Mississippi Medical examiner in Nolan Wells case also handled Trey Reed investigation, drawing renewed scrutiny

As both families pursue independent autopsies or reviews, advocates are raising broader questions about several disputed death investigations in Mississippi.

Mississippi’s chief medical examiner is facing renewed scrutiny after handling several high-profile death investigations involving Black residents. In a state with a long history of racial injustice, advocates are raising concerns about Dr. Staci Turner and her role in several disputed death investigations involving Black residents. The attention comes as the families of Nolan Wells and Trey Reed continue to challenge official findings and pursue independent reviews.

The latest case is that of 18-year-old Nolan Wells, whose body was found near Horn Island after a Fourth of July boating trip. Local officials ruled his death an accidental drowning and reported no signs of foul play. According to Atlanta Black Star, Turner performed Wells’ autopsy, but her official findings have not yet been released. Wells’ family has retained civil rights attorney Ben Crump, who commissioned an independent autopsy.

Dr. Staci Turner also handled the death investigation of Demartravion “Trey” Reed. The 21-year-old Delta State University student was found hanging from a tree on campus in September 2025. Her office ruled Reed’s death a suicide by hanging, affirming the initial conclusion by local officials. Reed’s family disputes that ruling. They retained attorneys Ben Crump and Vanessa Jones and ordered an independent autopsy. Those findings have not yet been made public.

Advocates have also pointed to the 2021 death of Damien Cameron, who died after being restrained by Rankin County sheriff’s deputies. Dr. Staci Turner ruled Cameron’s cause of death “undetermined,” despite documenting injuries that included internal bleeding in his neck. A grand jury later declined to indict the deputies, relying in part on her findings. In 2023, three independent forensic pathologists reviewed Cameron’s case and concluded his death was a homicide. One of the deputies involved is now serving a federal prison sentence for unrelated “Goon Squad” torture cases.

Atlanta Black Star also highlighted the 2022 death of 13-year-old Channon Wilson. His family disputes the official finding that he accidentally drowned and has raised concerns about how the investigation was handled. However, there is no publicly confirmed documentation linking Turner’s office directly to Wilson’s case.

Among the cases, Cameron’s is the only one in which an independent forensic review has directly contradicted the state’s official findings. The Wells and Reed investigations remain unresolved, with independent autopsy results still pending. Advocates say the combination of disputed rulings and Mississippi’s history of racial violence has fueled renewed calls for transparency in death investigations involving Black residents.