An independent autopsy could not determine why a Mississippi teenager was found dead in waters off the Mississippi coast after a Fourth of July boating trip with friends. But the keenly awaited results of a state autopsy conducted earlier this month could lend some clues.
An independent pathologist described Nolan Wells’ manner of death as undetermined pending further investigation, a preliminary autopsy report released Wednesday said.
The 18-year-old’s body was found along the shoreline of Horn Island on July 6, when local officials said it appeared to be an accidental drowning and no foul play was suspected. Attorney Ben Crump, who is representing the family, said Wells’ parents requested an independent autopsy be performed because “it is not adding up.”
Wells’ death has sparked nationwide attention and speculation over whether race played a role, as Mississippi’s fraught racial history looms over the case.
The independent autopsy, which was privately funded, is separate from the official autopsy performed by the Mississippi State Medical Examiner’s Office on July 7. Results from the state’s autopsy investigation have yet to be released, pending the outcome of standard toxicology tests.
