Nearly three weeks after 18-year-old Nolan Xavier Wells was found dead off Mississippi’s Horn Island, the family’s independent autopsy is in — and it doesn’t settle the case. On July 22, 2026, attorney Ben Crump announced that the exam could not determine how or why Wells died. Here’s what the findings actually say, in plain terms.
What today’s announcement was
Crump, joined by Wells’ parents and NAACP President Derrick Johnson, spoke at 8 a.m. at the 117th NAACP National Convention in Chicago[1]. The independent autopsy was performed on July 19 by Dr. Roger A. Mitchell Jr., a board-certified forensic pathologist, former chief medical examiner for Washington, D.C., and current president of the National Medical Association. Former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick funded the exam[2].
The finding: “undetermined,” not foul play confirmed
Dr. Mitchell’s conclusion, in his own words: “This pathologist cannot rule out if any intervening, non-accidental factors contributed to or caused the death of Nolan Wells”[2]. Crump summarized it as cause and manner of death “undetermined pending further investigation”[3]. That is not the same as finding evidence of a crime — it means the exam couldn’t rule one out, either.
What the exam found — and didn’t
The reported physical findings are narrow:
- No skull fractures, no deep-tissue injuries, and no lacerations of the skin were identified[4].
- A small area of red discoloration was noted in the soft tissue at the back of the head, with no determined cause[2].
- No toxicology testing was performed as part of the independent exam, and no drowning-specific finding was reported[5].
Two limitations explain the gap. Advanced decomposition meant Dr. Mitchell couldn’t tell whether bruising had existed before death. And the Mississippi State Medical Examiner’s Office had already dissected and kept Wells’ internal neck structures — including the trachea and hyoid bone — before the family’s pathologist examined the body, so the tissue most useful for ruling asphyxiation or strangulation in or out simply wasn’t available to him[6].
What officials are saying
Jackson County Sheriff John Ledbetter has said investigators did not initially suspect foul play, and that early interviews suggested Wells chose to stay behind on the island while his friends’ boat returned to the mainland[7]. Jackson County District Attorney Angel Myers McIlrath met with the family’s legal team on July 15 and committed to presenting the case to a grand jury once the investigation is complete[7]. The Mississippi State Medical Examiner’s Office conducted its own autopsy on July 7 but, as of today, still hasn’t released a cause-of-death ruling or toxicology results[8].
NAACP President Derrick Johnson was pointed about the pace of that release: “We’re not accusing anyone of anything other than the State of Mississippi and local officials. We’re accusing them of being derelict in their duties”[2].
What the family is saying
Wells’ parents have kept their public statements narrow and consistent. His father, Elmore Wonsley: “We just want honesty. We want to know what happened to our son”[6]. His mother, Christine Wonsley, said the sheriff’s early “no foul play” framing already shaped public opinion before the facts were in: “damage has already been done, because that’s the narrative that’s being pushed by the general public”[9].
How this fits the bigger picture
This is one chapter in a case that’s been building since Wells disappeared on a July 4 boat trip and was found dead two days later. Support for the family has grown alongside the unanswered questions:
- A $125,000 reward for information is now in place, funded by Rev. Al Sharpton, Tyler Perry, and Terrell Owens.
- The “In Loving Memory of Nolan Xavier Wells” GoFundMe has raised more than $753,000 toward an $850,000 goal from over 15,000 donors[10].
- Wells was laid to rest July 20 at Center Pointe Church in Ocean Springs, Mississippi.
For the full day-by-day account of the case — from the July 4 disappearance through today’s announcement — see our companion article, “Timeline: What We Know About the Death of Nolan Xavier Wells on Horn Island.”
The bottom line
Two forensic exams have now looked at Nolan Wells’ body. Neither has concluded he was murdered. Neither has concluded he drowned by accident. “Undetermined” is the only word either pathologist has actually used — and the outstanding state toxicology report is likely the next real turning point in the case.
References
- Mississippi Free Press. (2026a, July 21). Crump will reveal Nolan Wells’ independent autopsy findings in Chicago on Wednesday. https://www.mississippifreepress.org/crump-will-reveal-nolan-wells-independent-autopsy-findings-in-chicago-on-wednesday/ ↩
- Mississippi Free Press. (2026b, July 22). Nolan Wells’ independent autopsy finds his cause of death ‘undetermined,’ Crump announces. https://www.mississippifreepress.org/nolan-wells-independent-autopsy-finds-his-cause-of-death-undetermined-crump-announces/ ↩a ↩b ↩c ↩d
- WSMV. (2026, July 22). Preliminary results of independent autopsy find Nolan Wells’ cause of death to be ‘undetermined’. https://www.wsmv.com/2026/07/22/results-autopsy-nolan-wells-be-released-familys-attorney-says/ ↩
- Washington Times, The. (2026, July 22). Nolan Wells autopsy finds no fractures, cause of death unclear. https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/jul/22/nolan-wells-autopsy-finds-no-fractures-cause-death-unclear/ ↩
- CBS News. (2026, July 22). Nolan Wells’ cause and manner of death undetermined, attorney says, citing family’s autopsy. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/nolan-wells-independent-autopsy-results/ ↩
- The National Desk. (2026, July 22). Independent autopsy cannot rule out foul play in Nolan Wells’ death: Attorney. https://kval.com/news/nation-world/nolan-wells-mississippi-independent-autopsy-horn-island-ben-crump-investigation-foul-play-death ↩a ↩b
- Newsweek. (2026, July 22). Nolan Wells autopsy results fail to determine cause of death, remain undetermined. https://www.newsweek.com/nolan-wells-autospy-results-fail-determine-cause-death-undetermined-12228858 ↩a ↩b
- WTVA. (2026, July 20). ‘Stand up, tell the truth’: Rev. Al Sharpton, Tyler Perry offer $100K reward for info on Nolan Wells death. https://www.wtva.com/2026/07/20/stand-up-tell-truth-rev-al-sharpton-tyler-perry-offer-100k-reward-info-nolan-wells-death/ ↩
- WLOX. (2026, July 22). TODAY: Ben Crump to reveal independent autopsy findings in Nolan Wells case. https://www.wlox.com/2026/07/22/today-ben-crump-reveal-independent-autopsy-findings-nolan-wells-case/ ↩
- GoFundMe. (2026, July 22). In loving memory of Nolan Xavier Wells [Fundraiser, accessed July 22, 2026]. https://www.gofundme.com/f/in-loving-memory-of-nolan-xavier-wells ↩
Methodology: Every claim above is attributed to a named news organization or official public statement. This is a developing story; for the full case history, see our timeline article, and if any fact here is later corrected by investigators, this post will be updated.