Legal Analyst Monique Pressley Breaks Down the Nolan Wells Independent Autopsy

Summary

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The Breakfast Club – Special Episode

Legal Analyst Monique Pressley Breaks Down the Nolan Wells Independent Autopsy
Date: July 24, 2026
Host: Mimi Brown (Front Page on The Black Effect Podcast Network)
Guest: Monique Pressley (Legal Analyst, Host of the Mo' Nique Presley Show)

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Episode Overview

This episode aims to bring clarity to the independent autopsy findings in the highly publicized and emotionally charged death of Nolan Wells. Legal analyst Monique Pressley joins Mimi Brown to dissect what the independent autopsy has actually revealed, debunk misunderstandings, and provide grounded legal context for listeners eager for answers in this ongoing investigation.

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Key Discussion Points

1. The State and Independent Autopsy — What Do We Know?

• Timeline and Context
  • Nolan Wells’ body was found July 6. Initial state autopsy was performed first; the independent autopsy followed.
    (03:43)
• Current State of Findings

  • Despite preliminary results from the independent autopsy, the cause of death remains undetermined.
    (03:30–05:40)

    “We can't say it any clearer... we ended up not knowing much more than when we started.”
    — Monique Presley [05:16]

• Limitations
  • Independent examiner, Dr. Mitchell (renowned pathologist, Howard University), faced constraints due to incomplete materials received and pending toxicology.
    (04:35)
  • The initial state autopsy report and toxicology are still not public. More information needs to be obtained before a conclusive cause can be determined.

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2. Organs, Evidence, and Misconceptions

• Body and Organ Handling

  • It is standard procedure for certain organs or tissues to be removed and retained for further study in a first autopsy, sometimes not sent to a second examiner. This is not, in itself, “foul play.” (05:55–07:58)

    “None of the organs were missing. There were organs that as a natural part of the first autopsy were removed and then were returned... Specific parts of the throat were not part of what was sent over...but he [Dr. Mitchell] did not note this as something beyond the pale.”
    — Monique Presley [06:14]

• Missing Materials
  • Dr. Mitchell did not receive photographs or all tissue samples from the state; these absences restrict what he can conclusively determine.
    (08:12)
• Normalcy of Timeline
  • The elapsed time between death, initial, and independent autopsies (about two weeks) is not unusually long in such cases.

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3. Interpreting Undetermined Causes

• What Does “Inconclusive” Mean?

  • An “undetermined” or “inconclusive” result does not indicate investigators have “no idea” what happened, nor does it automatically imply foul play or accident.
    (12:18–14:46)

  • Much more may be known to investigators than can presently be shared with the public.

    “There is so much more that's known right now, frankly, than what we know as a public... The amount of information that we get is limited. So I always say in these cases... Don't let emotions drive what you share. Don't let emotions drive what you think.”
    — Monique Presley [12:47]

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4. Understanding the Toxicology Process

• Timelines

  • Toxicology can take several weeks to months, even in high-profile cases. The process is methodical because samples from multiple organs are analyzed. (14:53–16:18)

  • Public impatience is understandable but not always realistic.

    “We're a few weeks in, so holding our breath for the next day or the next day is not really what it is. We have to kind of have some patience and understand that that information is forthcoming.”
    — Monique Presley [15:37]

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5. Media Pressure, Public Theories, and Legal Realities

• Spectrum of Roles
  • Distinction between legal analysts (calling “balls and strikes”), advocates (attorneys), and media (seeking facts).
    (16:41)
• Impact of Media/Internet Speculation

  • Social media speculation can complicate or delay investigations by spreading misinformation, or tying up resources with false leads, but public pressure is also sometimes necessary to keep cases from being dismissed. (26:46–30:43)

    “Every false tip to the hotline is taking us further from what the investigators need to do... Sometimes there’s no case without the pressure... So I think that there’s a balance, that the pressure is necessary, but sometimes we get swept up in emotion and that pressure turns into the type of frenzy that produces hurried or rushed results.”
    — Monique Presley [27:40, 30:32]

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6. What Evidence Will Ultimately Matter?

