The cause and manner of death for Nolan Wells, an 18-year-old Black college freshman found dead on Horn Island, Mississippi, are both 'undetermined, pending investigation,' according to an independent autopsy released Wednesday by the family's attorney, Ben Crump. The results come nearly three weeks after Wells disappeared on July 4 and was found dead on July 6.
What Happened to Nolan Wells?
Wells and friends took a boat to Horn Island, a barrier island off the Mississippi Gulf coast, on July 4. While his friends returned, Wells did not. His family launched a missing person search until his body was found on the island on July 6. During a press conference Wednesday, Christine Wonsley, Wells' mother, stated that a member of the Cajun Navy reported Wells was found fully clothed and face down, contradicting last known photos where he was shirtless.
Racial Dynamics and Lack of Answers
Wells was Black, while many of the estimated 300-400 people on the island were white. Crump noted the difficulty in believing no one knows what happened to one of the few Black attendees. Social media has been rife with misinformation, prompting both local and national Black leaders to call for transparency.
Autopsy Findings and Missing Neck Structures
Speaking at the NAACP national convention in Chicago, Crump revealed that the preliminary autopsy noted Wells' body was missing its interior neck structures when received after the first autopsy. Significant 'red discoloration' in the tissue at the back of his head was also observed for unknown reasons. The independent investigators could not examine the body upon recovery; by July 10, decomposition made it difficult to determine bruising.
The autopsy, funded by former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick, was conducted by Dr. Roger Mitchell, former Washington DC chief medical examiner. The state of Mississippi has not yet released its own autopsy results.
Family Questions Timeline and Foul Play
Wells was laid to rest in Ocean Springs, Mississippi, on Monday. Shortly after his body was found, Jackson County Sheriff John Ledbetter said he did not suspect foul play, a statement Wonsley deemed premature. Wells' friends told authorities he decided to stay on the island, which his parents find hard to believe. 'We always taught him that if you go with a group, you stay with a group,' his father, Elmore Wonsley, said on Good Morning America. 'If you go with five, you come back with five. Do not separate from the group.'
