Civil rights attorney Ben Crump is scheduled to announce the preliminary findings of an independent autopsy into the death of 18-year-old Nolan Wells on Wednesday morning at the 117th NAACP National Convention in Chicago. The announcement comes as the case has drawn intense national attention and sparked an outpouring of support from civil rights leaders, celebrities and advocacy groups seeking answers in the Mississippi teenager’s mysterious death.
Wells disappeared during a Fourth of July boat trip to Horn Island, a barrier island located eight miles off the Mississippi Gulf Coast that can only be accessed by private boat. He was last seen around 3 p.m. on July 4 and was reported missing that night when he failed to return with his friends. His body was discovered in the water near the northwestern tip of the island on the morning of July 6.
The news conference is scheduled for 8 a.m. Central Daylight Time on Wednesday at McCormick Place West Building in Chicago, where Crump will present the findings alongside Wells’ parents, Christine and Elmore Wonsley, and NAACP President and CEO Derrick Johnson. The preliminary results from the independent autopsy could provide the first public medical assessment of Wells’ death outside of the state’s official investigation.
The family commissioned the independent autopsy after growing concerns about the pace and transparency of the official investigation. The examination was conducted in Washington, D.C., and was paid for by Colin Kaepernick’s Know Your Rights Camp organization. Jackson County Coroner Bruce Lynd noted that there were no immediately obvious signs of foul play or trauma on Wells’ body, but officials requested a full autopsy to thoroughly examine whether any foul play or trauma existed. The results from the official state autopsy are not yet available as the Mississippi State Medical Examiner’s Office awaits toxicology test results, a process that can take weeks.
Crump has repeatedly called for a “full, transparent, and urgent investigation” into Wells’ death, raising questions about the circumstances surrounding the teenager’s disappearance. The attorney has also expressed concerns about the sheriff’s office quickly concluding that “no foul play was suspected” before autopsy results were completed. Additionally, Crump revealed his team had obtained video footage from the island showing what he described as an argument, with Wells heard asking for his phone. The family has questioned why Wells, who they say could swim, would have drowned, and they have expressed concerns about receiving conflicting information from those who were on the trip.
Several high-profile figures have joined the push for answers in the case. During Wells’ funeral on Monday, Reverend Al Sharpton announced a $50,000 reward for information leading to an arrest and conviction. Moments later, filmmaker Tyler Perry texted Sharpton during the service to match the reward, bringing the total to $100,000. Sharpton made the announcement in response to critics who had accused him and Crump of being involved in the case for financial gain, and he emphasized that somebody on the island that day must have witnessed what happened.
The case has drawn particular attention because Wells appeared to be the only Black attendee among nearly 200 people at the gathering, with some of the photos showing him as one of very few people of color present. Civil rights leaders have invoked Mississippi’s fraught history with racial violence, including the legacy of lynchings and the assassination of civil rights leader Medgar Evers. However, both Sharpton and Crump have cautioned against drawing premature conclusions before the investigation is complete.
Once the Jackson County Sheriff’s Department completes its investigation, the results will be presented to a grand jury for determination of whether any criminal wrongdoing occurred. Jackson County District Attorney Angel Myers McIlrath met with the family on July 15 and confirmed this plan. The district attorney’s office noted that convening a grand jury does not indicate any assumption of criminality and is standard procedure for most unnatural or suspicious deaths in the county.
The Congressional Black Caucus and the NAACP have both weighed in on the case, with the NAACP adopting a resolution on July 18 calling for the U.S. Justice Department to conduct an in-depth and transparent investigation into Wells’ death. The family’s legal team, led by Crump and attorney Liza Park, has vowed to conduct its own independent review of the circumstances surrounding the teenager’s death and continues to press for the timely release of all records, witness accounts and autopsy findings.
The Wells family has also expressed concerns about accessing evidence, including their son’s recovered cellphone. The family’s attorneys and the district attorney’s office have agreed to jointly inspect the contents of Wells’ phone. His family noted that he was an avid Snapchat user but there were no posts or messages for approximately 24 hours before they gained possession of the device, raising questions about the timeline of events.
The preliminary findings from the independent autopsy are expected to provide crucial insight into Wells’ death as the investigation continues. Whether the results will definitively identify a cause and manner of death or raise additional questions requiring further investigation remains to be seen, but the announcement is anticipated to be a significant moment in the case that has gripped the nation.