A preliminary independent autopsy for Nolan Wells released Wednesday could not provide an explanation for his death, and called for further investigation.
The autopsy, conducted by forensic pathologist Dr. Roger Mitchell on July 10, did not determine the manner or cause of death for the Black teen. Wells was found dead after going missing on a Mississippi island on July 4.
"This pathologist cannot rule out if any intervening non-accidental factors contributed to or caused the death of Nolan Wells," civil rights attorney Ben Crump said Wednesday at the announcement, reading from the autopsy report.
"We have more questions than answers at this time," said Crump, who is representing Wells' family.
WATCH: Family of Nolan Wells expected to announce results of independent autopsy
The autopsy found red discoloration in the soft tissue at the back of Wells' head. Crump said this finding needed further investigation because Mitchell had reported that the cause of the discoloration was unclear.
What the autopsy found, and what is unknown
Diagrams depicting Nolan Wells' body parts are displayed during the announcement of the results of an independent autopsy of the young Black man whose body was found on an island off the coast of Mississippi after he travelled there over the Fourth of July weekend, during a press conference at the NAACP Convention in Chicago, Illinois, July 22, 2026. Photo by Jim Vondruska/Reuters
Mitchell, president of the National Medical Association and former chief medical examiner of the District of Columbia, did not attend the news conference, held at the 117th NAACP National Convention in Chicago. He wrote that he did not receive Wells' internal neck structures, including his trachea. Mitchell said he didn't know why the initial pathologist kept the neck structures, but added that it is not uncommon to keep these body parts for additional testing if there are concerns of fracture or neck compression.
However, in the absence of those body parts, Mitchell said he "cannot rule out injury to the neck as a contributor or a cause of death."
The most significant limitation to conducting a second autopsy, according to the report, "was the inability to directly observe the airway and the lungs for water and directly observe the stomach for gastric contents."
The initial autopsy removed and dissected Wells' organs, as is customary. After the second autopsy, which was paid for by civil rights activist Colin Kaepernick, Mitchell listed seven outstanding questions, including what led Wells to enter the water, whether there was water in his airway and whether he had a brain bleed.
"The condition of Nolan Wells before he entered the water would be the crux of the matter," Crump said. "It would be of utmost importance to being able to determine a cause and manner of death."
What Wells' family and attorney have said
The parents of Nolan Wells, Christine Wells-Wonsley and Elmore Wonsley embrace as Ben Crump, a lawyer for the family of Wells, announces the results of an independent autopsy of the young Black man whose body was found on an island off the coast of Mississippi after he traveled there over the Fourth of July weekend, during a press conference at the NAACP Convention in Chicago, Illinois, U.S., July 22, 2026. REUTERS/Jim Vondruska
Crump demanded transparency from local authorities, saying he hopes the Mississippi medical examiner's office provides Mitchell with its photos and observations of Wells' body. The Jackson County Sheriff's Department's autopsy and toxicology results have still not been made public.
WATCH: Nolan Wells' family presses for transparent investigation into his death
Crump also said that Mitchell believed the proper venue to interpret the results of the toxicology report would be before a grand jury.
"We would hope that the district attorney would present Dr. Mitchell before the grand jury as well. We want all relevant information to be heard by the grand jury," Crump said.
Wells' mother Christine Wells-Wonsley said "it's heartbreaking and it's concerning" to not have heard from local authorities. She said the last time she spoke to the sheriff's office was a day or two after Wells' body was found on July 6.
Wells-Wonsley said she and her husband are "moving the way we are" because local authorities said they believed Wells had drowned and did not suspect foul play "not even an hour" after his body was removed.
In a July 10 news conference, Crump described "glaring contradictions" in witness accounts of Wells' disappearance, related to whether he stayed on or left the island and why he didn't have his phone with him, and questioned the idea that a young athlete who knew how to swim would drown.
The Rev. Al Sharpton, filmmaker Tyler Perry and former NFL player Terrell Owens are offering a $125,000 reward for any information leading to a conviction in Wells' death.
"The only question that we have is what happened to our son," Wells-Wonsley said.
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