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An independent autopsy has no new evidence about how Nolan Wells died. The 18-year-old was found on an island in Mississippi two days after a Fourth of July celebration with friends. NPR's Brian Mann reports.
BRIAN MANN, BYLINE: Civil rights attorney Benjamin Crump, who's representing the family of Nolan Wells, said at a press conference that an independent examination of the Black college student's body was inconclusive and didn't find evidence of wrongdoing. But Crump said the review by a pathologist left unanswered questions.
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BENJAMIN CRUMP: The manner and cause of death is undetermined until further investigation.
MANN: This case has drawn national attention from the public and civil rights leaders. In statements, the Jackson County sheriff, John Ledbetter, has promised a thorough probe of Wells' death. But the results of the official autopsy still haven't been released, 17 days after Wells' remains were recovered on Mississippi's Gulf Coast. Speaking at yesterday's press conference at an NAACP gathering in Chicago, Wells' mother, Christine Wells-Wonsley, said her goal was to push for quicker action and more information from law enforcement.
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CHRISTINE WELLS-WONSLEY: Us having the preliminary autopsy results and hearing nothing from them - it's heartbreaking, and it's concerning.
MANN: NPR reached out to Sheriff Ledbetter, but got no response to the question of when the official autopsy and other results of the investigation will be made public.
Brian Mann, NPR News. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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