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Who is Dr. Roger Mitchell? All we know about forensic pathologist who performed autopsy on Nolan Wells
Nolan Wells' independent autopsy report concludes his cause of death is ‘undetermined’. Here's what we know about Dr. Roger Mitchell who conducted autopsy.
An initial independent autopsy report, commissioned by the legal team for Nolan Wells' family, concluded that the cause and manner of the teenager's death are currently classified as "undetermined" while the investigation is ongoing.
The physician who conducted the autopsy said in the report that he could not dismiss the possibility of foul play in Wells' death, as stated by Wells' family's attorney, Ben Crump, who disclosed the findings during a news conference on Wednesday at the 117th NAACP National Convention.
Crump further mentioned that the report, which was compiled following two autopsies, also identified red discoloration on the back of Wells' head. However, the report seemed to have deficiencies due to what Crump described as absent body parts and incomplete procedures.
Who is Dr. Roger Mitchell?
The autopsy was conducted by Dr. Roger Mitchell, a board-certified forensic pathologist and the president of the National Medical Association. It is the oldest and largest organization of Black physicians in the United States, according to Crump.
Crump stated on Wednesday that a toxicology report was not part of the autopsy.
According to Crump, the autopsy took place on July 10, six days following Wells' disappearance and four days after his body was discovered on the northwestern shore of Horn Island.
Dr. Mitchell holds board certification in both anatomic and forensic pathology from the American Board of Pathology. He is a tenured professor of pathology and currently acts as the chief medical officer for the faculty practice at Howard University, where he completed his education.
Additionally, he co-authored the book Death in Custody: How America Ignores the Truth and What We Can Do About It, which examines preventable fatalities occurring in jails and prisons.
Official autopsy report remains incomplete
The coroner of Jackson County conducted an autopsy on the 18-year-old football player. However, the findings have not been disclosed yet, as the coroner's office is awaiting the completion of a toxicology report from the medical examiner's office.
On Tuesday, Jackson County Coroner Bruce Lynd informed NBC News that the state autopsy report remains incomplete.
According to the report, Mitchell was unable to ascertain whether Wells was conscious when he entered the water or how he came to be in the water.
Crump referred to Wells' condition prior to entering the water as the "crux of the matter," emphasizing that it is crucial to ascertain the cause and manner of death.
Furthermore, due to the extent of decomposition of Wells' body when it was received by Mitchell, Crump said that it was impossible to ascertain whether there were any bruises on the body, as stated in the report.
Nolan Wells death probe
Wells was last seen on July 4 in the afternoon, although the precise time remains uncertain. He had traveled to the island, which is only reachable by boat, to celebrate the holiday with a group of high school friends.
His friends informed the police that when they had to depart early because their boat began to take on water, Wells assured them he would remain and return later with others.
Wells did not come home that night, prompting his mother to report him missing around midnight. His body was discovered on July 6 by a U.S. park ranger.
Some sections of Wells' throat were missing, says Crump
In the autopsy report submitted by Crump, Mitchell observed that certain sections of Wells' throat were missing when the body was examined.
The pathologist cannot dismiss the possibility that neck injury may have contributed to or caused the death, Crump stated, urging local law enforcement to provide Mitchell with their findings from the state autopsy.
Crump further emphasized that Mitchell should be present when a Mississippi grand jury reviews the findings of the death investigation.
Wells' parents, Christine Wells-Wonsley and Elmore Wonsley, addressed the audience prior to the announcement of the results at the NAACP Convention.
“There’s so many people out in the public asking all of these questions, but the only question that we have is what happened to our son,” Wells-Wonsley stated.
She mentioned that the delay in the release of the state-run autopsy report is one of the reasons her family chose to pursue an independent autopsy.
