Nolan Wells’ independent autopsy was complicated by certain factors as his family still waits for answers. An independent autopsy commissioned by Wells’ family was inconclusive, attorney Ben Crump announced Wednesday, July 22.
Latest Update
The Mississippi medical examiner has yet to release the results of the state autopsy. Toxicology tests can take weeks. Those results have not been released yet either.
Lawyers for Wells’ family said that they spoke to the prosecuting attorney last week about procedural matters. However, officials with the sheriff’s department have not shared any updates on the investigation’s findings after Wells’ death.
The Ocean Springs, Mississippi, teen was found dead in the water on the northwest end of Horn Island on Monday morning, July 6. Wells went missing on July 4 after taking a boat to the island with friends. The search for the teen was called off after a body was found by a park ranger on Monday, July 6.
Details
The autopsy found the teen’s cause and manner of death to be “undetermined” pending further investigation. Crump announced the preliminary findings in front of a standing-room-only crowd at the annual NAACP National Convention in Chicago.
The independent autopsy report did not show any evidence of fractures or deep tissue injuries, the Associated Press reported. It also described a “red discoloration” on the back of Wells’ skull as “inconclusive” and meriting further investigation, according to Crump.
Dr. Robert Mitchell, the forensic pathologist who performed the autopsy, wrote in the report that the possibility that “non-accidental factors contributed to or caused the death” could not be ruled out.
Also Read | Nolan Wells’ grandfather speaks out amid investigation, ‘I saw and dealt with racism…’
A few factors complicated the autopsy. Wells’ body had decomposed and had already undergone one autopsy, meaning that the organs including the lungs and the neck structures were already removed, the Associated Press reported. This practice is not unusual for autopsies. However, it does make it impossible to determine if Wells had a neck injury or if water had entered his lungs, per Mitchell’s report.
Crump has now urged state officials to provide that evidence for the family to review.
Also Read | Was Nolan Wells found ‘fully clothed’? United Cajun Navy reveals truth, slams Ben Crump: ‘Don’t misrepresent our words’