• Key Future Evidence

  • Timeline of Nolan’s last known movements and communications

  • Witness testimonies (50+ statements collected so far)

  • Photos, videos, and witness accounts from the island and after

  • The conclusive autopsy and toxicology findings (24:22–26:19)

    “We are going to know at some point the official statements that were made by witnesses… We're going to have information from people who Nolan spoke to after the friends were purportedly gone from the island. Is that true? Is that not true? And it's all going to line up.”
    — Monique Presley [24:37]

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Notable Quotes and Memorable Moments

• On Community Distrust and Caution:

  “This country, the original stain is racism. And the stain of racism is driving the way that we look at this case, rightfully or wrongfully. We don't expect for the government to do right by us, and we have every reason to feel that way.”
  — Monique Presley [18:50]

• On the Public’s Emotional Response:

  “I heard people screaming, Mimi, in the room at the NAACP convention when it was said that organs were removed... But removed and missing are two different things... They immediately thought the absolute worst.”
  — Monique Presley [19:54]

• Final Thoughts and Hopes for the Family:

  “I would love for this family to hear that there were no suspicious circumstances, that there was no foul play, that there was no mistreatment… That is what I pray for, that there will be a peaceful end to a horrific circumstance.”
  — Monique Presley [21:09]

• On the Role of Black Media:

  “I think it's necessary for people who look like us and understand our community to be trusted voices. And we count on you for that.”
  — Monique Presley to Mimi Brown [31:10]

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Timeline of Important Segments

| Timestamp | Segment/Discussion | |-----------|-----------------------| | 02:18 | Introduction to Topic & Guest | | 03:30 | Opening: What do we really know from independent autopsy? | | 05:40 | Are missing organs or tissues unusual? Explanation of standard procedure | | 08:12 | What evidence and records were provided or missing? | | 12:18 | What does “undetermined” cause of death mean? | | 14:46 | Toxicology timelines and comparison to celebrity cases | | 16:41 | Emotional responses and calls for patience | | 18:00 | Monique’s analysis of Attorney Crump’s press conference | | 20:57 | Caution to public: "Let's wait a little bit longer for the facts" | | 24:22 | What evidence will ‘make or break’ the case | | 26:46 | Impact of internet theories and public speculation | | 30:43 | Final reflections: public pressure, the media, and balance | | 31:24 | Closing thanks and shoutout to Black media |

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Tone and Language

The discussion is measured, empathetic, and deeply informed, with Presley's legal expertise contextualizing media narratives and the public’s emotional responses. Both Presley and Brown frequently caution against jumping to conclusions or disseminating misinformation, urging for patience, transparency, and compassion for the Wells family and the ongoing investigative process.

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For listeners seeking clarity after headlines and speculation, this episode gives needed transparency, legal context, and a humanizing perspective on a tragic case still unfolding.

Transcript

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[Monique Presley]

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[Mimi Brown]

The independent autopsy and the death of Nolan Xavier Wells is out. And it's raised more questions than answers. Today, legal analyst Monique Presley joins me to break it all down.

[Monique Presley]

And none of the organs were missing. There were organs that as a natural part of the first autopsy were removed.

[Mimi Brown]

It's Friday, July 24th. From the black Effect Podcast Network, I'm Mimi Brown. This is Front Page. Stay with me. The independent autopsy in the death of Nolan Wells is raised more questions than it has answers. And many people are trying to understand what these findings actually mean. So to help us break it down is the host of the mo' Nique Presley show and legal analyst. And I'm talking about mo' Nique Presley herself. Mo' Nique has spent years helping audience make sense of the nation's biggest legal cases. And today she is joining us here on Front Page to help us break down the latest independent autopsy of Nolan Wells. Monique, thank you so much for joining me. How are you today?

