reasonable belief that a judge or jury would be convinced beyond a reasonable doubt that a crime was committed,” Kunzweiler said.

“From all the evidence gathered, this fight was an instance of mutual combat.”

Speculation ran rampant over whether injuries Benedict suffered from the fight might have contributed to the sophomore’s death. But police said late last month the 16-year-old did not die as a result of trauma.

Kunzweiler also said that authorities found a “suicide note” that was written by Benedict, who went by they/them pronouns.

“An important part of the Owasso Police Department’s investigation was the discovery of some brief notes, written by Benedict, which appeared to be related to the suicide,” Kunzweiler said.

“The precise contents of the suicide note are a personal matter which the family will have to address within the privacy of their own lives.”

But the district attorney added the suicide note did not mention the bathroom fight or other difficulties at school, though Benedict had told family they were picked on at school for “various reasons,” according to the statement.


Benedict got into a fight with three girls the day before their death.
Benedict got into a fight with three girls the day before their death. AP

Kunzweiler said in the days leading up to the fight involving the two groups of students, both sides had been antagonizing each other. Benedict was sent to the hospital following the brawl, but was discharged the same day.

Benedict told a police officer from a hospital bed that the girls had been picking on them and their friends because of how they dressed and laughed. As a result, Benedict said they poured water on them leading to the fight.

The teen was found unresponsive by paramedics on Feb. 8 inside their home before dying at the hospital from what the medical examiner later said was an overdose of drugs.

The district attorney’s office noted both drugs used by Benedict were legally inside the home.

A lawyer representing Benedict’s family said he didn’t expect the family to comment on the district attorney’s statement.

The high-profile case of the student has led to sharp political divisions and a focus on school bullying, particularly against LGBT students.  

With Post wires

If you are struggling with suicidal thoughts, you can dial the 24/7 National Suicide Prevention hotline at 988 or go to SuicidePreventionLifeline.org.

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Tom DeBlass ‘to help’ school bullying victims with new program

Last month, a disturbing video of a 9-year-old girl being beaten by a 15-year-old in Florida emerged on the internet — and it prompted retired MMA fighter and world-renowned Brazilian jiu jitsu teacher Tom DeBlass to put out a call to his 268,000 Instagram followers.

“I posted on social media asking if my followers could connect me to this girl’s mother,” DeBlass told The Post. The fighter hoped to offer the victim martial-arts training.

Then the bullying crisis hit closer to home. Adriana Kuch, a 14-year-old student at Central Regional High School, DeBlass’ alma mater in Berkeley Township, NJ, was beaten up in the hallway at school. Footage of the attack was shared on social media, and she killed herself days later.

“I can’t even understand the level of meanness,” said DeBlass, 40, of Kuch’s attack. “I always want to help, but I am getting sick of saying I am sick of bullying. I said, I have to do something about this.”


Tom DeBlass is punching back at bullying.
Stefano Giovannini

Last month, the father of two teamed up with fellow Brazilian jiu jitsu teacher Shawn Fowler to start Buddies over Bullies, a nationwide antibullying outreach organization that aims to provide “sensible solutions for those being bullied.” DeBlass hopes to connect victims with free jiu jiutsu training and therapy. He will also lead education programs about self defense, coping skills and empowerment.

So far, the New Jersey resident has helped 10 kids in different parts of the country get free jiu jiutsu training. And more than 100 schools have registered to be part of the programs after DeBlass launched a website earlier this week.


Adriana Kuch, 14, took her own life after a video of her being beaten up was put online.
Facebook/Jennifer Ferro

Most recently, he is working with Kailinh Wiley, a Washington teen who was beaten by a classmate that was captured on video last week, and trying to get her training.

He did eventually connect with Jennifer Berrios, whose daughter was in the viral video out of Florida. Berrios’ 10-year-old son was also a victim. Now, the two kids are in their second week of jiu jiutsu, courtesy of DeBlass.

“I’m probably an emotional mom, but every time I see them out on the mat, I am crying. They needed those skills. They are learning self defense,” Berrios, 30, told The Post. “What Tom did was amazing.”


Tom DeBlass hooked up the kids of Jennifer Berrios (pictured in a news segment about the attack) with free jiu jitsu training.
WTVJ

She said her son is more confident while her daughter is getting structure in terms of how to better defend herself.

“Kids shouldn’t be scared at school. What Tom is doing should be a wake-up call to schools, too. How many stories do we have to hear? This is happening to so many children,” said Berrios, whose kids are now doing virtual schooling at home.

DeBlass has always vocal about bullying, self defense and mental health. In his 2021 memoir, he revealed that he had planned to kill himself in college and had been been pushed around as a kid.


