Nolan Wells’ independent autopsy results in ‘undetermined’ cause and manner of death

A preliminary independent autopsy report commissioned by the legal team representing Nolan Wells’ family found the teenager’s cause and manner of death were “undetermined” pending investigation. But the doctor who performed the autopsy said in the report that he could not rule out foul play in Wells’ death, according to Wells’ family’s lawyer, Ben Crump, who revealed the findings at a Wednesday news conference at the 117th NAACP National Convention. Crump added that the report, which was prepared after two autopsies, also found red discoloration on the back of Wells’ head. But the report appeared to have gaps due to what Crump said were missing body parts and incomplete procedures. The autopsy was performed by Dr. Roger Mitchell, a board-certified forensic pathologist and the president of the National Medical Association — the oldest and largest group of Black physicians in the U.S., Crump said. It did not include a toxicology report, Crump said Wednesday. Crump said the autopsy was performed July 10 — six days after Wells disappeared and four days after his body was found on the northwestern shore of Horn Island. The Jackson County coroner also performed an autopsy on the 18-year-old football player. Those results have not yet been released, as the coroner’s office is waiting on a toxicology report from the medical examiner’s office to be completed. Jackson County Coroner Bruce Lynd told NBC News on Tuesday that the state’s autopsy report was still not finished. Wells was last seen July 4 sometime in the afternoon, though the exact time isn’t clear. He had gone to the island, which is accessible only by boat, to celebrate the holiday with a group of high school friends. His friends have told police that when they had to leave early because their boat started taking on water, Wells told them he would stay and catch a ride back later with others. Wells didn’t return home that night, and his mother reported him missing around midnight. His body was found July 6 by a U.S. park ranger. Little else has been revealed about the circumstances surrounding his death, including from law enforcement, leaving plenty of holes in a case that has captured the nation’s attention. Wells’ parents, Christine Wells-Wonsley and Elmore Wonsley, spoke before the results were revealed in front of the crowd at the NAACP Convention. “There’s so many people out in the public asking all of these questions, but the only question that we have is what happened to our son,” Wells-Wonsley said. She added that the fact that the state-run autopsy report has not yet been released is part of the reason why she and her family decided to move forward with an independent autopsy. “It is our hope that our local authorities will do what they need to do, because us having the preliminary autopsy results and hearing nothing from them — it’s heartbreaking, and it’s concerning,” she said. “Which again is why we are here, why we have asked for this help.” Wonsley also echoed calls for the truth, noting that “we just want honesty.” “We want to know what happened to our son because the things that you’re telling us — that’s not the character of our son. We know our son,” he added. Crump and Wells’ parents have rejected notions from law enforcement that the teenager drowned, launching their own investigation into his death, including the autopsy. They said he was a good swimmer with an athletic build and that the story did not add up. But those who know Horn Island well told NBC News that it would not be unsurprising to learn that Wells was quickly pulled into a current and drowned, especially on the western side of the small island. Civil rights leader Rev. Al Sharpton, former NFL player Terrell Owens and actor and producer Tyler Perry have offered a combined $125,000 for any information that leads to the arrest and conviction of those responsible for Wells’ death, Crump said in a Tuesday release. Wells was laid to rest Monday in a ceremony in his hometown of Ocean Springs, Mississippi. A party for his friends, family and teammates followed. “Nolan had such a gentle, calming spirit about him. He had a way of making people feel seen, welcome, and valued,” Wells-Wonsley said during the funeral service at Center Pointe Church. “He could lift your confidence with just a few words and make you feel like you belonged.”