[Monique Presley]

I am well. Thank you so much for having me, Mimi. It's. It's an honor to be here.

[Mimi Brown]

Thank you. I appreciate that. So let's start with the biggest headline. We now have the preliminary results from the independent autopsy, but we still don't know how Nolan Wells died. How was that possible?

[Monique Presley]

So the independent autopsy that we heard about two days ago is actually. It's the second autopsy. We just got the results first. Right. So the state of Mississippi has conducted its own autopsy. That autopsy, though we don't have the results, the preliminary results are surely complete by now. There's a toxicology report that people are still waiting on. And there are some other things that may be still being conducted from certain parts of Nolan Wells body. And before I go any further, just my heartfelt condolences again to the Wansley family. I don't like to skip over the fact that we are talking about a huge loss and a tragedy. But what we heard about from attorney Crump and from the legal team two days ago was the independent autopsy, which they had done after the state had conducted or at least done the initial conducting of its own autopsy. So the. Obviously there are limitations, Mimi. We can't say it any clearer or diffuse that we ended up not knowing much more than when we started. There are things that we would need in order to be able to figure out whether Dr. Mitchell, who is an excellent physician and pathologist and Howard tenured pathologist, former head of Howard Hospital. I'm talking up all the bison things right now, but he was very candid in that there were things that he could observe, but then there were things that he could not conclude based on those observations.

[Mimi Brown]

And I think the question that everyone has been asking, is it normal for a second forensic pathologist to receive the body that is missing organs or tissue from the first autopsy? Is there anything unusual about what, what happened here?

[Monique Presley]

Well, let's go with what he said. So first of all, even though it seems like forever for us, because there is such significant interest in this case, we are looking at Nolan Wells body being discovered on July 6th. And we are right now, as you and I are talking, just at July 23rd. And that is not in terms of the am of time that it takes to get an autopsy done, to get toxicology back, to have conclusive results. That is not necessarily a significant period of time or an extraordinarily long period of time. But then for a second autopsy to not have. And none of the organs were missing there. There were organs that as a natural part of the first autopsy were removed and then were returned in the way that that normally happens in an autopsy that happened. And then there were specific parts that Dr. Mitchell mentioned of the throat of Nolan Wells body that was not part of what was sent over by the state of Mississippi. But in his report he said that he, in his decades of experience has typically kept those portions for more examination and for more study. And so he did not note that as something that was beyond the pale. He went out of his way in the report to explain that that is something that can happen and that often does happen. But what we're missing, we, the public, what we're missing is what the state has to say about why they didn't send those particular parts over or why we don't have the full initial report yet. That's not to say that maybe attorneys don't know these answers or maybe the family hasn't been, has been provided that information, but it was not a part of the presentation that we watched in the press a couple of days ago.

[Mimi Brown]

But legally, can the independent pathologist, Dr. Mitchell, request the original slides, photographs, tissue samples and notes from the first autopsy to help him in his conclusion? Is that something that is available to him?

[Monique Presley]

I'm sure everything has been requested. The photographs were not provided. These, these particular parts of the throat were not provided. The toxicology, which to our knowledge is not yet available, was not provided. And all of those things are going to inform on his positions. So when he said inconclusive, that's preliminary. He is going to reach some, some final conclusions. The same way the state of Mississippi will some point. The hope would be that he would have all of the information. Listen, one thing about this case, Mimi, that I think is different than so many others of the hundreds of thousands, frankly, of young black boys and girls who go missing who are found dead suspicious circumstances, is that Nolan Wells family has the benefit of the best civil rights attorney in the in the land, in the world. As far as I'm concerned, my brother, attorney Ben Crump and all of the other attorneys. Brooke, cluse the other attorneys that are associated with this case. So these are people who are going to look under every stone, turn over every rock, like anything you can think of that should be done. Investigative forensic pathology again and again and again. They will take those steps. So I'm confident that even though we don't have the answers that we so desperately want right now, we will have that.

