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Miss Alabama for America Strong Zoe Bethel Dies After Accident
Zoe Sozo Bethel, the reigning Miss Alabama for America Strong and conservative commentator , has died after falling from a third-floor window, the Miami Police Department told The Hill on Tuesday. The 27-year-old 2021 Miss Alabama for America Strong was transported by Miami Fire Rescue to Jackson Memorial Hospital in critical condition following the Feb. 11 incident, which left her in a coma. She succumbed to her injuries on Friday, eight days later.
Miami Police initially responded to the incident as a potential suicide, however, the Miami-Dade Medical Examiner ruled her death to be accidental. The cause of her death was blunt force trauma. “This was a tragic accident, and no foul play is suspected,” Miami Police said in a statement to The Hill.
“On Friday, February 18, 2022, at approximately 5:30AM Eastern time in Miami, Florida, our beloved Zoe Sozo Bethel passed from this life into the next as a result of succumbing to her injuries,” her family wrote in a post on her Instagram page.
The Mrs. Alabama America and Miss Alabama for America Pageants organization also confirmed her death to NBC News. The organization said in a statement, “On February 18th, 2022, the world lost a queen. She was a light in this world and we are heartbroken over the loss of such a bright and beautiful woman,” the statement added. “Rest in grace and love, sweet one.“
According to a social media post from Bethel’s family published Feb. 16, Bethel “sustained severe damage to her brain/brainstem” and ended up in a coma as a result of the Feb. 10 accident.
In addition to her title as Miss Alabama for America Strong, Bethel served as a political commentator for Right Side Broadcasting Network (RSBN), a conservative media platform, and was a brand ambassador for the conservative nonprofit Turning Point USA, Bethel’s family said. “Zoe touched the hearts of many people,” her family wrote on social media.
Grace Saldana, editor-in-chief of RSBN, remembered Bethel on Twitter. “In loving memory of Zoe,” she wrote. “Besides the fact that she was always incredibly stunning, I’ll always remember how convicted Zoe was in her faith in God, how dedicated she was to her beliefs in protecting life, and how much she cared for others. May she rest in peace.”
Turning Point USA honored Bethel on their official Twitter account, writing that she was “always moving with grace and wisdom.”
We are honored to have known Zoe Bethel. She has been a pillar in the Conservative movement, always moving with grace and wisdom. She has inspired many, and her legacy will continue to touch the hearts of people everywhere.
You will not be forgotten, Zoe.
May she Rest In Peace pic.twitter.com/U5e1HtftG5— Turning Point USA (@TPUSA) February 20, 2022
Bethel was also a spokesperson for the anti-abortion nonprofit Students for Life and worked with the investigative nonprofit Project Veritas.
The official Twitter account for Students for Life paid tribute to Bethel, writing, “Our hearts are breaking over the news of Zoe Bethel’s unexpected passing … she has always been a shining light and fierce advocate for life.”
Our hearts are breaking over the news of Zoe Bethel’s unexpected passing.
From choosing life during her own unexpected pregnancy to sharing her story & encouraging thousands of pro-life student leaders, she has always been a shining light and fierce advocate for life. pic.twitter.com/65CgazxB09
— Students for Life of America (@StudentsforLife) February 21, 2022
Bethel shared her final Instagram post on Jan. 31, along with photos of herself smiling, and captioned them: “Act, and let everyone else react.”
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“This has been an abrupt & very traumatizing situation for our family, & we can imagine how much of a shock this will also be to everyone who knows & cares for her,” Bethel’s family wrote on social media. A GoFundMe page has been created to help Bethel’s family cover her medical and funeral costs and provide resources for her daughter, among other things.
Bethel is not the only beauty queen to die unexpectedly this year. In January, Cheslie Kryst, the 2019 winner of the Miss USA pageant, died by suicide. Kryst was 30.
