The family of 18-year-old Mississippi native Nolan Xavier Wells has requested an independent autopsy as investigators continue examining the circumstances surrounding Wells’ death, according to civil rights attorney Ben Crump.
Crump said the independent examination will be conducted in Washington, D.C., after Wells’ family raised concerns about the official investigation into his disappearance during a Fourth of July trip to Horn Island, a remote barrier island off Mississippi’s Gulf Coast.
“He was a good kid. Was beloved. He was a college athlete. He had everything going for him,” Crump told ABC News. “And so to go on that island … and then not to come back is what is concerning.”
Wells traveled to Horn Island with friends on July 4. Authorities said he did not return to the mainland with the group. A body believed to be Wells was recovered on July 6 after a multiagency search.
Jackson County Sheriff John Ledbetter has said investigators believe Wells remained on the island after the others departed.
Family of Mississippi’s Nolan Xavier Wells Request Independent Autopsy, Per Attorney Ben Crump
“They left Horn Island and went back without Nolan,” Ledbetter said. “From what we understand, he chose to stay there.”
Authorities have said they believe Wells drowned and have not identified evidence of foul play. However, the sheriff’s office has emphasized that the investigation remains active as detectives continue reviewing evidence and interviewing witnesses.
Crump said the family disputes the preliminary assessment and continues seeking answers.
“Investigators continue to tell the family that, ‘We don’t see any evidence of any foul play,’” Crump said. “Even though you have students who recorded an altercation while they were on the boats.”
According to Crump, Wells’ cellphone left the island with his friends and contained deleted messages when it was later returned to the family. He also said Wells’ father described his son as “an elite athlete” and a capable swimmer, making the family skeptical that he accidentally drowned.
“They’re just not accepting that Nolan drowned accidentally,” Crump said.
Meanwhile, investigators continue urging anyone who visited Horn Island on July 4 to provide photographs, videos or information that could help establish what happened during Wells’ final hours.
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