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[Mimi Brown]

Me slow when network is busy. See terms I wanted to, if you could, we could go back just a little bit. And I know some people here undetermined and think investigators have no idea what happened. If you could explain what that could mean. We know that he couldn't determine based on the information that he was given. But I think a lot of people have ran with, well, that means, you know, either it's accidental or they run with. That means there's foul play. Can you just kind of break down what that could mean for, for our audience?

[Monique Presley]

The fact that it's inconclusive? I think there's so much more that's known right now, frankly, than what we know as a public. For instance, this is, this is a different example, but for a while, the public was saying that the friends who were traveling with Nolan didn't show up and talk to investigators, didn't cooperate with police officers, et cetera, and so on. And then we found out like a week later, well, no, they talked to the police, they talked to the state of Mississippi or the sheriff's county investigators, but we weren't informed of what was said. And that's a significant distinction. So when we look at an investigation like this, there are so many things that are happening that the state of Mississippi is not yet prepared to say and perhaps even that the attorneys on the part of the family of Nolan Wells are not yet prepared to say because maybe they're hearing what the sheriff's office is saying, but they're saying, no, that doesn't make sense. That doesn't jide with what we know. That doesn't sound like Nolan. That's not backed up by evidence. And so the amount of information that we get when something is not yet, either through freedom of information or through a trial or a civil court matter, the amount of information that we get is limited. So I always say in these cases, to the public, though, emotions are high. Don't let emotions drive what you share. Don't let emotions drive what you think. Because I believe that in short order, we will have the information we need. And we need to be prepared, kind of heart, mind and spirit, prepared for whatever those answers may be.

[Mimi Brown]

And just for those who don't know, how long does a toxicology report usually take to come back?

[Monique Presley]

So there's not a. Usually it can be weeks, it can be a month, it can be several months. The example that I used a couple of days ago, I believe I was on Don show. That might have just been yesterday. All my days are running together. But the example that I used is if you think of any significant cases, maybe celebrity cases, whether it's Whitney Houston, whether it's Michael Jackson, whether it's Matthew Perry. And I don't use those examples because in this case, we believe that there was a suspected drug overdose or alcohol or whatever. There are rumors, but none of it is substantiated. But when you think of how long it took to get a confirmed cause of death, that was toxicology that we were waiting on. And when they are doing those reports, they're looking and analyzing tissue from several different organs, and it goes through multiple processes. We're a few weeks in, so holding our breath for the next day or the next day is not really what it is. We have to kind of have some patience and understand that that information is forthcoming. And then, yes, we put the pressure on to ensure that the result that was reached was the right one.

[Mimi Brown]

Yeah, I think you made so many good points here. You know, it has been a couple weeks, but I think because of the way that this case is and this story has played out, you know, and we live in a. We live in a world of right now, we need information right now. We do have to, you know, level our. Level our emotions and let you know, the attorneys and the people who are working on this case do their job.

[Monique Presley]

That's right. That's right. And I. And that's hard, you know, I know I'm asking for a hard thing. And sometimes when people listen to me, when it's a case, case like this, I feel like I sit in the lane of legal analysts. So I'm calling balls and strikes, and I'm trying to give it to you straight, whatever that means. Now, the the, the attorneys on behalf of the family, they're advocates and they have a job. Right. And then those who are in media, they're trying to get to the facts and ask the right questions. They have a job. I think I'm kind of somewhere in between. I've been advocate, I do news. But in this instance, I'm trying to say, let's wait. We know that it's likely that the state of Mississippi is under significant pressure right now, and that's a good thing. But whether they're going to turn over what we need or whether we will have to pursue and pursue and pursue, that's yet to be determined. But I'm just hoping that we're not quite at a fever pitch and that everybody will take a deep breath and understand that more facts are coming.

