Key facts
- Civil rights attorney Ben Crump released cellphone data and autopsy details for Nolan Wells.
- A Mississippi grand jury concluded Wells' death was consistent with drowning and found no altercation.
- The official autopsy report stated Wells' airways and stomach were empty, contradicting the drowning conclusion.
- Both official and independent autopsies noted fresh bruising on Wells' head.
- Wells' cellphone data showed it was used on a boat before he went missing.
- Wells' family and legal team are seeking transparency and federal investigation into his death.
Civil rights attorney Ben Crump announced on Thursday the release of information from a forensic examination of Nolan Wells' cellphone, alongside details from the official autopsy report. This comes just days after a Mississippi grand jury stated it found no evidence of criminal conduct in the death of the 18-year-old Black college student.
Crump and his legal team have been critical of the grand jury's findings, particularly its conclusion that Wells' death was consistent with drowning. They highlighted that both the official and an independent autopsy reported the cause of death could not be determined, and noted that Wells' airways and stomach were empty, which they argue contradicts the drowning theory. The official autopsy also indicated fresh bruising on Wells' head.
The cellphone analysis, which included 282 pages of Snapchat conversations, reportedly showed messages and location data from the day before Wells went missing up until his family recovered the phone. Crump stated that some of Wells' friends expressed concern about potential racism on Horn Island, where Wells was found two days after a July 4th boat trip with a group of mostly white friends.
Attorneys for Wells' family are calling for transparency, requesting the public release of grand jury investigative materials and the official autopsy. They have also asked federal authorities to review the circumstances surrounding Wells' death. Some of Wells' friends, who have faced public speculation, had hoped the grand jury report would resolve suspicions, but their attorney noted it was unclear what new information the cellphone data revealed.