Warning: This article contains detailed information about autopsy results that may be disturbing to readers.
The cause and manner of death of Mississippi teen Nolan Wells, who went missing earlier this month, is still unknown following a preliminary independent autopsy.
The body of Wells, 18, was found in the water near Horn Island two days after he failed to return with friends from a July 4 boating trip.
The Jackson County Sheriff’s Office said it does not suspect foul play, but Wells’ family has requested an independent autopsy to answer what they say are “serious, unanswered questions about the circumstances that left Nolan alone on the island and how he died.”
Initial autopsy results show foul play cannot be ruled out, the family’s lawyer said Wednesday.
Ben Crump told a news conference that an examination revealed a red spot on the back of the teenager’s head, the cause of which has not been determined.
The expert, forensic pathologist Dr Roger Mitchell, noted there were no skin wounds or skull fractures in the area.
Mitchell, according to Crump, could not determine whether there were bruises on Wells’ body because it was too decomposed, nor could he tell whether Wells was conscious or unconscious when he entered the water.
If Wells did drown, then determining how he got into the water and whether he was conscious or unconscious when he did so is “the crux of the matter,” Crump said.
Mitchell’s autopsy report also stated that parts of Wells’ throat were retained after the initial autopsy, which is standard practice if there is any concern.
“Therefore, the pathologist cannot rule out neck trauma as a contributing factor in death,” Crump said.
Mitchell also noted that initial toxicology results are still pending.
“We have more questions than answers right now,” said an attorney who specializes in wrongful death claims.
The results of the initial autopsy conducted by the Jackson County Coroner have not yet been released. The BBC has contacted them for comment.
Crump and Wells’ family have questioned the conflicting reports that have emerged since Wells’ disappearance.
His mother Christina Wansley was the first to raise the alarm that her son, who played college football at Southwest Mississippi Community College and was described by his coach as a “happy-go-lucky kid,” was missing after he failed to return on the evening of July 4th.
She said she was concerned that her son’s mobile phone and car keys were found on his friends after they returned from Horn Island and she felt “uneasy” that police said her son had accidentally drowned.
Crump also questioned this, saying, “This is a kid who could swim.”
“We hope our local authorities will do what they need to do because we have preliminary autopsy results and we don’t hear anything from them – it’s heartbreaking and disturbing,” Wansley said Wednesday. “That’s why we’re here, why we asked for this help.”