[Mimi Brown]

I wanted to know, as you were watching attorney Crump a couple days ago lay out his findings of the independent autopsy, what stood out most to you?

[Monique Presley]

So here's the thing. Oh, you asked me the right question today. Here's the thing. It wasn't necessarily any particular thing that was shared. It was more the things that were not shared that we do not yet know. And what I mean by that is we saw that in the back of Nolan Wells body that there was an area that had significant red markage from bleeding. But in Dr. Mitchell's report, he says, even though I see this, there's nothing on the skin, there's, there's nothing exterior for that shows bruising and there's nothing in the bones that shows injury. So we're left with, okay, what does this red markage mean? What does this bleeding mean? Was this, was this a post mortem injury, meaning one that could have happened due to the autopsy, the initial autopsy, or could have happened in movement before that autopsy or after it being moved to come to D.C. and so it's things like that where we don't necessarily know we've got a flag, but we don't know what the flag means. And that's why I said caution, because I mean, I heard people screaming Mimi in the room at the NACP convention when it was said that organs were removed that and, you know, and they immediately went missing. But removed and missing are two different things. And for people who have not fortunately or unfortunately had to be exposed to this part of what it means to investigate cases or what it means to advocate on, on the part of deceased persons and their families, they immediately thought the absolute worst. And the other thing that, that says to me, if I can give you two, is this country. The original stain is racism. And the stain of racism is driving the way that we look at this case, rightfully or wrongfully. We don't expect for the government to do right by us, and we have every reason to feel that way. That's not jumping to conclusions. That's leaning on past experience and data. And those are two different things. So I understand why people are appalled. I understand why people were saying they murdered him. They killed him, they hit him over the head, they pushed him in the water. Like you saw all the jump to conclusions of it. But I sit in the seat of, okay, we don't have any facts to support that right now, y'.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

All.

[Monique Presley]

I understand family, but let's wait a little bit longer for the facts to match up with what we fear to be the worst. And let's also hope that it was not that at all. I would love for this family to hear that there were no suspicious circumstances, that there was no foul play, that there was no mistreatment, that in their son's last hours, he did not deal with some hideous event by his friends before losing his life. That that is what I pray for, that there will be a peaceful end to a horrific circumstance.

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[Monique Presley]

What?

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[Mimi Brown]

And that brings me to my last question. So beyond the toxicology, what evidence do you think will ultimately make or break this case?

[Monique Presley]

There's a lot of things we're going to know for sure that we just don't know right now. We're going to know how long he was on the island there. There's been person after person calling. Please, guys, call the hotline. Report to the family, to the law firm, to the, to the sheriff's office. Use that and give any tips, any photographs, any video. We're going to have a timeline, and that timeline is going to make a difference. We are going to know at some point the official statements that were made by witnesses. And at this point, I think there's been 50 or more witnesses. From just what I'm hearing, what, what the, what my ear to the ground is saying. 50 or more witnesses that have already given statements. We're going to know what those said. We're going to have information from people who Nolan spoke to after the friends were purportedly gone from the island. Is that true? Is that not true? And it's all going to line up. When did the, the towing boat come to take the other boat? When did they arrive? The other friends on the mainland who saw them there, where did they go after that? It's all going to line up eventually, and it's going to look much more like the way a case would look when an Investigator is giving a final report that starts with. In the morning at 0700 hours, this happened. And we're going to go all the way through July 6, when Nolan Wells body was found. And so I don't think we're going to be in the dark for long. I think that much of what we need to know is already known. It's just not known by the people who need to know it right now. And that's the Wansley family and their attorneys, and frankly, us in the public, you know, if they want people to calm down, be transparent, that was.

[Mimi Brown]

That was. You know, I said my last question, but this is my last question. But, you know, you said something. You know, we live in a different day and age now, and everyone on the Internet, they have a theory, right? They are. They. They have kind of decided this case. They've got their own level of quote, unquote, facts that they've pulled together. You know, how much in your experience, does that hurt or help a case like this? Especially when one that's so exp. Exposed.

