Independent Autopsy Finds Nolan Wells’ Cause of Death Undetermined/ Newslooks/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ An independent autopsy commissioned by Nolan Xavier Wells’ family classified the 18-year-old’s cause and manner of death as undetermined. The preliminary report found no fractures or bruising but said decomposition and other limitations prevented a definitive conclusion. Wells disappeared during a July 4 island trip off Mississippi and was found dead in the water two days later.
Quick Look
- An independent pathologist classified Wells’ cause and manner of death as undetermined.
- The examination found no evidence of fractures or bruising.
- Red discoloration was discovered in tissue at the back of his head, but no associated skull fracture or skin laceration was found.
- The report did not determine that foul play occurred but said nonaccidental factors could not be ruled out.
- Decomposition and other limitations prevented a definitive finding.
- Wells disappeared during a July 4 boat trip with friends off Mississippi.
- His body was discovered floating near the island two days later.
- Mississippi’s official autopsy results have not been released.
- A $125,000 reward is being offered for information leading to an arrest and conviction.
- The sheriff’s investigation remains active, and Wells’ friends have been cooperating.
Deep Look
Independent Autopsy Reaches No Definitive Conclusion
CHICAGO — An independent autopsy commissioned by the family of Nolan Xavier Wells found that the 18-year-old’s cause and manner of death remain undetermined pending additional investigation.
Civil rights attorney Ben Crump, who represents the Wells family, announced the preliminary findings Wednesday during the NAACP National Convention in Chicago.
Crump read from a report prepared by board-certified forensic pathologist Dr. Robert Mitchell. The report found no fractures or bruising, but it did not definitively establish how Wells died.
Pathologist Notes Discoloration Behind Wells’ Head
The examination identified “red discoloration” in the soft tissue at the back of Wells’ head, according to Crump.
However, the pathologist found no underlying skull fractures or lacerations in the skin surrounding that area.
Decomposition of the body and other limiting factors made it impossible to determine whether the discoloration was connected to Wells’ death.
The pathologist wrote that he “cannot rule out if any intervening nonaccidental factors contributed to or caused the death of Nolan Wells,” according to Crump.
The finding does not establish that foul play occurred. It means the available evidence was insufficient to rule out nonaccidental factors or reach a conclusive determination.
Toxicology Report Was Not Included
The family and Crump arranged the independent examination, which was funded by former NFL player Colin Kaepernick.
The second autopsy did not include a toxicology report, leaving an important area of the investigation unresolved.
“This is only another part of the puzzle, and even though it tells us significant information, we still have more questions than we have answers at this time,” Crump said.
The Mississippi State Medical Examiner’s Office also conducted an autopsy, but its results had not been released as of Wednesday.
Wells Disappeared During July 4 Island Trip
Wells traveled by boat with high school friends to an island off Mississippi’s coast on July 4.
He did not return to the mainland with the group. His body was found floating off the island’s coast two days later.
Crump is leading an independent investigation into the circumstances surrounding the teenager’s disappearance and death.
Wells, who was Black, traveled to the island with a group of white friends. The unanswered questions surrounding the case have generated widespread online speculation and calls from Black leaders for greater transparency.
$125,000 Reward Offered for Information
A reward totaling $125,000 is being offered for information leading to an arrest and conviction connected to Wells’ death.
The reward is being funded jointly by the Rev. Al Sharpton, actor and producer Tyler Perry and former NFL player Terrell Owens.
No arrest has been announced, and authorities have not publicly determined that a crime occurred.
Sharpton Questions Early Statements From Investigators
Wells was laid to rest in his hometown of Ocean Springs, Mississippi, two days before the independent autopsy findings were announced.
During the eulogy, Sharpton referred to the “inconsistencies and unanswered questions” surrounding the case.
He questioned why Wells’ friends left the island without him, took his telephone and keys and did not report him missing. Sharpton also criticized early statements from local investigators indicating that they did not suspect a crime.
“The reason that a lot of people across the nation are looking at this Nolan situation is because we’re looking at the history in Mississippi,” Sharpton said. “We can’t have someone in law enforcement saying there was no foul play before there was an investigation.”
Sheriff Says Friends Are Cooperating
Jackson County Sheriff John Ledbetter said initial interviews indicated that Wells chose to remain on the island.
According to Ledbetter, Wells’ friends believed he would return with someone else. The sheriff has said the friends are cooperating with investigators.
The investigation remains ongoing.
“We are trying to be respectful and collaborative as much as we can,” Crump said. “But it’s always troublesome to all of us when these investigations just take forever.”
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