JACKSON, Miss. (WLBT/Gray News) - The official autopsy in the death of Nolan Wells is complete, according to officials.

Results from the state medical examiner’s office have not been made public and will now be sent to a grand jury.

On July 23, the office of District Attorney Angel Myers McIlrath confirmed that the autopsy report in Nolan Wells’ death will be withheld until a grand jury can review it.

“Every death in the county—except those of natural causes and non-criminal car wrecks—is presented to your grand jury," McIlrath said in a video released on July 23. “Many people don’t know that we have handled death investigations in this manner my entire career.”

On July 4, Wells traveled out on that boat with friends for the holiday in his hometown in Mississippi, but he did not return with them.

He was reported missing that night, and his body was found just off the island two days later.

The 18-year-old’s case has garnered national attention, with people questioning the investigation and what happened on the day of his disappearance.

In an independent autopsy commissioned by Wells’ family, his cause and manner of death were ruled “undetermined pending investigation.”

The doctor who performed an independent autopsy in Washington, D.C., is working to obtain Wells’ throat for examination.

The throat was not present at the time of the second autopsy.

Attorney Ben Crump spoke Thursday at the National Urban League’s annual conference in Nashville, providing an update on his team’s independent investigation into Wells’ death.

Crump said the team is currently working with “oceanic engineering experts” to examine how and why Wells’ body was found in the same location where he was last seen.

Attorney Eric Hertz is leading the team’s investigation. Hertz said that after communicating with the Jackson County district attorney, she would be open to reviewing evidence Crump’s team has gathered. The team is also continuing talks with the district attorney’s office about conducting a joint inspection of phones related to the case.

Hertz said he believes the FBI would also be present for that inspection.

Copyright 2026 WLBT via Gray Local Media, Inc. All rights reserved.