Tom DeBlass in action.
Stefano Giovannini

“I know what it’s like to feel hopeless. When I see kids who don’t have those coping skills yet, the papa bear in me comes out. My heart breaks for them,” said DeBlass.

When he started sharing his intentions to start Buddies over Bullies, his inbox filled up with people across the country wanting to be a part of his initiative.

“If I stood up, I knew I’d have support from people. It’s really moving now. The jiu jitsu community has really come together,” said DeBlass. He said he has a network of former military, law enforcement and even some members of motorcycle clubs involved.

Mitch Aguiar, a former Navy Seal who owns Violet Hippie jiu jitsu in Virginia, has offered free training at his academy. “Tom reached out, and I said, ‘I’m in.’ Jiu jitsu is such an effective defense, and it builds confidence,” Aguiar told The Post.


Jennifer Berrios’ daughter was beaten on a bus in Florida by a teenager.
Twitter / @HomesteadSocial

DeBlass said he’s willing to go the extra mile. Even if it means personally intervening with schools and parents if situations aren’t resolved — and abuse continues.

“The last-case scenario is talking to the parents of a bully,” said DeBlass. “But these kids [who’ve been bullied] are taking their lives. They feel like they have no support.”



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Allison Holker’s daughter Weslie reacts to Stephen ‘tWitch’ Boss’ death

Allison Holker’s 14-year-old daughter shared a message two months after the death of her adoptive father, Stephen “tWitch” Boss.

Weslie Fowler returned to TikTok for the first time since Boss’ suicide, and in her clip she filmed herself staring into a mirror with audio of Mac Miller’s song “Surf.”

She captioned the post, “i miss u.” 

Holker, as well as many other TikTokers, flooded the comments section with support.

“I love you babygirl always and forever,” Holker, 35, wrote.

The “So You Think You Can Dance” alum, who also shares 6-year-old son Maddox and 3-year-old daughter Zaia with the late “Ellen DeGeneres Show” DJ, confirmed her late husband’s passing in a heartbreaking statement on Dec. 14.

“I miss you,” she wrote beneath her TikTok video.
sir_twitch_alot/Instagram
Weslie also spoke at Boss’ celebration of life earlier this month.
sir_twitch_alot/Instagram


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Boss is also survived by two other children.
allisonholker/Instagram


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“It is with the heaviest of hearts that I have to share my husband Stephen has left us,” Holker shared. “Stephen lit up every room he stepped into. He valued family, friends and community above all else and leading with love and light was everything to him.

“He was the backbone of our family, the best husband and father, and an inspiration to his fans.”

The “Ellen DeGeneres Show” DJ died by suicide in December.
NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images

Boss took his own life at a nearby motel with a self-inflicted gunshot to his head. He was 40.

The “Magic Mike XXL” star was honored by about 500 people, including DeGeneres, at a celebration of life earlier this month. Mickey Guyton and Andy Grammer performed for the attendees, who also included Wayne Brady, Derek Hough and Loni Love.

Holker confirmed his passing in a heartbreaking statement.
sir_twitch_alot/Instagram

“He chose love, grace and kindness,” the former “Dancing With the Stars” pro said, “and he deserves to be celebrated.”

If you or someone you know is affected by any of the issues raised in this story, call or text the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988.

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Teddy Von Nukem from 2017 Charlottesville rally dies before drug trial

The man who appeared in one of the most haunting images from the 2017 white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia shot and killed himself before standing trial over federal drug charges, according to reports.

Teddy Von Nukem died more than five years after a viral image showed him and others holding tiki torches during an ugly demonstration that descended into violence, the Daily Beast reported.

He was reportedly supposed to appear in Arizona federal court for drug trafficking charges on Jan. 30, but skipped out on the first day and instead shot himself outside his home in Missouri.

The autopsy report, obtained by the Daily Beast, indicated suicide notes were found at the scene for both authorities and his children.

“However handwriting is somewhat inconsistent,” the coroner’s report says.

Von Nukem, 35, was among hundreds that attended the rally on Aug. 12, 2017 that included various white supremacist and neo-Nazi groups, and led to the death of counter-protester Heather Heyer.


Teddy Von Nukem is seen wearing black among other protesters.
Getty Images

Von Nukem denied he was part of any extremist groups that helped organize the “Unite the Right” rally, but was a Donald Trump supporter, according to a Springfield News-Leader report from back then.

“The rally was not a racist rally,” he claimed in 2017. “It was a rally to save our history.”

“I don’t mind showing solidarity with them,” Von Nukem added, arguing white people were at a disadvantage in current society.

