More than two months after Nolan Xavier Wells was found dead near Horn Island, major questions surrounding his autopsy and final hours remain unanswered — and new public scrutiny is focusing on what investigators still have not released.

The independent autopsy commissioned by Nolan’s family classified both his cause and manner of death as “undetermined, pending investigation.” The pathologist documented a focal area of red discoloration in the soft tissue at the back of Nolan’s head, but found no underlying skull fracture or deep-tissue injury explaining it.

The second autopsy also came with important limitations. Nolan’s body had already undergone the initial state examination and showed significant decomposition. Because organs and tissue had been removed during that first autopsy — a normal forensic practice — the independent pathologist said he could not directly examine some evidence relevant to a possible drowning, including the airway and lungs for water and the stomach contents.

The independent report listed several unresolved questions, including how Nolan entered the water, whether he was conscious at the time, the position in which his body was found, possible neck findings and the toxicology results. The pathologist specifically said he could not rule out whether non-accidental factors contributed to or caused Nolan’s death without more information.

Meanwhile, Mississippi’s official autopsy has been completed, but authorities have said the report will be withheld while the case is presented to a grand jury. That means the public — and Nolan’s family — still do not have access to the full state findings that could potentially answer some of the questions raised by the independent examination.

Attention has intensified again in September as commentators questioned the lack of public updates, including delays surrounding toxicology information and the exact reconstruction of Nolan’s final movements. No one has been charged in connection with his death, and the investigation remains active.