Nolan Wells autopsy leaves cause of death unanswered

A preliminary autopsy ordered by Nolan Wells’ family has not determined how the 18-year-old Mississippi teen died after a Fourth of July trip to Horn Island, attorney Ben Crump said Wednesday.

Crump said the independent review found the cause and manner of death are listed as undetermined while the investigation continues. He said the autopsy noted red discoloration in tissue at the back of Wells’ head, though the reason for it was not known.

The teen’s body was decomposed when it was examined, Crump said, limiting what the forensic pathologist could determine. The independent autopsy was performed July 10, six days after Wells’ body was found, and the date of death was also ruled unknown, according to Crump.

“This has been a difficult journey,” Wells’ mother, Christine Wonsley, said at a Wednesday press conference. “Losing a child truly breaks your heart. It is a pain, you just can't measure it.”

Crump said the family sought the autopsy as part of what he called a “ferocious search for the truth of what really happened to Nolan Wells.” Christine Wonsley said she hoped local officials would do what was needed and described the lack of information from the police investigation as concerning.

Family turns to independent examiner

The autopsy was paid for by former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick, according to Crump’s team. Lawyer Lisa Park, who is part of Crump’s firm, said it was conducted by Dr. Roger Mitchell, a former Washington, D.C., chief medical examiner who has performed thousands of autopsies.

Mitchell received Wells’ body after Mississippi officials had already conducted their own autopsy. Jackson County coroner Bruce Lynd previously told CBS News that the state autopsy was done July 7, but those results have not been released.

Wells’ body was found in the water July 6 off Horn Island, about 10 miles south of the Mississippi mainland, after a search by the U.S. Coast Guard, the Mississippi Department of Marine Resources and the National Park Service. Lynd previously said dental records confirmed the body was Wells.

What investigators have said

Jackson County Sheriff John Ledbetter said Wells had gone to the island with friends but did not return to the mainland with them that afternoon. According to Ledbetter, the friends told authorities Wells stayed behind to speak with a girl and said he would come back later.

Wells’ parents, Christine and Elmore Wonsley, told “CBS Mornings” earlier this month they did not believe their son would have stayed behind by choice. Elmore Wonsley said Nolan “always stays with the group” and questioned why anyone would leave him there.

Crump’s office said Wells was last seen on the island at about 3 p.m. His mother reported him missing later that night, and a search began.

NAACP President Derrick Johnson has criticized the police investigation and said a full investigation should be completed before anyone speculates that Wells’ death was an accident.

Horn Island, a long strip of sand and scrub brush accessible only by boat, is known as a gathering spot for young people and adults. Video from July Fourth showed the island crowded with boats and people. Lucas Aviz, a friend of Wells who was there that day, told “Inside Edition” that boats were “practically on top of each other.”

Wells attended Ocean Springs High School and was set to be a sophomore wide receiver at Southwest Mississippi Community College, according to Crump. Crump also said Wells was a good swimmer.

A $125,000 reward, with contributions including the Rev. Al Sharpton, Tyler Perry and Terrell Owens, is being offered for information leading to the arrest and conviction of anyone responsible for Wells’ death. Authorities have said no criminality has been determined.

This story draws on original reporting from CBS News.