SerpApi.Org
The family of 18-year-old football player Nolan Wells, who went missing on July 4 after traveling to a Mississippi island with a group of friends, has released the reports of his independent autopsy. His family had publicly questioned key details surrounding his death following the July 4 party.
Attorney Ben Crump, representing the Wells family, revealed preliminary autopsy results during a Wednesday, July 22 press conference, presenting findings from forensic pathologist Dr. Roger J. Mitchell. The doctor said that to determine both the manner and cause of Wells’ death would require additional investigation before a final conclusion could be reached.
Dr. Mitchell’s examination also revealed that there were no fractures or deep tissue injuries on Wells’ body, though he declined to rule out the possibility of foul play. His findings were constrained by several key limitations, including his inability to examine Wells’ body immediately following his death, restricted access to portions of the remains currently held by law enforcement, and insufficient information regarding the circumstances of the drowning and Wells’ state of consciousness at the time.
Mitchell added that the advanced state of decomposition of Wells’ body at the time of his examination could have obscured evidence of bruising or abrasions. He also identified “red discoloration in the soft tissue of the back of [Wells’] head”, behind his ears, as Crump called it “sufficient”.
Meanwhile, Mitchell revealed that he could not find the cause of a large area of discoloration on Wells’ body, and his examination of that region showed no cuts or fractures. He also could not examine Wells’ lungs and stomach for evidence of drowning, as investigators had already dissected and removed his organs and throat structures as part of their official investigation, a procedure Mitchell confirmed was routine. The official autopsy and toxicology findings have not yet been released.
Mitchell Outlines Seven Key Questions
Mitchell concluded his report and identified seven critical questions that remain unanswered. These are how Wells entered the water before being discovered on Horn Island’s beach two days after the party, the position of his body when found, whether water was present in his airway, and whether there was any evidence of neck injuries.
The three remaining questions outlined by Mitchell were whether Wells had experienced intracranial hemorrhaging, what contents were found in Wells’ stomach, and what the toxicology results would reveal. Crump told reporters, “We will persist, persist, persist”, in finding the answers.
Moreover, Crump explained that the independent autopsy was performed in Washington, D.C. to ensure the pathologist had no connections to Mississippi law enforcement. He also revealed that former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick had helped fund the examination, and noted that his legal team would pursue a separate investigation of their own.
According to the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office, Wells was last seen on Horn Island, a barrier island along the Mississippi Gulf Coast, at approximately 3 p.m. on July 4. Wells’ mother had tried to contact authorities on July 4 night to report him missing but was instructed to reach out to a different agency instead.
Wells’ mother subsequently found that someone who had been aboard the boat with Wells had already informed the U.S. Coast Guard that evening of his disappearance. She also got a call from one of her son’s friends who was present that day, informing her of the situation.
Jackson County Sheriff John Ledbetter earlier said that Wells apparently decided to remain on the island after his friends had departed. He said that from the people they have talked to, it sounded like Wells chose to stay on the island with the assumption that he was going to ride back to the mainland with someone else.
