A new development in the Nolan Wells case is putting fresh focus on injuries that remain unexplained even after a Mississippi grand jury declined to charge anyone in his death.

On September 22, attorneys for Nolan’s family released the final independent autopsy report prepared by forensic pathologist Dr. Roger Mitchell. After reviewing additional material from Mississippi’s state medical examiner, Mitchell concluded that two previously documented areas of red discoloration were blood-filled contusions — one of the details the family now says deserves closer investigation.

The finding does not establish that Nolan was assaulted or that the injuries caused his death. The grand jury specifically found no fatal traumatic injury and concluded that the available evidence was consistent with drowning. Both the state medical examiner and the independent pathologist, however, still classified Nolan’s cause and manner of death as undetermined, leaving an important distinction between what the evidence is consistent with and what can actually be proven medically.

The Jackson County grand jury reviewed an unusually large amount of material before reaching its decision. Prosecutors said jurors heard from 43 witnesses, considered phone and GPS evidence, reviewed autopsy findings and examined evidence obtained through 132 subpoenas. The panel unanimously returned no indictments and reported finding no credible evidence that Nolan’s friends committed a crime or that his death was racially motivated.

Nolan’s parents say that decision still does not answer their central question: how did their 18-year-old son actually end up in the water? The independent report could not determine whether Nolan entered the water voluntarily or was forced into it, nor whether he was conscious when he entered. His body was recovered near Horn Island on July 6, two days after he disappeared during a Fourth of July outing.

Another potentially important piece of evidence is still being examined. The family’s attorneys say forensic specialists are analyzing Nolan’s cellphone, and attorney Ben Crump has indicated that the team plans to discuss what they found at a future news conference. No verified public findings from that examination have yet been released.