“For these reasons, this pathologist cannot rule out if any intervening non-accidental factors contributed to or caused the death of Nolan Wells,” said Crump.
Crump cited Mitchell had ‘several limitations’ and wouldn’t be able to determine Wells' condition before he entered the water.
The family still has unanswered questions and are asking Mississippi authorities for a transparent investigation. Crump said Jackson County Sheriff’s initial statement of no foul play was a huge concern.
“If the roles were reversed and there were three young black 18-year-olds. And there was a white 18 year old who was with them and he ended up dead,” said Crump. “We don't believe that those young black men would not have been interrogated to the full extent of the law… They would have been held until they gave answers. And so whatever you would do, had the roles been reversed, we want you to do the same thing for Nolan Wells.”
Mississippi Department of Public Safety Commissioner Sean Tindell said the state does not release autopsy reports while an investigation is active, explaining that doing so could compromise the case.
“We don't release all types of reports to the general public, particularly in cases that are under investigation,” said Tindell.
He said autopsy findings are turned over to the district attorney's office once they are complete and noted investigators are still awaiting toxicology results, which are routinely sent to an outside laboratory and can take several weeks to process.
Tindell also said misinformation circulating online has complicated the investigation, saying false claims and threats directed at public officials, witnesses and others involved in the case can discourage witnesses from coming forward and create additional obstacles for investigators. He urged the public to allow the investigation to run its course and said transparency will come once the investigation is complete.
Wells’ mother, Christine Wonsley, said she's only asking for transparency from Mississippi authorities on what happened to her son.
“It was not even an hour that his [Nolan’s] body had been removed and the sheriff came out and said this is you know ‘accidental drowning we don't think there's foul play,’” said Wonsley. “I sat there and asked them, ‘Please, please take this case as if this is your child.’ And they promised that they would, but when you make statements like that straight out the gate, that’s an issue.”
The independent autopsy results come just days after Wells’ memorial, which was held earlier this week in his hometown of Ocean Springs, Mississippi.
