Sports jerseys are framed during a memorial service for Nolan Xavier Wells, an 18-year-old found dead after taking a July 4 boat trip with friends, Monday, July 20, 2026, in Ocean Springs, Miss. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
- The medical examiner noted that the cause and manner of death are best classified as undetermined.
Ben Crump, the attorney representing the parents of Nolan Wells, released the Mississippi State Medical Examiner’s autopsy report on Thursday at a press conference in Orlando that also focused on their efforts to extract information from the deceased Ocean Springs teen’s cell phone.
The state’s autopsy report, shown below, notes the 18-year-old was found face down in the water at Horn Island, as was previously released.
Subcutaneous scalp contusions were noted in the back of Wells’ head, each measuring approximately 2 inches (drawing of the area is shown below).
The medical examiner listed that there were no external scalp injuries, no fractures in the skull, no hemorrhages overlie the brain, no hemorrhages in the larynx or hyoid bone, and no visible injuries to the skull and cervical spine
No mention of “blunt force trauma” was made in the medical examiner’s report, but Crump’s independent autopsy has now been updated to reflect that phrase, which the attorney is using to call for continued investigation into Wells’ death.
The medical examiner noted that the cause and manner of death are best classified as undetermined.
