(NewsNation) — After the news that a private autopsy found Nolan Wells' cause of death inconclusive, a former medical examiner says the results were impacted by several factors.

Preliminary findings show the Mississippi teen's cause and manner of death are undetermined and require further investigation, according to a report by Roger Mitchell, the president of the National Medical Association.

Wells' family decided to pursue their own autopsy after the discovery of their son's body a few days after he went on a trip with friends to an island off the Mississippi coast.

 Video appears to show Nolan Wells in last moments before death 

Dr. Michelle DuPre told "CUOMO" on Wednesday the second autopsy is somewhat difficult because it comes after someone's already gotten a hold of the body.

"In this case, the autopsy results are equivocal," she said, noting the red discoloration around the back of Wells' head, no case of fractures or deep tissue injuries, and the decomposed body.

This undated photo provided by the family in July 2026 shows Nolan Xavier Wells with his mother, Christine Wonsley. (Family photo via AP)

Wells' body had missing neck structures and organs during the second autopsy, which DuPre says is very important to make a determination of possible strangulation.

"I understand why the original pathologist has kept this to look at it further, but it does hamper the second autopsy and doesn't give real results," she stated.

Authorities said they had no suspicion of foul play being involved in Wells' death. However, Mitchell, who did the private autopsy, hasn't ruled it out.

DuPre called it "premature" that authorities came to such a conclusion so quickly.

 Detective warns against drawing early conclusions in Nolan Wells investigation 

"Until we do an investigation, we simply don't know," she said. "One of the things we want to avoid is getting that tunnel vision."

The Mississippi Medical Examiner's Office has completed its own autopsy but hasn't released results.

NewsNation's Josie Fischels contributed to this report.

Copyright 2026 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

 For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to NewsNation.