NAACP concedes death of Nolan Wells, 18, may have been an accident

The cause of death of an 18-year-old who was found floating near a Mississippi island remains undetermined, according to an autopsy.

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 National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) has conceded that the teen's death may have been an accident. 

'If it truly was an accident they have the resources available to help them navigate the situation,' Derrick Johnson, NAACP president, said during the press conference. 

An independent autopsy conducted in DC ruled Wells' death is 'undetermined, pending investigation.' The same results were given for his manner of death. 

Authorities initially believed that he died from drowning. The Mississippi State Medical Examiner's Office conducted its own autopsy the results have not yet been released.

Wells' body was flown 800 miles to Washington, DC, to undergo the independent autopsy. His family also planned to hire experts to recover messages from Wells' phone before turning it over to authorities. 

His father Elmore Wonsley vowed Wednesday morning to 'keep pushing and fighting' until they get 'answers' about what happened to their son. 

Crump Says Autopsy Had 'Several Limitations'

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. 

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. 

'Cannot Rule Out Foul Play'

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.

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. 

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.' 

Family Raises Questions About Teen's Death

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.

'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?'

Sharpton Announces $100K Reward

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.

'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.' acci

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.'