Overview
- The family announced preliminary independent autopsy results on Wednesday that listed the cause and manner of death as undetermined and said non-accidental factors could not be ruled out.
- The pathologist noted a red discoloration at the back of Wells’ head but said decomposition and the absence of internal neck and throat structures from the earlier state autopsy prevented a full assessment of airway, lungs and potential neck injury.
- Wells vanished after a July 4 boat trip to Horn Island with friends and was found in the water on July 6; investigators have not publicly determined how he entered the water or whether he was conscious at that time.
- The Mississippi state autopsy and toxicology testing remain unreleased and prosecutors plan to present the investigation to a grand jury once official forensic results are complete.
- High-profile lawyers and civil-rights figures have pressed for transparency, funded the independent autopsy and offered rewards, while the family and local authorities are conducting joint reviews of phones and other evidence as the probe continues.