CHICAGO (AP) 鈥� An independent autopsy commissioned by the family of found the 18-year-old鈥檚 cause and manner of death to be 鈥渦ndetermined鈥� pending further investigation.
The civil rights attorney Ben Crump, who is representing the Wells family, announced the preliminary findings Wednesday in front of a standing-room-only crowd at the annual NAACP National Convention in Chicago.
The autopsy report, he said, showed no evidence of fractures or deep tissue injuries. It described a 鈥渞ed discoloration鈥� in the back of Wells’ skull as 鈥渋nconclusive鈥� and meriting further investigation.
Without further information, the forensic pathologist, Dr. Robert Mitchell, wrote that he could not rule out the possibility that 鈥渘on-accidental factors contributed to or caused the death.”
Wells had traveled to an island off the coast of Mississippi on July 4 with a group of friends, who later without him. His body was discovered two days later floating off the island’s coast.
In his report, the pathologist pointed to several challenges inherent to the independent autopsy, including the decomposition of the body and outstanding questions about whether Wells was conscious when he entered the water.
Because an initial autopsy was performed by the medical examiner in Mississippi, Wells鈥� body arrived without organs or neck structures 鈥� making it impossible to determine if he had suffered a neck injury or whether water had entered his lungs, according to the report, which notes that the practice is not unusual.
Still, the revelation, relayed by Crump, prompted gasps from the crowd of several hundred in Chicago. The attorney called on state officials to provide that evidence for the family to review as part of their own independent investigation.
The Mississippi medical examiner, which has not released the results of the state autopsy, did not return a message seeking comment.
The second autopsy was paid for by former NFL player Colin Kaepernick, whose group Know Your Rights Camp has paid for other independent autopsies.
鈥淭his is only another part of the puzzle, and even though it tells us significant information, we still have more questions than we have answers at this time,鈥� Crump said of the results.
The still-unknown circumstances around Wells鈥� death have touched off rampant online speculation and prompted calls from Black leaders for transparency from local authorities. Wells, who was Black, had traveled to the island with a group of high school friends, all of whom are white.
A reward of $125,000 鈥� jointly funded by the Rev. Al Sharpton, actor and producer Tyler Perry and former NFL player Terrell Owens 鈥� is now being offered in exchange for information leading to an arrest and conviction in connection with the death.
The autopsy announcement comes two days after Wells was in his hometown of Ocean Springs, Mississippi.
In his eulogy, Sharpton lamented the 鈥渋nconsistencies and unanswered questions鈥� that had placed a dark cloud over the grieving family.
He questioned why Wells鈥� friends had left him behind, taken his phone and keys and failed to report him missing. And he suggested local investigators had spoken prematurely in statements to the news media indicating no crime was suspected.
鈥淭he reason that a lot of people across the nation are looking at this Nolan situation is because we鈥檙e looking at the history in Mississippi,鈥� Sharpton added. 鈥淲e can鈥檛 have someone in law enforcement saying there was no foul play before there was an investigation.鈥�
Jackson County Sheriff John Ledbetter said initial interviews suggested Wells chose to stay on the island and that his friends believed he would get a ride with someone else. He has said the friends were cooperating with the investigation, which remains ongoing.
鈥淲e are trying to be respectful and collaborative as much as we can,鈥� Crump said. 鈥淏ut it鈥檚 always troublesome to all of us when these investigations just take forever.鈥�
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