Nolan Wells' cause and manner of death 'undetermined,' state autopsy report finds
A Mississippi state autopsy report has officially classified the death of 18-year-old Nolan Wells as 'undetermined.' Despite finding evidence of scalp contusions, the medical examiner could not conclude how the injuries occurred or the specific cause of death.
Why it matters
The lack of a definitive cause of death leaves the family without closure and highlights the limitations of forensic investigations in complex cases.
The family of Nolan Wells on Thursday released the Mississippi State Medical Examiner's autopsy report, which found that the cause and manner of death are "undetermined."
"This 18 year old male was found face down in the water at Horn Island. Because the circumstances surrounding this death are unknown, the cause and manner of death are best classified as undetermined," the state autopsy report states.
The Jackson County Sheriff's Department released this photo during the search for Nolan Xavier Wells, 18, in Mississippi. Jackson County Sheriff's Department The state autopsy report indicated that the pathologist found "evidence of injury" to the back on Wells' head that is described as "two dark red-purple subcutaneous scalp contusions."
The report did not conclude how this injury occurred. It also found that there were "no external scalp injuries" and "no fractures" in the skull.
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