The family-commissioned examination identified unanswered medical questions but did not establish whether the Mississippi teenager’s death was accidental.
CHICAGO — An independent autopsy commissioned by the family of Nolan Xavier Wells found that the Mississippi teenager’s cause and manner of death remain undetermined, leaving investigators and relatives without a clear explanation for his death after a Fourth of July boating trip.
Civil rights attorney Ben Crump announced the preliminary findings Wednesday at the NAACP National Convention in Chicago. The report found no fractures or deep-tissue injuries but identified a red discoloration on the back of Wells’ head that could not be explained from the available evidence. The pathologist said more information and further investigation are needed before accidental or nonaccidental causes can be assessed.
Wells, 18, traveled with friends to Horn Island, an uninhabited barrier island off the Mississippi coast, on July 4. The friends returned to the mainland without him that afternoon. Wells’ mother reported him missing shortly after midnight on July 5, and his body was found in waters near the island on July 6.
Dr. Roger Mitchell conducted the independent examination in Washington on July 10, according to the family’s legal team. Mitchell reported that decomposition limited his ability to assess possible bruises or abrasions. He also could not examine some organs and neck structures because they had been removed during the first autopsy conducted by Mississippi authorities.
The report said those limitations prevented Mitchell from determining whether water had entered Wells’ airways or whether he had suffered an injury to his neck. Removal of organs during an initial autopsy is not necessarily unusual, but the independent pathologist requested records and materials from the first examination to help answer the remaining questions.
Mitchell wrote that he could not rule out whether nonaccidental factors contributed to or caused Wells’ death. That conclusion does not establish that Wells was killed or that a crime occurred. It means the available medical evidence was not sufficient to determine the cause or manner of death.
The Mississippi State Medical Examiner’s Office had not publicly released the results of its autopsy as of Wednesday. Toxicology findings and other evidence could be important in determining what happened, but no final medical conclusion has been announced.
Jackson County Sheriff John Ledbetter has said investigators initially believed Wells drowned and did not see evidence of foul play. The sheriff’s department has also said the investigation remains open and that Wells’ friends have cooperated. No arrests have been made, and authorities have not announced evidence connecting anyone to a crime.
Wells’ family has challenged what it considers an early assumption that the death was accidental. His mother, Christine Wonsley, said authorities should not have reached a public conclusion before completing the medical examination and gathering all available evidence.
Questions have also focused on why Wells did not return with his friends and why one of them had his cellphone. The friends reportedly believed Wells planned to remain on the island and leave with someone else. Wells’ relatives have said other accounts raised doubts about whether that was his plan.
The family retrieved Wells’ phone from the home of a friend after locating it through an electronic tracking service. Family members said they were concerned that activity appeared to be missing from the device. Their attorneys agreed to work with the local district attorney’s office on a joint inspection of the phone and its contents.
District Attorney Angel Myers McIlrath has agreed to present the completed investigation to a grand jury, according to Crump. A grand jury would review evidence and determine whether there is a legal basis for criminal charges. That planned review does not indicate that prosecutors have identified a suspect or concluded that a crime occurred.
Wells attended Southwest Mississippi Community College and played wide receiver for its football team. His death has drawn national attention, including support from civil rights leaders and public figures seeking a fuller investigation. A reward totaling $125,000 has been offered for information leading to an arrest and conviction connected to his death.
Investigators have asked people who were on Horn Island, or who have photographs or video from July 4, to provide information. The state autopsy, toxicology work, cellphone examination and broader investigation remained unfinished Wednesday, with the central question of how Wells died still unresolved.
Author note: Last updated July 22, 2026.