{"id":99517,"date":"2026-07-22T11:32:14","date_gmt":"2026-07-22T15:32:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/independent-autopsy-of-nolan-wells-returns-undetermined-cause-of-death\/"},"modified":"2026-07-22T11:32:14","modified_gmt":"2026-07-22T15:32:14","slug":"independent-autopsy-of-nolan-wells-returns-undetermined-cause-of-death","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/independent-autopsy-of-nolan-wells-returns-undetermined-cause-of-death\/","title":{"rendered":"Independent Autopsy of Nolan Wells Returns ‘Undetermined’ Cause of Death"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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CHICAGO \u2014 A privately commissioned autopsy of 18-year-old Nolan Xavier Wells has concluded that his cause and manner of death are “undetermined,” with investigators saying more information is needed before any final determination can be made.<\/p>

Civil rights attorney Ben Crump, who is representing the Wells family, revealed the preliminary findings Wednesday before a packed audience at the annual NAACP National Convention in Chicago.<\/p>

Reading directly from a report authored by forensic pathologist Dr. Robert Mitchell, Crump said the findings showed no evidence of bone fractures or bruising, but did not eliminate the possibility of foul play.<\/p>

The board-certified pathologist identified “red discoloration” in the soft tissue at the back of Wells’ head, though there were no skull fractures or skin lacerations in that area, Crump explained. He noted that the body’s decomposition, combined with other limiting factors, made it impossible to reach a definitive conclusion.<\/p>

Without additional information, the pathologist wrote that he “cannot rule out if any intervening nonaccidental factors contributed to or caused the death of Nolan Wells,” according to Crump.<\/p>

The autopsy is part of a broader independent investigation led by Crump into how the teenager came to disappear following a July 4 boat outing with friends to an island off the Mississippi coast. Wells never returned to the mainland with the rest of the group, and his body was discovered floating near the island’s shore two days later.<\/p>

The Mississippi State Medical Examiner’s Office has performed its own autopsy, but those results have not yet been made public.<\/p>

The second autopsy was arranged by the family and Crump, and was funded by former NFL player Colin Kaepernick. A toxicology report was not included.<\/p>

“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 regarding the findings.<\/p>

The unresolved circumstances surrounding Wells’ death have fueled widespread speculation online and prompted Black community leaders to demand greater transparency from local authorities. Wells, who was Black, had traveled to the island with a group of high school friends, all of whom are white.<\/p>

A $125,000 reward \u2014 jointly contributed by the Rev. Al Sharpton, actor and producer Tyler Perry, and former NFL player Terrell Owens \u2014 is now being offered for information that leads to an arrest and conviction related to the death.<\/p>

The autopsy announcement came just two days after Wells was laid to rest in his hometown of Ocean Springs, Mississippi.<\/p>

During his eulogy, Sharpton spoke out about the “inconsistencies and unanswered questions” that have added to the family’s grief. He questioned why Wells’ friends left the island without him, took his phone and keys, and failed to report him missing. He also suggested that local investigators had spoken too soon when they indicated publicly that no crime was suspected.<\/p>

“The reason that a lot of people across the nation are looking at this Nolan situation is because we’re looking at the history in Mississippi,” Sharpton said. “We can’t have someone in law enforcement saying there was no foul play before there was an investigation.”<\/p>

Jackson County Sheriff John Ledbetter said early interviews indicated that Wells had chosen to remain on the island and that his friends believed he would find another way back to the mainland. Ledbetter said the friends have been cooperating with the investigation, which is still ongoing.<\/p>

“We are trying to be respectful and collaborative as much as we can,” Crump said. “But it’s always troublesome to all of us when these investigations just take forever.”<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