[Monique Presley]

Here's the thing, and if you look a couple of maybe like last week, Don and I, for those who wouldn't understand us, Don Lemon and I had what would be considered a heated exchange, except for, as he said on the show, we talk like that every other day. You just don't get to see it. Right. Because I was saying, as someone who is a former senior assistant Attorney General for the District of Columbia, someone who had to represent police departments, police chiefs, mayors, Howard University Hospital, Dr. Mitchell, for somebody who was in that job, this is a nightmare. And the reason it's a nightmare is because every false tip to the House hotline is taking us further from what the investigators need to do. Every time people, not just who are legitimate news organizations like what you do, but everybody who thinks now that they are legitimate news organizations. Because if you have a phone and some wifi, you call yourself, listen, everybody got a show, and they're all calling in and making press requests, media requests, trying to get interviews, and then going out there and saying that information isn't being provided. And so my opinion tends to be much more conservative about whether it's helpful or not, because I understand the behind the scenes of working around the clock to produce a final report, to get officers to provide statements, like, I'm. I'm the behind the scenes that's now in front of the camera. And so in that regard, I think it's painful, and I think it makes things take longer. And I think maybe it Makes people who need to do their jobs, like district attorneys, hunt and send things to the grand jury. Grand jury is not necessarily a good thing. Grand jury means, okay, whatever comes in, I'mma just send it to them and let them say no, instead of me saying no. Because I don't want to play the heavy when I'm the person that everybody's looking at that they're going to want to charge somebody. I don't think there are any charges. I'm not saying this is what she's doing. I'm just saying this is what I suspect. So you announce it's going to the grand jury, but in a state like Mississippi, that doesn't mean that you're asking for someone to be charged. If she wanted somebody to be charged, she could get a ham, she could get an indictment on a ham sandwich. But if she doesn't want anybody to be charged, she'll just throw the kitchen sink in there and say, okay, what does it say? And they'll come back inconclusive, non determinative, no charges shall issue. And we won't even know why, because the whole process is secret. I'm way off now. But, but my point is when, when, when we're dealing with things like this and you put pressure on government actors, sometimes they, they fall back into process and they hunt. And we don't want them to punt. We want them to make the hard decisions and we want them to do it in front of everyone and explain it. Now, the other side of that, as a person who is in between and in media, is sometimes there's. There's no case without the pressure. Sometimes if the public isn't asking questions, if journalists aren't asking questions, if it's not being covered by Mimi, by Don, by Roland, by Nancy Gracechild, if it's not being covered, then they don't pay attention at all. And it all gets swept under the rug. So I think that there's a balance, that the pressure is necessary, but sometimes we get swept up in emotion and that pressure turns into the type of frenzy that produces hurried or rushed results.

[Mimi Brown]

Thank you. That was a very thorough and balanced answer. And I think that's, that's, that's what people, you know, needed to understand. And I'll just leave that there. I could talk to you all day. Thank you so much, Monique. I mean, honestly, please tell me that you'll come back and you'll do this again.

[Monique Presley]

I'd be happy to, but I just want to say, while people are watching, and I hope this makes the Cut. Thank you for what you do, Mimi. I watch and I'm a fan. And I think it's necessary for people who look like us and understand our community to be trusted voices. And we count on you for that. So thanks for your work.

[Mimi Brown]

That's your front page. I'm Mimi Brown. This podcast was brought to you by the Black Effect Podcast Network.

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Your social media feed delivers plenty of advice, but it doesn't know you. It doesn't ask questions. It doesn't give physical exams or order tests. Doctors do. At the American Medical association, we believe the best care starts with a real conversation with someone who understands the science and your unique health. So stay curious, ask questions. But when it's time to make decisions, make them with a doctor. Learn more at amahealthvshype.org that's amahealthvship.org this is an iHeart podcast. Guaranteed Human.