An independent autopsy commissioned by Nolan Wells’ family found no fractures or deep-tissue injuries in the areas examined, but it did not determine what caused the 18-year-old college football player’s death.
Forensic pathologist Dr. Roger Mitchell Jr. classified both the cause and manner of death as “undetermined pending investigation.” His preliminary report said the available evidence was insufficient to exclude the possibility that non-accidental factors contributed to Wells’ death.
Mitchell conducted the second autopsy on July 10, after Mississippi authorities had completed their own examination. Family attorney Ben Crump released the preliminary findings at the NAACP National Convention in Chicago on July 22.
Wells disappeared during a Fourth of July trip to Horn Island off the Mississippi coast. His body was found in the water near the island’s northwestern tip two days later. The state medical examiner’s autopsy and toxicology findings have not been publicly released.
The Autopsy Found an Unexplained Discoloration Behind His Head
Mitchell performed additional dissections of Wells’ face, scalp, neck, ribs, pelvis, back and limbs. According to the preliminary findings, he found no fractures or evidence of deep-tissue injuries in the areas he was able to examine.
The pathologist did document a 12-by-8-inch area of red discoloration in the soft tissue at the back of Wells’ head. There was no cut in the skin above it or fracture in the skull beneath it.
The report did not identify the discoloration as a confirmed injury. Mitchell said decomposition and the absence of related findings prevented him from determining whether it developed before Wells’ death or was connected to what happened in the water.
Crump said the finding required further examination but acknowledged that the second autopsy could not establish what caused it. “Based on the examination of the body, he cannot rule out foul play,” the attorney said during the news conference.
The First Autopsy Limited the Second Examination
Mitchell identified several limitations that prevented him from independently examining some of the evidence most relevant to drowning and possible neck trauma.
Internal structures from the front of Wells’ neck, including portions of the trachea, laryngeal cartilage, thyroid horn and hyoid bone, were not returned with his body. The report said the Mississippi pathologist presumably retained those structures for further study, which is a standard forensic practice.
Without them, Mitchell could not complete his examination for a possible neck injury. Wells’ organs had also been removed and dissected during the first autopsy, preventing him from directly examining his lungs and airways for water or his stomach for its contents.
Decomposition created another obstacle because it can obscure bruises, abrasions and changes in tissue. Mitchell did not order separate toxicology testing and had not received the state’s toxicology results when he completed his preliminary opinion.
The Report Identified Seven Unanswered Questions
The family of Nolan Wells stands with Attorney Ben Crump right now as the autopsy findings are released.
Join Us Live pic.twitter.com/gvvwFWIGaS
— Ben Crump (@AttorneyCrump) July 22, 2026
Mitchell listed seven questions that he said must be answered before the death can be classified: how Wells entered the water; the position of his body when it was recovered; whether water was present in his airways; whether his neck showed evidence of injury; whether there was bleeding inside his skull; what remained in his stomach; and what the official toxicology testing found.
The pathologist also said investigators need to establish Wells’ condition before he entered the water, including whether he was conscious and whether he entered voluntarily or was forced. The independent report remains preliminary, and Mitchell reserved the right to revise his opinion after reviewing the first autopsy, recovery records, toxicology findings and additional investigative evidence.
The Official Investigation Remains Open
The Jackson County Sheriff’s Office continues to lead the investigation, with assistance from the FBI when federal resources are requested. The district attorney has said the completed investigation will be presented to a grand jury, a standard procedure in the county for non-natural or suspicious deaths.
Colin Kaepernick’s Know Your Rights Camp helped fund the independent autopsy. A $125,000 reward funded by the Rev. Al Sharpton, Tyler Perry and former NFL player Terrell Owens is being offered for information leading to an arrest and conviction connected to Wells’ death. Wells’ mother, Christine Wonsley, addressed the unresolved findings at the Chicago news conference: “What happened to our son?”