An autopsy has not determined what caused the death of an 18-year-old whose body was discovered floating near an island off the Mississippi coast.
Nolan Wells, 18, was found dead at the northwestern tip of Horn Island, south of Ocean Springs, Mississippi, two days after he went boating with friends over the Fourth of July holiday.
The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) has acknowledged that Wells’ death could ultimately be found to have been accidental.
‘If it truly was an accident they have the resources available to help them navigate the situation,’ Derrick Johnson, the NAACP president, said during a press conference.
An independent autopsy performed in Washington, DC, classified Wells’ cause of death as ‘undetermined, pending investigation.’ His manner of death was listed the same way.
Investigators initially suspected Wells may have drowned. The Mississippi State Medical Examiner’s Office has also completed an autopsy, but those findings have not yet been made public.
Wells’ body was transported about 800 miles to Washington, DC, for the independent examination. His family also planned to bring in specialists to retrieve messages from his phone before handing the device over to authorities.
His father, Elmore Wonsley, said Wednesday morning that the family would continue to ‘keep pushing and fighting’ until they receive ‘answers’ about what happened to their son.
The teen’s parents hired civil rights attorney Ben Crump, who has been involved in multiple high-profile cases, including representing George Floyd’s family, to represent them as police investigate how Wells died.
The independent autopsy was arranged by Crump and the teen’s family, and funded by former NFL player Colin Kaepernick.
Nolan Wells, 18, was found dead on the northwestern tip of Horn Island, just south of Ocean Springs, Mississippi , two days after a Fourth of July boating trip with friends
The family’s attorney, Ben Crump, previously said the family has a ‘distrust of law enforcement officials giving them a fair investigation where their black son ended up dead after going out on a boat with three white young men’
Civil rights attorney Ben Crump unveiled the results of the independent autopsy Wednesday morning, which determined Wells’ cause of death is ‘undetermined, pending investigation’
Crump said the second autopsy had ‘several limitations’ that created ‘barriers’ to determine exactly how Wells died.
Decomposition of the body may have obscured the ‘presence or absence of bruising on the skin surface,’ the report said.
Anterior neck structures were not received with the body, the autopsy report said, which prevented the coroner from being able to conduct a complete posterior neck dissection.
Due to this, the coroner cannot rule out neck injury as a possible contributor, the report revealed.
Prior organ dissection performed by the Mississippi coroner prevented direct examination of the teen’s airway and lungs for water and stomach contents, the autopsy report noted.
The original toxicology reports also had not been received at the time of the second autopsy report.
The coroner did not identify any fractures or deep tissue injuries, but found find some red discoloration on the back of the teen’s head. ‘The etiology of this finding is unclear,’ the report added.
‘Based on the examination of the body, he cannot rule out foul play,’ Crump said, citing the autopsy report.
Crump reiterated multiple times that investigators found Wells’ body faced down and fully clothed, despite photos from the day showing him shirtless and in swimming trunks.
‘My legal team and I, we stand for truth, no matter who it implicates or who it exonerates. We stand for justice no matter who it convicts or it acquits. We stand for transparency because we have eyes that can see and we don’t need government officials to narrate it for us,’ he said.
The teen’s mother, Christine Wonsley, center, is flanked by her husband Elmore, second from left, attorney Ben Crump, left, and Rev Al Sharpton, right, during her Wells’ funeral on July 20
Wells allegedly stayed behind on the island while his friends returned to the mainland on a boat, according to authorities. His body was found after his mother filed a missing person report on July 5.
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Jackson County Sheriff John Ledbetter said authorities do not suspect foul play and believe that Wells chose to stay on the island.
Audio released last week that Wells’ friends were heard calmly asking 911 operators for assistance after their boat began taking on water shortly before the teenager apparently drowned.
‘Hey, we’re at the west tip of Horn, and our bilge pump stopped working,’ a male voice is heard saying.’ We’re sinking, can y’all please come.’
Wells’ family has raised questions about his death and has demanded a thorough and urgent investigation.
On Sunday, Crump reshared an Instagram post suggesting Wells may have made it back and attended a pool party before he died, declaring it as evidence that the current timeline surrounding his death may be flawed.
‘The streets are talking! Now listen, I don’t know if these are facts or rumors because no official statements have been confirmed,’ the repost from an account called Shannel Tarot TV said.
The post continued: ‘We sometimes have to follow all clues until the truth is found. Here is what was discovered on social media last night.
Wells with a friend at the party. Jackson County Sheriff John Ledbetter said authorities do not suspect foul play and believe that Wells drowned
Crump shared an unverified photo of a group of young people in a swimming pool, with a black boy in the background whose face is not visible, circled in red. Rumors flying online have suggested the boy is Wells
‘Social media allegations claim a photo exists of Nolan at a land-based pool party in Jackson County before 1am on July 5.’
The post included an image of a group of young people in a swimming pool, with a black boy in the background whose face is not visible, circled in red.
The photo has not been verified. The Daily Mail contacted Crump and the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office for more information, but did not hear back.
Crump also pointed out that the girl Wells was allegedly talking to had said he was going back to the boat, while his friends said he had decided to stay on the island while they left as their boat was experiencing a mechanical issue.
Police are also investigating a video that allegedly shows a heated argument on the beach, where Wells can allegedly be heard saying: ‘Give me my freaking phone, what are you freaking doing?’
During a fiery eulogy at Wells’ funeral in a Mississippi church on Monday, civil rights activist and Baptist minister Rev Al Sharpton promised a total of $100,000 reward for any new information about the circumstances around Wells’ death.
‘I’m so inspired by who’s accused us of that, that I want to put up a reward of $50,000 for anybody who could give the information that will lead to an arrest and a conviction in the case of what happened,’ Sharpton said, referring to critics who have accused the Wells family and their team of using his death for financial gain.
‘He was not on that island by himself. Somebody saw something and knows something. So I didn’t come to make money. I came to give money. Stand up and tell the truth. Whatever it is, good or bad.
Wells with his parents Christine and Elmore Wonsley. The family hired civil rights attorney Ben Crump, who has been involved in multiple high-profile cases, including representing George Floyd’s family, as police investigate how the teen died
Wells with his mother, Christine. She said of her son, ‘He had a way of making people feel seen, welcomed and valued. He could lift your confidence with just a few words and make you feel like you belong’
‘We’re not gonna prejudge it, but we cannot end it until we know all the facts. So all you got to do is reach out to Attorney Crump’s office, and National Action Network can do that if it leads to an arrest and conviction. And I will, I guarantee you, you’ll have it before the sun goes down.
Quickly after Sharpton made his announcement, he received a message from actor and filmmaker Tyler Perry matching his donation.
‘You know that Tyler Perry said he would pay for the funeral. He must be watching because he said I’m gonna match you and put up $50,000 more. So we’re putting up $100,000 for anybody that’ll come forward,’ Sharpton said.
‘We just want the truth. That’s all. We just want the truth, and we want to thank Tyler Perry.’
The teen’s mother, Christine Wonsley, said of her son, ‘He had a way of making people feel seen, welcomed and valued. He could lift your confidence with just a few words and make you feel like you belong.’
