Nolan Wells Death

11:15 AM PT -- Ben Crump joined "TMZ Live" Wednesday ... explaining why Nolan's throat, lungs, and the original autopsy photos could help answer the biggest questions surrounding his death.

10:19 AM PT -- The Mississippi medical examiner tells TMZ ... the autopsy they performed on July 7 was "in accordance with the standard procedures and protocols followed for all autopsies conducted by the Office of the State Medical Examiner."

They added, "This case remains an active and ongoing investigation. We will not comment on the investigation or the independent autopsy that was conducted."

Nolan Wells may have suffered an injury to the back of his head, this according to the preliminary findings of the independent autopsy commissioned by Nolan's family.

The family's attorney, Ben Crump, described the "focal area of red discoloration in the soft tissue in the back of the head." It was 12 by 8 inches in length in the lower part of the skull.

There was significant decomposition such that it was impossible to know if there was bruising on Nolan's skin.

WebMD says discoloration in the back of the head can sometimes be caused by blood pooling while the body is positioned on a slab for examination.

The self-described best friend of Nolan Wells says Nolan seemed "completely fine" while they were hanging out on Horn Island ... with nothing appearing out of the ordinary.

Warren Hudson sat down with YouTuber Brandon Tatum on the "Officer Tatum Show" and gave his account of what happened on Horn Island in Mississippi on the Fourth of July.

Warren said he was hanging out on the island with friends from high school and college, including Nolan. He said most folks in the group were regular visitors on the island.

In his conversations and interactions with Nolan, Warren said Nolan seemed fine and was laughing, joking and generally having a good time.

A key person who was among the last to see Nolan Wells alive has broken his silence ... and he's gutted by the entire situation, including the blame.

Warren Hudson, Wells’ self-described “best friend,” who was among those on the fateful Fourth of July boat trip before the teen went missing ... says the rumors he was involved with Wells' death are crushing.

“It’s a sick world we’re living in,” he told the New York Post. “It’s terrible. Nolan was my best friend."

Nolan Wells' mom is laying the legal groundwork to potentially sue over her son's mysterious death ... asking a Mississippi court to put her in charge of his estate.

According to new legal docs, obtained by TMZ, Christine Wonsley filed a petition Monday to open Nolan's estate and appoint her as its administrator ... saying the estate's assets would consist "solely of claims for damages resulting from the circumstances surrounding his death."

Put simply ... the appointment would give Christine the authority to file a lawsuit on behalf of Nolan's estate if anyone is ultimately found legally responsible for his death.

This new video from the day Nolan Wells went missing might reveal the first clues about who he was with during the last hours of the Horn Island 4th of July party.

TMZ obtained the video recorded that fateful day ... as the camera pans around to show multiple boats and tons of people partying, you can see a Black man standing on the back deck of a boat, apparently bending over to get a drink.

Check the video ... the man is wearing trunks matching the color of the ones Nolan was wearing in the infamous July 4 pic with his friends on a boat.

Nancy Grace is diving into the Nolan Wells death investigation ... and she's not convinced this is a drowning ... raising concerns about some suspicious allegations involving his cell phone.

Nancy had her first segment on Nolan on her 'Crime Stories' show ... and she was particularly focused on his mother, Christine Wonsley, going on national TV and claiming his messages were deleted.

Nancy and her guest -- New York Post correspondent Caitlyn Becker -- said the alleged phone tampering was strange.

Brian Trascher helped search for Nolan Wells by air before the 18-year-old's body was found along Horn Island's shoreline ... and he believes dangerous water conditions may explain how Nolan ended up surprisingly close to where he was last seen alive.

The United Cajun Navy vice president tells "TMZ In The Know" ... weather conditions forced his team to switch tactics as the search stretched into its second day -- ultimately taking to the sky to cover more ground.

Brian says he and the pilot had been searching for about two hours on July 6 when they noticed several law enforcement boats converging on the northwest tip of Horn Island ... and they swung in close and saw a body floating face down in the water near shore.

Al Sharpton is putting his money where his mouth is ... offering $50,000 for information leading to an arrest and conviction in Nolan Wells' death ... and Tyler Perry is following suit.

