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, according to the family’s lawyer, Ben Crump, who revealed the findings at a news conference Wednesday 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.

{snip}

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.

{snip}

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.”

{snip}

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.

{snip}

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 unsurprising to learn that Wells was quickly pulled into a current and drowned, especially on the western side of the small island.

{snip}