Nolan Wells Autopsy Bombshell: 'Red Discoloration' Found on Teen's Neck as Grieving Parents Demand Answers About 'Cause of Death' After Fourth of July Boat Trip

Wells went missing on the 4th of July after going on a boat trip with friends to Horn Island, Mississippi. Authorities believe the 18-year-old stayed behind on the island after his friends left, and he may have drowned. His body was recovered on July 6 near the island.

Wells' parents, who insist the college football player was in good health and an excellent swimmer, aren't satisfied with that explanation, and ordered an independent autopsy of their own.

Those results came back yesterday, but have only led to more questions. Especially after Dr. Roger Mitchell, a board-certified forensic pathologist, could only conclude, "The best classification for the cause and manner of death" for Wells was "Undetermined."

According to Mitchell's report, his autopsy, which is separate from the official state autopsy, was conducted without several of Wells' bones, which the doctor explained were most likely retained by the initial pathologist's review, a practice he called "common" among forensic pathologists.

However, Mitchell did identify and specifically point out what he called "a 12 X 8-inch focal area of red discoloration in the deep soft tissues overlying the occipital bone."

Mitchell could not explain the cause of the redness, noting that there were "no lacerations of the overlying skin nor fractures of the underlying skull."

He noted that without the missing bones, he could not "rule out injury to the neck" as a contributor or cause of Wells' death, and urged, "This finding, however, is significant enough to be highlighted in this preliminary report for further investigation."

Famed civil rights attorney Ben Crump, who is representing the Wells family, announced the preliminary findings Wednesday at the annual NAACP National Convention in Chicago.

A packed crowd could be heard audibly gasping at the lack of results, but Crump defended, "This is only another part of the puzzle, and even though it tells us significant information, we still have more questions than we have answers at this time."

Wells' mother, Christine Wells-Wonsley, told the gathering: "Losing a child, it truly breaks your heart. It is a pain that is, just, you can't measure it. Especially someone like Nolan, who brought so much joy and light and life to everyone."

She became emotional as she continued: "There’s so many people out in the public asking all of these questions, but the only question that we have is what happened to our son?"