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Nolan Wells: When will family release independent autopsy results? Attorney Ben Crump's update after funeral
Attorney Ben Crump said the independent autopsy findings will be released Wednesday at 8 a.m. CDT during a press conference at the NAACP convention in Chicago.
The death of Ocean Springs, Mississippi teen Nolan Wells has snowballed into one of the most talked-about murder probes in the US over the last few months. On Tuesday, the case received a major turning point with the Wells family concluding the funeral of the 18-year-old-year-old, more than two weeks after his death on July 4.
The probe into the death has attracted a lot of social media attention, with observers debating whether it was an accident or a murder. The investigation is being led by the Jackson County Sheriff's Office, with the FBI assisting with digital forensics. But so far, the probe is pointing to an accident despite the family's claim of foul play, per the police.
The family of Nolan Wells has contested the accident claim, with their attorney Ben Crump earlier stating that they will conduct an independent autopsy on the body. But the 18-year-old's funeral on Tuesday came even as the questions about the death remained. Many wondered what happened with the independent autopsy?
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Attorney Ben Crump Reveals Autopsy Details
The family's attorney, Ben Crump told the media after Tuesday afternoon's funeral that the independent autopsy was conducted before the funeral, and the findings are currently being analyzed. He said that the results of the independent autopsy will be released tomorrow, i.e. Wednesday. July 22.
Ben Crump added that the press conference will take place at the 117th NAACP National Convention currently being held in Chicago at 8am CDT at McCormick Place West, Illinois' WXXV 4 reported.
The 117th NAACP National Convention is the annual national gathering of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), one of the oldest and largest civil rights organizations in the US.
Nolan Well's Contested Death: Where We Stand Now
Nolan Wells' death probe has been a highly contested affair. On one side is the Jackson County Sheriff's Office in Mississippi which maintains that there was no foul play.
On the other side, there are the parents, civil rights leaders and prominent Mississippi personalities who have committed rewards for an arrest and conviction. It includes Rev. Al Sharpton, who pledged $50,000; filmmaker Tyler Perry, who also committed $50,000; and, most recently, NFL Hall of Famer Terrell Owens committed $25,000.
On Monday, popular crime podcaster Nancy Grace covered the Nolan Wells death. She raised questions about how the data on Nolan Wells' phone was wiped clean. Wells was last seen in Horn Island, Mississippi, on July 6, where he was later found dead. There is no information about why the teen was at the island. But Nolan Wells' parents, Christine Wonsley and Elmore Wonsley, allege that they are not receiving updates from the Sheriff's Office, and attorney Crump was hired to conduct an independent probe.
The Sheriff's Office, meanwhile, maintains that the standard procedure as per local laws in Jackson County entails that the report on the probe be first presented in front of the district magistrate.
