The Mississippi State Medical Examiner has completed the official autopsy of Nolan Wells, but the findings remain unavailable to both the public and the 18-year-old’s family.
The report will be withheld while authorities complete their investigation and prepare the case for review by a Jackson County grand jury.
The state medical examiner performed the autopsy on July 7, one day after a U.S. park ranger recovered Wells’ body from the water near the northwestern end of Horn Island.
The State Autopsy Was Conducted One Day After His Body Was Found
People reported that the examination is now complete. Family attorney Ben Crump said Wells’ parents and their legal team had not received the findings when the development became public.
Officials have not announced when the report might be released or disclosed whether it identifies a cause and manner of death. Jackson County District Attorney Angel Myers McIlrath previously said evidence from the investigation would remain confidential until it could be presented to a grand jury.
“Our restraint in communicating facts and evidence is not an effort to keep the truth from the public,” McIlrath said. “It is an effort to protect the integrity of this investigation and the grand jury proceeding.” McIlrath said prosecutors are limited in what they can discuss publicly while that work continues.
The Family’s Independent Autopsy Remained Inconclusive
Wells’ family commissioned a separate examination by forensic pathologist Dr. Roger J. Mitchell Jr. after questioning how quickly authorities initially discussed accidental drowning. Mitchell listed both the cause and manner of death as undetermined pending additional investigation and access to records from the state examination.
He found no fractures or evidence of deep-tissue injuries. He nevertheless said he could not rule out an intervening nonaccidental factor based on the limited information available to him.
Mitchell identified an area of red discoloration on the back of Wells’ head that he wanted to evaluate further. He also said he could not directly examine the stomach and parts of the airway for the presence of water because they had been removed during the state autopsy.
Decomposition Limited the Second Examination
The independent autopsy took place after the state had already examined the body and after decomposition had progressed. Those circumstances limited Mitchell’s ability to identify subtle injuries or determine whether changes in the body occurred before or after death.
He requested additional information about Wells’ head and neck, whether water was found in his airways and stomach, the position in which his body was recovered and whether he was conscious when he entered the water.
Wells Disappeared During a July 4 Trip to Horn Island
Wells traveled by boat with friends to Horn Island for a Fourth of July gathering. He was last seen on the barrier island that afternoon and did not return to the mainland with the group. His body was recovered in the water on the morning of July 6, two days after he disappeared.
Authorities initially said they saw no apparent indication of foul play and noted that the area can have dangerous rip currents. Wells’ mother, Christine Wonsley, later said Jackson County Sheriff John Ledbetter had raised accidental drowning less than an hour after her son’s body was found.
The family characterized that as a premature conclusion and called for a more extensive investigation into what happened before Wells entered the water. The Jackson County Sheriff’s Office has continued investigating, with local, state and federal agencies participating in different aspects of the case.
A Grand Jury Review Does Not Mean Charges Are Expected
McIlrath said nearly every Jackson County death other than natural deaths and noncriminal vehicle crashes is presented to a grand jury. “Nolan’s case is being handled the same way,” she said.
A grand jury will review evidence and determine whether there is probable cause to issue an indictment. No person has been charged in connection with his death, and no date has been announced for the grand jury’s review.