The family of 18-year-old Nolan Wells, whose body was discovered floating near a Mississippi barrier island, says a broken neck may have played a role in his death, according to their attorney.
The possibility was raised after an independent second autopsy commissioned by the family failed to determine a definitive cause of death.
Civil rights lawyer Benjamin Crump released details from Dr. Roger Mitchell, chair of pathology at Howard University College of Medicine, who said key “interior neck parts” removed during the original autopsy were not provided for the follow-up examination.
Mitchell noted that those internal neck structures are typically examined when a broken neck is suspected, a finding Crump said means the possibility of foul play cannot yet be dismissed. Wells died during a July 4 boating outing to Horn Island, located off Mississippi’s Gulf Coast.
Wells was the only Black teenager among a group of white friends on the trip, and his family has said they are increasingly concerned that something more sinister may have happened.
The Jackson County Sheriff’s Office previously said “no foul play was suspected,” a statement that angered Wells’s parents, who accused investigators of moving too quickly to that conclusion. Authorities have said the official investigation remains ongoing.
According to Crump, the autopsy report found no clear evidence of fractures or deep tissue trauma. However, it identified a “red discoloration” on the back of Wells’s skull as “inconclusive” and said it warranted additional scrutiny.
In his report, Mitchell wrote that without further investigation, he could not exclude the possibility that “non-accidental factors contributed to or caused the death.”
Nolan Wells with his mother, Christine Wonsley. She and her family commissioned an independent autopsy report after Wells was found dead near a Mississippi island
Civil rights attorney Ben Crump, at a press conference with Wonsley and her husband Elmore, announced the findings of the independent autopsy, which he revealed as ‘inconclusive’
Mitchell said he did not identify any fractures or deep tissue injuries, but did find ‘red discoloration’ on the back of the teenager’s head.
He could not determine the cause of the discoloration, but noted it could be indicative of ‘intracranial hemorrhaging,’ the report said.
Crump, during his press briefing, said the red discoloration was ‘something of great concern’ for Mitchell.
The pathologist also pointed to several challenges that arose from the examination being the second autopsy on the body, including the decomposition of the remains.
Mitchell ‘could not directly view the airway and lungs for water,’ Crump said, citing the removal of parts of Wells’ neck in the previous autopsy.
‘He could not directly view the stomach for contents or gastric gases. He could not see the condition of the body when it was pulled from the water.’
Mitchell was also not provided with the results of the original toxicology report conducted by the Mississippi coroner.
The autopsy report further highlighted outstanding questions about whether Wells was conscious when he entered the water.
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
Crump displayed banner-sized copies of the autopsy report during Wednesday’s conference, including this page, which revealed that forensic pathologist Dr Roger Mitchell found ‘red discoloration’ on the back of the teenager’s head
It said, ‘When a death occurs in or around a body of water, with suspicion from drowning, it is important to confirm how that person entered the water,’ according to Crump.
‘This is the crux of the matter; it’s especially important for the deaths of those persons who can swim, such as Nolan Wells.’
Crump noted how Mitchell ‘does not know the condition of Nolan Wells, did not know if he was conscious, whether he was forced into the water or unforced in the water.’
‘All that information is very important in determining the cause and manner of death,’ he added.
The attorney said that due to this alleged lack of information, Mitchell could not rule out whether ‘any intervening non-accidental factors’ contributed to Wells’ death.
‘So, he cannot rule out foul play,’ Crump concluded.
Crump said Mitchell needs to review the original autopsy before he can provide a definitive answer and then called on state officials to provide that evidence for the family to review as part of their own independent investigation.
The Mississippi State Medical Examiner’s Office has not released the results of the state autopsy, but authorities initially believed that Wells died from drowning.
The Mississippi State Medical Examiner’s Office has not released the results of the state autopsy, but authorities initially believed that Wells died from drowning
Elmore and Christine entered Wednesday’s press conference hand-in-hand with Crump
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.
Jackson County Sheriff John Ledbetter said authorities do not suspect foul play and believe that Wells chose to stay on the island.
Ledbetter has said the teenager’s friends are cooperating with the investigation.