Sharpton announced the reward Monday while delivering remarks at the 18-year-old's funeral ... saying he and the National Action Network are ready to put up the cash.

Watch the clip ... Sharpton says anyone with information can contact attorney Ben Crump's office. Crump is representing Nolan's family.

Sharpton said Nolan "was not on that island by himself" and insisted somebody knows more about what happened during the Fourth of July trip to Mississippi's Horn Island, where Nolan was found dead two days after going missing.

Nolan Wells' loved ones gathered to say their final goodbyes Monday ... honoring the 18-year-old whose life ended far too soon.

The funeral service happened at Center Pointe Church in Ocean Springs, Mississippi, where Rev. Al Sharpton officiated and family attorney Ben Crump delivered a call for justice.

Sharpton announced during his remarks that he'll be offering a $50,000 reward to anyone who comes forward with information about Nolan's death ... and he said Tyler Perry will match that amount.

As we reported ... Nolan disappeared after traveling by boat with friends to Horn Island for a Fourth of July gathering. His friends returned to the mainland without him, and his body was found two days later on Horn Island.

Nolan Wells' loved ones are gathering to celebrate the 18-year-old's life ... as questions surrounding his death continue to haunt his Mississippi community ... and some very familiar faces will be on hand to pay their respects.

Family, friends, and civil rights leaders will remember Nolan this morning in his Ocean Springs hometown ... with Rev. Al Sharpton officiating the funeral and family attorney Ben Crump delivering a call for justice ... TMZ has learned.

Nolan traveled by boat with high school friends to Horn Island for a Fourth of July gathering, but the group returned without him. Two days later, Nolan's body was found along the island's shore.

Nolan Wells' grieving mother says someone sent a cruel piece of hate mail straight to her home ... mocking her push for answers about her 18-year-old son's mysterious death.

Christine Wonsley shared the anonymous mailing on Facebook ... a photo showing Rev. Al Sharpton and attorney Ben Crump supporting her alongside her husband, Elmore Wonsley -- now defaced with arrows pointing from the men toward Christine and dollar signs seemingly implying they were exploiting her grief for money.

Christine fired back, writing ... "Whoever sent this to my home, may the good Lord have mercy on your soul."

Nolan Wells' family may not be convinced he drowned off the coast of Horn Island ... but some of the area locals say they wouldn't be surprised -- because the waters have claimed other lives.

Here's the deal ... NBC News spoke to several people who regularly visit the area -- all anonymously due to the media scrutiny around the mysterious case -- including a boat operator who gave a rundown on the area's current.

The boat operator said, "I know people that have grown up out there that have died out there. It’ll humble you very quick. I don’t care what kind of shape you’re in. Those currents can get you, and before you even realize you’re in trouble, you’re gone.”

The FBI is investigating alleged threats that they say have been sparked by the case surrounding Nolan Wells' mysterious death.

FBI Jackson said in a statement that the federal level of the Bureau "has been working to address interstate threats" that they say were received by "individuals related to this matter."

It's unclear what kinds of threats were made and who was on the receiving end, but FBI Jackson added ... "these efforts are in parallel with Jackson County’s independent investigation."

There are more peculiar details of Nolan Wells' last day alive ... and in newly released audio, the friends that were with him on Horn Island were heard calling for help when their boat malfunctioned.

According to audio from the day Nolan went missing -- obtained by NBC News -- the boat Nolan's friends took to Horn Island experienced difficulty before making the journey back to the Mississippi mainland.

It sounds like there were about 7 people on the vessel ... and the call for help was made around 4 PM when the boat's operator said, "Hey, we're at the west tip of Horn, and our bilge pump stopped working. We're going. We're sinking."

Nolan Wells will be laid to rest next week in Mississippi ... and his parents say the family also intends to do something fun to celebrate their son.

Christine Wonsley says her son's visitation will be held at Center Pointe Church in Ocean Springs on Monday July 20 from 9 to 11 a.m. ... with the funeral to follow.

She also explained the family plans to have a party for Nolan, saying ... "We want to celebrate Nolan, he would not want us to be sitting around crying and eating."