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An independent autopsy preliminarily found that Mississippi teenager Nolan Wells’ cause and manner of death are “undetermined pending investigation,” family attorney Ben Crump announced Wednesday, as the investigation into the 18-year-old’s death continues.
Wells’ parents, Christine and Elmore Wonsley, were desperate for answers and sent the teen’s body to Washington, D.C., for the independent autopsy.
The State Medical Examiner’s Office in Mississippi is still pending according to Jackson County Coroner Bruce Lynd Jr. Once that report is complete, it will be provided to the local coroner.
“Losing a child, it truly breaks your heart,” Christine Wonsley said at Wednesday’s news conference. “It is a pain that is, just, you can’t measure it. Especially someone like Nolan, who brought so much joy and light and life to everyone.”
“The only question we have is, what happened to our son?” she said.
Wells went missing on the 4th of July after going on a boat trip with friends to Horn Island, according to authorities. It appears Wells stayed behind on the island after his friends left, officials said.
The college football player’s body was recovered on July 6, and authorities said they suspect Wells drowned. Jackson County Sheriff John Ledbetter said there was no initial indication of a crime, but he stressed that investigators are “working diligently to determine exactly what occurred.”
“Nolan Wells’ family deserves a thorough and factual investigation, and that’s exactly what they’re going to get,” he told News last week.
Ledbetter also said the sheriff’s office welcomes the family’s independent investigation.
At Wells’ funeral in his hometown of Ocean Springs on Monday, his mother said his family and friends “will miss everything about him.”
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
News’ Sabina Ghebremedhin contributed to this report.
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