Von Nukem can be seen in a photo wearing a black shirt with a tiki torch in hand, according to Tuesday’s News-Leader report.


Neo Nazis, Alt-Right, and White Supremacists march through the University of Virginia Campus with torches in 2017.
Getty Images

Von Nukem was allegedly involved in federal drug trafficking and set to stand trial over it, according to the News-Leader.

He tried to cross into the US from Mexico in 2021 with 15 kilograms of pills that tested positive for fentanyl, the indictment alleges. While he denied knowing the drugs had fentanyl, he admitted to attempting to smuggle in the contraband, the indictment states.

His obituary says he was a married father of five who “enjoyed visiting with people, talking to strangers, meditating, video games and board games, but most of all he loved dancing with each of his daughters every evening when he came home from work,” the News-Leader reported.

“Some people knew Ted and understood he was a different type of fellow and had different views of things, but he would give the shirt off his back if you asked or needed it,” the obit reportedly went on to read.

It appeared that the obit was pulled off the funeral home’s website Tuesday evening. 

After Von Nukem was a no-show at his federal trial, the judge issued an arrest warrant, but when it was discovered he was dead, the case was dismissed, the Daily Beast reported. 

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Kansas theater director found dead after sex abuse allegations

A longtime children’s theater director in Kansas City was found dead on Christmas Eve – days after he resigned amid allegations of sexual abuse.

Jeff Church, 63, who had led The Coterie Theatre for over 30 years, was found dead at his home on Saturday afternoon, the Kansas City Star reported.

The cause of death has not been released.

On Thursday, KKFI 90.1 radio host Mark Manning accused Church on Facebook of assaulting him in 1991 when he was 27.

He came forward by sharing a since-deleted video by Deshawn Young, a Florida-based actor who previously lived in Kansas City, in which he described an assault.

“I am sharing this video testimonial from my friend Dashawn Young. Please be careful. This is very difficult to watch and hear,” Manning wrote.

Mark Manning, a Kansas City radio host, said he was sexually abused in 1991 at age 27.
Facebook/Mark Manning

“My emotional muscle memory was triggered in a way I did not fully expect. I lost it. I became so emotional that I wondered if I could even do my radio show,” he continued.

Manning went on to recount how Church allegedly assaulted him at the director’s home during a party after the production of “Dinosaurs.”

“I found myself pushed back on the bed, his mouth was on my body parts, my clothing seemed to disappear, and very quickly the director had penetrated me,” he wrote.

“It felt like my body was being used. How did this happen?” Manning said, adding that he had heard of many similar accounts of sexual abuse at the hands of the theater honcho.

Actor Deshawn Young posted a since-deleted video on Facebook alleging the abuse he suffered at the hands of The Coterie Theatre Director Jeff Church.
Instagram/@thatsit.thatsme
Young’s post prompted others to speak out about their experiences with the late director.
Instagram/@thatsit.thatsme

Manning told The Star that the sickening acts had been “going on for over 30 years.”

“Most of these people were young theater artists trying to find their way through their theatrical career and a person in a very great authority position of directing them and deciding who gets paid and who gets the job [was] interfering in people’s lives,” he told the paper.

He said that after he shared the lengthy post, three other people reached out to him to share their similar experiences.

On Friday, the Kansas City Pitch first published more shocking allegations against Church from more than a dozen people.

KC Comeaux, an actor who worked for Church in his early 20s, also spoke out on Facebook.

“I was sexually assaulted by Jeff Church. Many of you in Kansas City had no idea of this man’s behavior. Many of you had heard rumors. But I’m here to tell you that he is a predator,” he wrote.

“He has groomed, abused, and assaulted, numerous young men over the course of 30+ years. Myself included,” Comeaux wrote. “…this man, who has used his position of power as an Artistic Director of a renowned children’s theatre, for manipulation and sex exploitation.”

On Saturday afternoon, the theater announced that it had accepted Church’s resignation and planned to investigate the multiple allegations.

“We want you to know that we are taking these allegations extremely seriously and will move forward with the investigation immediately, despite the impending holidays,” it said in a statement.

Instagram/thecoterietheatre

Manning called the lurid matter a “tragedy for our community.”

“I don’t want to see a whole theater company be destroyed because of one person and the horrible things that they did over a long period of time to a lot of different people, both men and women,” he told the paper.

Church’s death comes a month after the Coterie’s executive director, Joette Pelster, died in her sleep at age 71 — a week after she announced her intentions to retire after almost 30 years.

 “Her achievements were many and her impact on the performing arts in Kansas City was immense,” theater rep David Golston told The Star last month.

It has not been confirmed whether others at the theater had known about the allegations against Church, the paper noted.

