The investigation into the mysterious death of 18-year-old Nolan Wells has entered another critical phase after Mississippi officials completed the state’s official autopsy, clearing the way for the case to eventually be presented to a grand jury.
Authorities have not released the findings from the State Medical Examiner’s Office, and investigators continue to keep the results under wraps while the Jackson County Sheriff’s Department completes its investigation.
Once investigators finish their work, prosecutors will present the evidence, including the autopsy report, to a grand jury to determine whether Wells’ death involved any criminal conduct.
The Jackson County District Attorney’s Office has previously stressed that taking the case before a grand jury is standard procedure for suspicious or unexplained deaths and does not automatically indicate a crime occurred.
The latest development comes as attorneys on opposite sides of the increasingly high-profile case battle over a viral audio recording that has fueled widespread speculation across social media.
State Autopsy Follows Independent Examination
Wells, an 18-year-old college student, disappeared during a Fourth of July boating trip to Horn Island off Mississippi’s Gulf Coast. Friends told investigators he remained on the island while they returned to shore. His body was recovered two days later.
Last week, attorneys representing Wells’ family revealed that an independent pathologist hired by the family preliminarily classified both the cause and manner of death as “undetermined pending investigation.” The family’s legal team said the private medical examiner also acknowledged several limitations that prevented definitive conclusions.
The completion of the state’s autopsy now marks another major milestone as investigators continue piecing together what happened during Wells’ final hours.
Friend’s Attorney Rejects Viral Audio
As the official investigation moves forward, one of Wells’ friends is pushing back against claims circulating online.
Appearing on NewsNation with Chris Cuomo, attorney Russell Latino, who represents Bart Edmiston Jr., dismissed the widely shared enhanced version of a Sea Tow emergency call that many online investigators claim contains incriminating background conversations.
“We don’t see any legitimacy in a doctored transcript or doctored audio that comes with a transcript,” Latino said. “It’s a nice psychological sort of game that people play with garbled audio.”
Latino argued that pairing an enhanced recording with a written transcript can convince listeners they hear words that are not actually discernible in the original recording.
The attorney insisted there is no evidence connecting his client to Wells’ death and said Edmiston cooperated fully with investigators from the beginning by voluntarily providing access to his phone, boat, GPS device and other evidence.
“Let me be abundantly clear,” Latino said in a separate statement. “Bart Edmiston Jr. did not kill or in any way contribute to the tragic death of Nolan Wells. All he did was help a boat that was in distress.”
Investigators Continue Reviewing Sea Tow Call
The emergency call remains a key focus of the investigation.
ABC News previously obtained the complete Sea Tow recording, which captures the boat operator requesting assistance because the vessel was taking on water and needed to be towed. During the call, the operator told the dispatcher everyone aboard was uninjured and stated that “nobody here is over the age of 21.”
Investigators are conducting their own analysis of the original audio to determine whether it contains any additional information that could aid the investigation.
Meanwhile, civil rights attorney Ben Crump, who represents Wells’ family, recently announced his team has obtained the recording and plans to hire independent audio experts to conduct its own forensic review.
Online Fallout Sparks Legal Action
The dispute over the recording comes as online speculation surrounding Wells’ death continues to intensify.
Latino said Edmiston and his family have received death threats following the spread of allegations across social media.
“There are an awful lot of people that are assuming that the people who loved Nolan, that considered him their friends, are culpable in his death,” Latino told Cuomo. “People online think it’s fun to play ‘Clue’ with other people’s lives.”
Earlier this week, Latino sent a cease-and-desist letter to social media personality Kymbra Li, accusing her of publishing Edmiston’s personal information and making false statements about him online.
He also said the family hired a private investigative firm to identify individuals they believe have made defamatory claims.
“This is not about money for my clients,” Latino said. “They want to protect their family, and they want to curb people who lie recklessly.”
The interview aired the same day federal authorities announced the arrest of a California man accused of threatening the Mississippi judge overseeing matters related to Wells’ case with messages referencing bombs, violence and “blood.”
The Edmiston family said they have remained largely silent out of respect for the investigation but felt compelled to respond after online accusations escalated.
They reiterated that Bart Edmiston Jr. has never been identified as a suspect and urged the public to avoid spreading unverified claims while investigators continue working to determine exactly what happened to Wells.
