The preliminary findings from Mississippi teenager Nolan Wells‘ independent autopsy will be announced on Wednesday as the investigation into the 18-year-old’s death continues, family attorney Ben Crump said.
Wells’ parents, Christine and Elmore Wonsley, were desperate for answers and sent the teen’s body to Washington, D.C., for an independent autopsy. The Wonsleys will join Crump to announce those findings at 9 a.m. ET.
The official autopsy report from 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.
An undated photo of 18-year-old Nolan Xavier Wells, whose body was believed to be recovered after going missing on July 4, 2026.
Courtesy of the Wells Family
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 in his football uniform during the summer/fall season of 2024 at Ocean Springs High School, where he was a senior.
Ocean Springs School District
“Nolan Wells’ family deserves a thorough and factual investigation, and that’s exactly what they’re going to get,” he told ABC 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 undated photo provided by the family shows Nolan Xavier Wells with his mother, Christine Wonsley.
Family via AP
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
ABC News’ Sabina Ghebremedhin contributed to this report.