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Fourth NC State student dead from suicide this semester

The North Carolina State University is grieving after losing another student to suicide on Thursday — the fourth one to take their own life this semester.

In the latest incident, a male sophomore was found dead in a residence hall room at the Wolf Village Apartments, a university spokesperson confirmed to WRAL. 

In total, the university lost five students this semester — four to suicide, and one who was killed in an off-campus car accident, the spokesperson said.

The string of deaths has stunned the school’s student body, who were once again mourning after word spread of the latest death on Friday morning.

“When I heard about the first one, it really hit. Another one happened. Then another happened and one happened yesterday. I don’t know what to do anymore,” senior Jodie Horne told WTVD.

A week ago the university hosted a campus-wide Wellness Day for students. Classes were canceled and students were encouraged to focus on their mental health and check in with their families. The school offered students a variety of calming activities, such as yoga, crafts, guided walks and video games.

“Words can’t express how sad and difficult this is for our students and campus,” NC State said in a statement.

“The university is pouring every resource we have available into reaching our students in need and providing them support and guidance. Our staff and medical professionals are working around the clock to help steer students to the many resources currently available, and we’ve asked our new student mental health task force to develop additional short-term and long-term strategies to help our students.”

Students said they are under immense academic pressure that could be impacting their mental health.

“I know that’s one of the things that bothers me a lot. So I understand where that struggle comes from. The need to succeed is big pressure,” Alessandro Dal Pra, a chemical engineering major, told WTVD.

To beat the stress, some have tried to turn to activities as an escape.

“I just keep going. Try not to stay stagnate. I go to the gym or find something to do,” Aaron Hills, a computer science major, said.

According to the NC State Center for Health and Statistics, suicide was the second leading cause of death for young people in the ages 10-18 in 2019, and the third leading cause of death for those 19-34, WRAL reported.

Local psychotherapist Kamala Uzzell, who is familiar with university’s counseling center, said the school is doing all it can to support its students but still needs additional help. The massive public college has an undergraduate enrollment of over 26,000 students.

“If there is any failing, it’s that we need to have more focus, more attention and more money put toward mental health resources,” she told WRAL.

If you are struggling with suicidal thoughts or are experiencing a mental health crisis and live in New York City, you can call 1-888-NYC-WELL for free and confidential crisis counseling. If you live outside the five boroughs, you can dial the 24/7 National Suicide Prevention hotline at 1-800-273-8255 or go to SuicidePreventionLifeline.org

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Bed Bath & Beyond’s Gustavo Arnal’s death ruled suicide

Bed Bath & Beyond executive Gustavo Arnal’s deadly leap from his swanky Tribeca high-rise apartment was officially ruled a suicide by the city’s medical examiner Monday.

Arnal, who was CFO of the company before his death, jumped off the 18th story of the luxurious “Jenga Building” Friday afternoon as the retail company dealt with financial troubles and he faced accusations connected to a $1.2 billion “pump-and-dump” stock fraud lawsuit filed last month.

The medical examiner’s office ruled Arnal died from multiple blunt trauma.

The 52-year-old committed suicide while his wife was inside their apartment and he didn’t leave a note explaining the fatal plunge, law enforcement sources have told The Post.

Arnal joined Bed Bath & Beyond in May 2020. The company in a statement Sunday credited the “distinguished global” exec of getting them through the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Gustavo will be remembered by all he worked with for his leadership, talent and stewardship of our Company,” said board of directors chairman Harriet Edelman in a statement. “… Our focus is on supporting his family and his team and our thoughts are with them during this sad and difficult time.”

Gustavo Arnal, who took his own life early this week, pictured with his family.
Facebook/Gustavo Arnal
Arnal is accused of “pump-and-dump” stock scheme. Bed, Bath & Beyond did not comment on the matter.
Robert Miller

Days before his death, the retail giant announced it was going to shutter 150 stores and slash 20% of its workforce.

Arnal, who previously worked at Avon, Walgreen Boots Alliance and Procter & Gamble, was part of an Aug. 23 lawsuit that accused him and others of artificially inflating Bed Bath & Beyond’s share price.

The company told The Post in a statement Sunday, “We will not comment on litigation and ask that you please respect Mr. Arnal’s family and their privacy at this time.”

Arnal jumped to his death at 56 Leonard St. in Tribeca last week. NYC medical examiner has ruled out foul play.
Robert Miller

If you are struggling with suicidal thoughts or are experiencing a mental health crisis and live in New York City, you can call 1-888-NYC-WELL for free and confidential crisis counseling. If you live outside the five boroughs, you can dial the 24/7 National Suicide Prevention hotline at 988 or go to SuicidePreventionLifeline.org.

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