Independent autopsy of Nolan Wells finds 'undetermined' cause of death
[July 23, 2026]
By JAKE OFFENHARTZ and LAURA BARGFELD
CHICAGO (AP) — An independent autopsy commissioned by the family of
Nolan Xavier Wells found the 18-year-old’s cause and manner of death to
be “undetermined” pending further investigation.
The civil rights attorney Ben Crump, who is representing the Wells
family, announced the preliminary findings Wednesday in front of a
standing-room-only crowd at the annual NAACP National Convention in
Chicago.
The autopsy report, he said, showed no evidence of fractures or deep
tissue injuries. It described a “red discoloration” in the back of
Wells' skull as “inconclusive” and meriting further investigation.
Without further information, the forensic pathologist, Dr. Roger
Mitchell, wrote that he could not rule out the possibility that
“non-accidental factors contributed to or caused the death."
Wells had traveled to an island off the coast of Mississippi on July 4
with a group of friends, who later returned to the mainland without him.
His body was discovered two days later floating off the island's coast.
In his report, the pathologist pointed to several challenges inherent to
the independent autopsy, including the decomposition of the body and
outstanding questions about whether Wells was conscious when he entered
the water.
Because an initial autopsy was performed by the medical examiner in
Mississippi, Wells’ body arrived without organs or neck structures —
making it impossible to determine if he had suffered a neck injury or
whether water had entered his lungs, according to the report, which
notes that the practice is not unusual.
Still, the revelation, relayed by Crump, prompted gasps from the crowd
of several hundred in Chicago. The attorney called on state officials to
provide that evidence for the family to review as part of their own
independent investigation.
The Mississippi medical examiner, which has not released the results of
the state autopsy, did not return a message seeking comment.
The second autopsy was paid for by former NFL player Colin Kaepernick,
whose group Know Your Rights Camp has paid for other independent
autopsies.
“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 of the results.
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Elmore Wonsley, center, speaks next to attorney Ben Crump, left, and
Rev. Al Sharpton during a memorial service for Nolan Xavier Wells,
an 18-year-old found dead after taking a July 4 boat trip with
friends, Monday, July 20, 2026, in Ocean Springs, Miss. (AP
Photo/Gerald Herbert)
The still-unknown circumstances around Wells’ death have touched off
rampant online speculation and prompted calls from Black leaders for
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.
A reward of $125,000 — jointly funded by the Rev. Al Sharpton, actor
and producer Tyler Perry and former NFL player Terrell Owens — is
now being offered in exchange for information leading to an arrest
and conviction in connection with the death.
The autopsy announcement comes two days after Wells was laid to rest
in his hometown of Ocean Springs, Mississippi.
In his eulogy, Sharpton lamented the “inconsistencies and unanswered
questions” that had placed a dark cloud over the grieving family.
He questioned why Wells’ friends had left him behind, taken his
phone and keys and failed to report him missing. And he suggested
local investigators had spoken prematurely in statements to the news
media indicating no crime was suspected.
“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 added. “We can’t have someone in law
enforcement saying there was no foul play before there was an
investigation.”
Jackson County Sheriff John Ledbetter said initial interviews
suggested Wells chose to stay on the island and that his friends
believed he would get a ride with someone else. He has said the
friends were cooperating with the investigation, which remains
ongoing.
“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.”
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