What to know about the Nolan Wells' independent autopsy results

By — Maria Ramirez Uribe Maria Ramirez Uribe Leave your feedback Share Copy URL https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/what-to-know-about-the-nolan-wells-independent-autopsy-results Email Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Tumblr Share on Facebook Share on Twitter What to know about the Nolan Wells' independent autopsy results Nation Jul 22, 2026 2:54 PM EDT 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. READ MORE: What we know about death of Nolan Wells, Black teen who went missing on Mississippi boat trip 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