Nolan Wells' independent autopsy says cause, manner of death 'undetermined pending investigation'
The family-paid autopsy, funded by Colin Kaepernick, found no definitive cause or manner of death as investigators continue reviewing the teen’s disappearance.
- Attorney Ben Crump will announce preliminary autopsy results Wednesday at 8 a.m. at the 117th NAACP National Convention in Chicago, releasing findings from an independent examination paid for in part by civil rights activist Colin Kaepernick.
- Nolan Xavier Wells, 18, of Ocean Springs, Mississippi, disappeared July 4 during a boat trip to Horn Island, roughly 10 miles off the Mississippi Gulf Coast; his body was recovered two days later as central questions persisted about why he didn't return with friends.
- Video released Tuesday appears to show Wells at 2:23 p.m., roughly two hours before friends departed the island, standing on the boat's back deck with older adults. Emergency call audio captured the moment their bilge pump failed around 4 p.m.
- Reverend Al Sharpton promised a $100,000 reward for new information at Wells' memorial service, with filmmaker Tyler Perry covering half and paying funeral costs. Crump led mourners in chanting "Nolan's life mattered" as filmmaker Spike Lee and former NFL player Terrell Owens attended.
- Mississippi's documented history of racial violence shapes interpretation of the case, as Crump noted the family's distrust is inseparable from the state's past. True crime broadcaster Nancy Grace has drawn renewed social media attention to questions surrounding Wells' cellphone and evidence.
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168 Articles
The cause of Nolan Wells' death remains unknown to date.
Independent Autopsy: Cause of Teen's Death 'Undetermined'
An outside pathologist can't yet say how 18-year-old Nolan Wells died—but he's not ruling out foul play, reports NBC News . The teen athlete vanished July 4 while celebrating on Mississippi's Horn Island, and his body was found two days later. A preliminary independent autopsy ordered by Wells' family lists...
Independent Autopsy of Nolan Wells Finds ‘Undetermined’ Cause of Death, Attorney Says at Chicago Convention
<span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">Independent Autopsy of Nolan Wells Finds ‘Undetermined’ Cause of Death, Attorney Says at Chicago Convention </span> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>Associated Press</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2026-07-22T11:53:20-05:00" title="Wedn…
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