An independent autopsy report commissioned by the legal team representing Nolan Wells’ family found that the teenager’s cause and manner of death were “undetermined,” pending investigation.
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But the doctor who performed the autopsy said in the report that he could not rule out foul play, according to the family’s lawyer, Ben Crump, who revealed the findings at a news conference Wednesday at the 117th NAACP National Convention in Chicago.
Crump added that the report the autopsy, which is the second one performed on Wells, also found red discoloration on the back of his head. But the report appeared to have gaps due to what Crump said were missing body parts and incomplete procedures.
More coverage of Nolan Wells’ death
“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 of the results.
The new 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 independent 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, a small island off the Gulf Coast of Mississippi.
The Jackson County coroner also performed an autopsy on the body of 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.
Mitchell could not determine whether Wells was conscious when he entered the water — or how he ended up in the water, according to the report.
Crump called Wells’ condition before he entered the water the “crux of the matter,” adding, “It would be of utmost importance to be able to determine a cause and manner of death.” The lawyer also said that because the initial autopsy done by the state “rightfully removed and dissected each organ,” Mitchell was unable to “directly observe” Wells’ lungs for water intake or see what was inside of his stomach.
Also, due to the level of decomposition of Wells’ body when Mitchell received it, Crump said, it could not be determined whether there was any bruising on the body, citing the report. The report did note, though, that there appeared to be no lacerations or fractures on Wells’ body.
Wells was last seen July 4 sometime in the afternoon. 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.
In the autopsy report presented by Crump, Mitchell noted that parts of Wells’ throat were not in his body when it was received for review.
“Therefore, this pathologist cannot rule out injury to the neck as a contributor or a cause of death,” Crump said, calling on local law officials to share with Mitchell their findings from the state autopsy.
Crump added that Mitchell should be included when a Mississippi grand jury hears results of the death investigation.
Before the results were revealed, Wells’ parents, Christine Wells-Wonsley and Elmore Wonsley, spoke 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 have said that 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 surprising to learn that Wells was quickly pulled into a current and drowned, especially on the western side of the island.
Crump on Wednesday called into question how Wells’ body was found, implying that while authorities have said he was found wearing only swim trunks, the United Cajun Navy — which assisted in search efforts — told the family that he was found wearing a T-shirt as well.
Brian Trascher from the Cajun Navy, however, disputed the claim after the news conference.
“I observed the body from the air and he was (visibly) wearing only swim trunks that matched the photos taken of him that day,” Trascher told NBC News, adding that the lawyer “misrepresented” what the agency “has said publicly and privately to the family.”
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.”
