Mississippi's chief medical examiner, Dr. Staci Turner, is facing renewed scrutiny over her office's role in several disputed death investigations involving Black residents — including the cases of Nolan Wells and Demartravion 'Trey' Reed. Both families have challenged the state's early conclusions and sought independent forensic reviews.
Wells, 18, disappeared on July 4, 2026, after traveling by boat with friends to Horn Island, a barrier island off the Mississippi Gulf Coast. His body was recovered near the island two days later. Local authorities initially said there were no apparent signs of foul play and publicly discussed accidental drowning as the working theory. The official state autopsy and toxicology results have not been released.
An independent autopsy commissioned by Wells' family listed both the cause and manner of death as 'undetermined pending investigation.' The examination found no fractures or deep-tissue injuries, but it documented red discoloration behind Wells' head that requires further investigation. Civil rights attorney Ben Crump said the independent examination did not establish foul play, but it also could not rule out whether a nonaccidental factor contributed to Wells' death.
On September 21, a 23-person grand jury unanimously declined to indict anyone in the case after reviewing forensic reports and hearing from 43 witnesses. The jury said the position, condition, time of discovery, and location of Wells' body was consistent with drowning and found no credible evidence of criminal conduct. The jury also noted there is no statute of limitations on homicide in Mississippi, and that the matter should be re-presented to a grand jury if credible evidence emerges that the death was non-accidental.
Turner's office also handled the examination of Reed, a 21-year-old Delta State University student who was found hanging from a tree on the university's campus in September 2025. State officials classified Reed's death as a suicide by hanging and said the autopsy found no evidence that he had been assaulted before his death. Reed's family disputed the conclusion and retained Crump and attorney Vanessa Jones to pursue an independent investigation. A second autopsy by forensic pathologist Dr. Matthias Okoye has not been publicly released.
Advocates have also cited the 2021 death of Damien Cameron, a 29-year-old Black man who died after Rankin County sheriff's deputies restrained him and repeatedly shocked him with Tasers. Turner ruled Cameron's cause of death undetermined despite an autopsy that documented severe swelling, facial trauma, and internal bleeding in his neck. A grand jury later declined to indict the deputies. In 2023, three independent forensic pathologists reviewed the evidence and concluded Cameron's death was a homicide. One of the deputies involved was later sentenced to federal prison for his role in the unrelated Rankin County 'Goon Squad' torture cases.
Advocates have petitioned for an independent investigation into Turner's conduct, calling for an outside panel of board-certified forensic pathologists to review the disputed cases. The Wells and Reed cases remain unresolved as both families continue seeking complete records, independent answers, and greater transparency from Mississippi authorities. The Wells family continues to press for a federal investigation.
Sources:
- Opera News report (November 11, 2026)
- Petition demanding an independent investigation into Dr. Staci Turner
Support the Wells family — the official GoFundMe