Preliminary independent autopsy results for Nolan Wells leave key questions unanswered | CNN

Weeks after an 18-year-old’s body was found floating face-down near an island off the Mississippi coast, an independent autopsy requested by his family has yielded no solid answers about what led to his death. An independent pathologist described Nolan Wells’ manner of death as undetermined pending further investigation, his preliminary autopsy report says. The teen’s body was found July 6 along the shoreline of Horn Island. Wells’ death sparked nationwide attention and speculation that race may have played a role, given Mississippi’s fraught racial history. Photos from the trip showed the Black teen surrounded by White friends, though at least one other Black friend was also on the trip. 2 weeks after a Mississippi football player’s death, many questions loom The independent autopsy, which was privately funded, is separate from the official autopsy performed by the Mississippi State Medical Examiner’s Office on July 7. Results from the state’s autopsy investigation have not been released, pending the outcome of standard toxicology tests. Forensic pathologist Dr. Roger A. Mitchell Jr., who performed the independent autopsy, “identified several limitations … that