Civil rights attorney Ben Crump announced Wednesday that preliminary results from an independent autopsy into the death of 18-year-old Nolan Xavier Wells would be released during a news conference at the annual NAACP National Convention in Chicago. Wells' parents are expected to attend.
The second autopsy was commissioned by the family and Crump, with funding provided by former NFL player Colin Kaepernick. Crump stated the independent examination would determine if Wells sustained any physical injuries beyond drowning. The Mississippi State Medical Examiner's Office previously conducted its own autopsy, but those results have not yet been released.
Wells' body was discovered floating off the coast of an island near Mississippi two days after he disappeared following a July 4 boat trip with friends. His disappearance and subsequent death have become a subject of widespread online speculation and prompted calls for transparency from local authorities.
Rev. Al Sharpton, actor and producer Tyler Perry, and former NFL player Terrell Owens have jointly funded a $125,000 reward for information leading to an arrest and conviction in connection with Wells' death. Sharpton, who delivered Wells' eulogy, questioned why Wells' friends had not reported him missing to the police and had taken his phone and keys.
Jackson County Sheriff John Ledbetter stated that initial interviews indicated Wells may have chosen to remain on the island and that his friends believed he would find another way back to the mainland. Ledbetter confirmed the friends were cooperating with the ongoing investigation. Crump expressed concern over the pace of the investigation.