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Autopsy sealed for grand jury
The state autopsy of Nolan Wells, an 18-year-old college student who vanished during a Fourth of July boat trip with friends to Horn Island, is complete, but the results have not been made public.
“the state medical examiner completed the initial autopsy on Wells on July 7 at 8:30 a.m.”
Officials said the autopsy report will be sent to a grand jury to determine whether what happened to Wells involved a crime, with the Jackson County, Mississippi, sheriff’s office investigating and the FBI assisting in some parts of the case.
USA Today reported that the state medical examiner completed the initial autopsy on July 7 at 8:30 a.m., and that the autopsy report was completed again by July 31, while officials still would not say when the public would learn the results.
ABC News said the results of the autopsy conducted by the State Medical Examiner’s office in Mississippi have not yet been made public, and that once the investigation is complete, case materials including the autopsy report will be presented to a grand jury.
In a video statement, District Attorney Angel Myers McIlrath said, "Every death in the county—except those of natural causes and non-criminal car wrecks—is presented to your grand jury."
Family alleges missing parts
Wells’ family commissioned a second autopsy, and the independent pathologist found the cause and manner of death were "undetermined pending investigation," while acknowledging multiple limitations in the report.
MPB reported that letters sent on July 20 placed recipients on notice that litigation concerning Wells’ death was "reasonably anticipated" and directed people to preserve materials that could be relevant to claims or defenses.
At a July 30 press conference at the National Urban League in Nashville, Ben Crump said, "We have the audio from the officials, and we have retained in our consulting with some of the foremost audio engineering experts to review those audio tapes from the Sea Tow call in its entirety," as his team pursued next steps.
Crump also said the team was working to get forensic pathologist Dr. Roger Mitchell access to parts of Wells’ throat that were not examined during the second autopsy, and Crump said, "So we can't tell if there was the presence of water or not: that would suggest whether he drowned or not."
The Sea Tow call audio described a boat taking on water, with the caller saying, "Our bilge pump stopped working. We’re sinking. Can y’all please come?"
Grand jury looms, threats and rewards
As the state autopsy remains sealed pending grand jury review, Wells’ family and their attorneys are also pursuing broader investigative steps, including coordinating with law enforcement for a joint review of Wells’ phone and those of his friends.
“Joseph Dumarce of California was arrested for making a social media threat toward Chancery Court Judge Ashlee Cole”
Anadolu Agency reported that a man was arrested for making threats toward Chancery Court Judge Ashlee Cole, and it identified the defendant as Joseph Dumarce of California, with the threat connected to the case.
The Jackson County District Attorney’s office previously said that convening a grand jury is standard procedure for most unnatural or suspicious deaths, and McIlrath said prosecutors are ethically prohibited from sharing information that could harm the fairness of the legal process.
The Clarion-Ledger reported that Wells’ mother Christine Wonsley said, "Today we are begging," and asked anyone with information to call the hotline because the family would not be able to rest until it gets answers.
The Clarion-Ledger also reported that Reverend Al Sharpton and Tyler Perry were offering a combined $100,000 reward, and that Dr. Benjamin Hudson offered an additional $50,000, bringing the total to $175,000 for information leading to an arrest and conviction.
