The Franklin County Coroner's Office has ruled a former Ohio University student's death a suicide, according to autopsy results.
Benjamin C. Mallory, 26, who sued the university for defamation of character in 1998, died March 12 after ingesting the drug propranolol.
Thirty-one milliliters of the drug were found in his blood, according to the coroner's report performed by Patrick M. Fardal, chief forensic pathologist and deputy coroner in Franklin County.
Propranolol, also known as Inderal, is a beta-blocker, which affects the heart and circulatory system. It is used to reduce high blood pressure; to treat chest pain, migraines and tremors; and to reduce the risk of a heart attack, according to WebMD (http://www.webMD.com).
In 1998, Mallory was indicted for sexual battery and expelled from OU after he and former OU student Audrey DeLong had intercourse in a James Hall shower after an evening of drinking.
Mallory's criminal case resulted in a hung jury in the Athens County Court of Common Pleas.
After charges were dropped in the criminal case, Mallory sued OU for defamation because of remarks made after the trial by Jeanine Woodruff, former director of OU's Department of Health and Wellness. In 2002, after a five-year court battle, Mallory was awarded $25,025 in damages from the university by the Ohio Court of Claims of Columbus.
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Jayne Gest