An independent autopsy commissioned by the family of 18-year-old Nolan Xavier Wells has returned an ‘undetermined’ cause and manner of death, pending further investigation. The findings were announced Wednesday at the NAACP National Convention in Chicago by civil rights attorney Ben Crump, who represents the Wells family. The case has sparked widespread public concern and calls for transparency following the teenager’s mysterious death after a July 4 boat trip off the Mississippi coast.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":99516,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[831],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-99517","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-us-news"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/news-1784734333930.jpg?fit=1000%2C668&ssl=1","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pbtNqq-pT7","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":94115,"url":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/family-demands-answers-after-18-year-old-dies-following-july-4-island-boat-trip-in-mississippi\/","url_meta":{"origin":99517,"position":0},"title":"Family Demands Answers After 18-Year-Old Dies Following July 4 Island Boat Trip in Mississippi","author":"Admin","date":"July 11, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"The parents of 18-year-old Nolan Xavier Wells are demanding a full and transparent investigation after their son was found dead on a remote Mississippi island following a Fourth of July boat outing with friends. The family says the official explanation doesn't add up, citing conflicting accounts and the fact that\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "U.S. News"","block_context":{"text":"U.S. News","link":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/category\/us-news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/news-1783744375917.jpg?fit=1000%2C666&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/news-1783744375917.jpg?fit=1000%2C666&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/news-1783744375917.jpg?fit=1000%2C666&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/news-1783744375917.jpg?fit=1000%2C666&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":93824,"url":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/family-demands-answers-after-mississippi-teen-found-dead-following-july-4-island-trip\/","url_meta":{"origin":99517,"position":1},"title":"Family Demands Answers After Mississippi Teen Found Dead Following July 4 Island Trip","author":"Admin","date":"July 10, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"The family of an 18-year-old Mississippi college student found dead after a July 4 boat trip is pushing for transparency and a deeper investigation into his death. Civil rights attorney Ben Crump has been retained by the family, who plans an independent autopsy. Authorities say they do not suspect foul\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "U.S. News"","block_context":{"text":"U.S. News","link":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/category\/us-news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/news-1783693935280.jpg?fit=1000%2C666&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/news-1783693935280.jpg?fit=1000%2C666&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/news-1783693935280.jpg?fit=1000%2C666&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/news-1783693935280.jpg?fit=1000%2C666&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":93978,"url":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/mother-pleads-for-answers-after-young-black-mans-body-found-on-mississippi-island\/","url_meta":{"origin":99517,"position":2},"title":"Mother Pleads for Answers After Young Black Man’s Body Found on Mississippi Island","author":"Admin","date":"July 10, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"The mother of 18-year-old Nolan Wells is begging for answers after her son's body was discovered on Horn Island off the Mississippi coast following a Fourth of July trip with three white friends. Civil rights attorney Ben Crump, representing the family, raised serious questions at a New York press conference\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "U.S. News"","block_context":{"text":"U.S. News","link":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/category\/us-news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/news-1783718294380.jpg?fit=450%2C300&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":97958,"url":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/mississippi-teen-killed-after-july-4-boat-trip-to-be-honored-at-funeral-with-al-sharpton\/","url_meta":{"origin":99517,"position":3},"title":"Mississippi Teen Killed After July 4 Boat Trip to Be Honored at Funeral With Al Sharpton","author":"Admin","date":"July 20, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"An 18-year-old Mississippi teen found dead following a July 4 boat outing will be honored at a funeral officiated by the Rev. Al Sharpton. The death of Nolan Xavier Wells has drawn national attention, raising questions about racial tension and the circumstances of his disappearance. High-profile figures from across the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "U.S. News"","block_context":{"text":"U.S. News","link":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/category\/us-news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/news-1784522138363.jpg?fit=1000%2C666&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/news-1784522138363.jpg?fit=1000%2C666&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/news-1784522138363.jpg?fit=1000%2C666&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/news-1784522138363.jpg?fit=1000%2C666&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":96153,"url":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/family-attorneys-agree-to-joint-cellphone-inspection-in-nolan-wells-death-case\/","url_meta":{"origin":99517,"position":4},"title":"Family Attorneys Agree to Joint Cellphone Inspection in Nolan Wells Death Case","author":"Admin","date":"July 15, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Attorneys representing the family of Nolan Wells have agreed to work alongside the local district attorney's office to jointly examine the contents of the teen's recovered cellphone. Wells, who would have turned 19 next month, was found dead in the water near Horn Island off the Mississippi Gulf Coast on\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "U.S. News"","block_context":{"text":"U.S. News","link":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/category\/us-news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/news-1784158363896.jpg?fit=1000%2C666&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/news-1784158363896.jpg?fit=1000%2C666&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/news-1784158363896.jpg?fit=1000%2C666&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/news-1784158363896.jpg?fit=1000%2C666&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":92811,"url":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/family-of-black-teen-found-dead-near-mississippi-island-hires-attorney-ben-crump\/","url_meta":{"origin":99517,"position":5},"title":"Family of Black Teen Found Dead Near Mississippi Island Hires Attorney Ben Crump","author":"Admin","date":"July 8, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"The family of 18-year-old Nolan Xavier Wells, whose body was discovered Monday off Horn Island, Mississippi, has retained prominent civil rights attorney Ben Crump. 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