An independent autopsy couldn’t determine how Nolan Wells died. Here’s what experts say could happen next - CNN

What the report says

CNN reported that a privately funded autopsy of Nolan Wells, an 18-year-old Mississippi teenager found dead along Horn Island after a Fourth of July boating trip, did not determine his cause or manner of death. The preliminary report by forensic pathologist Dr. Roger A. Mitchell Jr. classified the manner of death as undetermined pending further investigation. Wells’ body was found July 6 along the Mississippi Gulf Coast shoreline, and local officials initially said the case appeared to involve an accidental drowning with no suspected foul play.

The independent review was requested by Wells’ parents, who are represented by attorney Ben Crump. CNN reported that the family sought the examination because they believed key circumstances remained unclear. The independent autopsy found no obvious lacerations, fractures or deep-tissue injuries, similar to earlier comments from Jackson County Coroner Bruce Lynd that there were no immediate signs of physical injury. But Mitchell noted major limits, including that the state had retained some remains after its own autopsy, toxicology results were not yet available and decomposition can make injuries or toxicology findings harder to interpret.

CNN said attention is now focused on the official autopsy performed July 7 by the Mississippi State Medical Examiner’s Office, whose results are pending standard toxicology testing. Experts not involved in the case told CNN the state examination may provide more information because it could include access to retained remains, lungs and airways, stomach contents, witness information and other investigative evidence.

CNN also reported that investigators still face central questions: how Wells entered the water, whether he was conscious, and whether any medical findings can support or rule out drowning. Forensic specialists cautioned that autopsies alone often cannot answer those issues, and that witness accounts, scene reconstruction, digital evidence and other investigative findings may be needed.