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Nolan Wells may have suffered an injury to the back of his head, this according to the preliminary findings of the independent autopsy commissioned by Nolan's family.
READ THE AUTOPSY
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The family's attorney, Ben Crump, described the "focal area of red discoloration in the soft tissue in the back of the head." It was 12 by 8 inches in length in the lower part of the skull.
There was significant decomposition such that it was impossible to know if there was bruising on Nolan's skin.
WebMD says discoloration in the back of the head can sometimes be caused by blood pooling while the body is positioned on a slab for examination.
Crump noted when the body was received by the independent medical examiner, it did not contain components of the throat. It was apparently removed by the official M.E. for further examination.
Crump said the cause and manner of death are undetermined pending further investigation, although the independent M.E. says he cannot rule out foul play.
The autopsy was conducted by Dr. Roger Mitchell, a board-certified pathologist who serves as President of the National Medical Association. He's the President of Howard University Hospital and also served as Chief Medical Examiner in Washington, D.C.
Nolan's mother addressed the crowd, saying the pain of losing a child is immeasurable. She says her family's focus is singular -- what happened to Nolan. She says she has endured false allegations of racism on her part, which has added to the grief.
The official autopsy results have not been released.
Nolan was found dead off the coast of Horn Island in the Mississippi Gulf Coast ... two days after going missing over Fourth of July weekend.
Authorities initially stated Nolan died by drowning ... but Crump questioned the announcement -- specifically saying he thinks officials in Mississippi may try to sweep the real story under the rug.
In fact, foul play is suspected by several prominent figures ... including Reverend Al Sharpton and Tyler Perry, who are each offering $50K for information leading to an arrest and conviction in the case.
Nolan's family also has voiced their concerns about the official narrative ... with his mom alleging messages were deleted from his phone after he was found dead.
We obtained video from Horn Island on the 4th of July, which may have captured Nolan's final hours ... which shows a man who looks like Nolan bending over to grab a drink out of a cooler.
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