Attorney Ben Crump, civil rights activist Rev. Al Sharpton, Congresswoman Lucy McBath, and Nolan Wells’ parents will be holding a press conference on Thursday, August 13, amid calls for a federal review into the teen’s disappearance and death. The Ocean Springs, Mississippi teen was found dead in the water on the northwest end of Horn Island on Monday morning, July 6. Wells went missing on July 4 after taking a boat to the island with friends. The search for the teen was called off after a body was found by a park ranger on Monday, July 6.
This event comes after members of the Congressional Black Caucus urged the U.S. Department of Justice to conduct an independent review of the case. They wanted the DOJ to determine whether a separate federal investigation, including a possible civil rights investigation, is warranted.
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Congressional Black Caucus Chair Yvette D. Clarke and other caucus members said in a letter to Attorney General Todd Blanche and FBI Director Kash Patel that the Wells family has waited more than a month for answers and is now requesting a response from the Justice Department within seven days regarding any action being taken, per WXXV25. The FBI is assisting local investigators in the case.
What did Nolan Wells’ autopsy find?
The Mississippi State Medical Examiner performed an autopsy on July 7. The report was submitted to the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office, but the results have not been publicly released. Crump said that Wells’ family has not seen the results yet.
{{/usCountry}}The Mississippi State Medical Examiner performed an autopsy on July 7. The report was submitted to the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office, but the results have not been publicly released. Crump said that Wells’ family has not seen the results yet.
{{/usCountry}}Neither autopsy results nor toxicology results have been revealed in Wells’ case, and it is unclear when they will be.
An independent autopsy commissioned by Wells’ family was inconclusive, Crump previously said. The autopsy found the teen’s cause and manner of death to be “undetermined” pending further investigation.
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The independent autopsy report did not show any evidence of fractures or deep tissue injuries, the Associated Press reported. It also described a “red discoloration” on the back of Wells’ skull as “inconclusive” and meriting further investigation, according to Crump.
Dr. Robert Mitchell, the forensic pathologist who performed the autopsy, wrote in the report that the possibility that “non-accidental factors contributed to or caused the death” could not be ruled out.