Nolan Wells’ Autopsy Found Two Head Bruises and No Water in His Lungs as Deleted Phone Data Raises New Questions

New findings from Nolan Wells’ cellphone examination and state autopsy are providing additional details about the 18-year-old’s final hours, while his cause and manner of death remain officially undetermined.

Wells traveled to Horn Island, Mississippi, with friends for the July 4 holiday. His body was discovered on the island two days later. A Jackson County grand jury recently returned a no true bill, meaning no criminal charges were issued in the case. The grand jury report said accidental drowning was consistent with the available evidence, but both the state and independent autopsies listed his cause and manner of death as undetermined.

During a Thursday news conference, Andrew Garrett of Garrett Discovery, a forensic firm hired by Wells’ family, said investigators recovered more than 1 million digital artifacts from Wells’ cellphone.

Garrett said the phone remained on the boat throughout the day and that Wells last accessed it at approximately 2:18 p.m. Investigators also recovered GPS information, calls, social media activity and messages that helped establish a timeline of the phone’s movements.

Garrett said some information was deleted from the phone between the last time Wells used it and when his parents recovered the device. He did not identify what specific content was deleted or speculate about who deleted it or why. The examination also recovered Snapchat and Instagram communications, including messages that were sent after Wells’ death.

The state autopsy found two approximately 2-inch contusions on the back of Wells’ head. Attorney Liza Park said the injuries were consistent with findings from an independent autopsy. The report also found no fluid or debris in Wells’ airways, including no water in his lungs or stomach, and described his stomach as empty. No skull fractures, major internal injuries or organ abnormalities were identified as contributing to his death.

Ben Crump said some conversations recovered from Wells’ phone showed friends expressing concerns about potentially racist individuals on Horn Island. The family’s legal team did not identify the people involved.

Jackson County District Attorney Angel Myers McIlrath has disputed aspects of the family’s presentation of the cellphone evidence and said investigators provided information to her office before the grand jury proceedings.

Crump said the family is not accusing anyone of wrongdoing but continues to seek answers about what happened to Wells.