Nolan Wells death: Attorneys say details ‘not adding up’; family seeks transparency

NEW YORK (AP) — Attorneys for the family of a Mississippi 18-year-old found dead after a July 4 boat trip with friends to a Gulf Coast island called for a deeper investigation and greater transparency Friday. At a news conference with the Rev. Al Sharpton, legal counsel stated that many of the details they are discovering “not adding up.”

Noted civil rights attorney Ben Crump, retained by Nolan Xavier Wells’ family earlier this week, expressed concerns regarding the investigation and announced plans to conduct an independent autopsy. Wells traveled by boat to Horn Island, Mississippi, on July 4 with a group of friends but did not return with them that afternoon. His body was discovered early Monday morning, more than a day later.

While the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office stated that investigators do not suspect foul play in the Black college student’s death, the sheriff has requested that any witnesses or individuals with video from the popular beach island — located about 10 miles (16 kilometers) off the Mississippi coast — come forward to help clarify the moments before Wells’ disappearance.

Family members have raised concerns, noting they have seen video of a fight allegedly involving their son and emphasizing that as an elite athlete, he was a strong swimmer. Wells, who would have turned 19 next month, attended Southwest Mississippi Community College, where he played wide receiver on the football team.

At Friday’s news conference, attorneys stated that the friends who left Wells on the island took his phone and keys when they departed. Crump said the family used an app to track the phone, which a friend eventually retrieved from a location on land.

“What teenager would leave their phone behind if they’re going to stay on this island? What teenager wouldn’t take their phone? It’s not adding up at all,” Crump said.

He added that the family believes text messages from social media apps were deleted from the device before it was returned. They plan to employ experts to attempt data recovery.

A photo posted to social media, reportedly from the boat ride to the island, shows Wells with his arms around three white, male friends. Speculation and suspicion regarding the teenager’s death have been rampant online, as observers reflect on the state’s history of racial tension and the implications for a Black person in a majority-white space.

Wells’ mother, Christine Wonsley, struggled to hold back tears as lawyers spoke Friday. When she addressed the crowd, she said this was not how she wanted the world to know her son.

Wonsley said that while they had taught him about history, he was a natural peacemaker who disliked division and wanted everyone to feel included.

“We just want to know what happened,” she said through tears. “And why our baby didn’t come home.”

Crump called for a thorough investigation, urging law enforcement to ensure they “have not taken the path of least resistance.”

“If the roles were reversed and you had three young Black men on a boat with a young white man and that young white man ended up dead, what kind of investigation would be conducted by the Mississippi law enforcement officials? How many times would those three young Black men be interrogated?” he added.

This is the second case Crump has taken on in Mississippi in recent months. He was also recently retained by the family of a 1-year-old killed when police fired into a moving vehicle.

Jackson County Sheriff John Ledbetter said Wells’ mother reported him missing around midnight on July 5. Crews from multiple local and state agencies conducted an extensive search of the island and surrounding waters. His body was recovered early Monday, as confirmed by family members.

An official autopsy was conducted Tuesday, though officials noted it could be weeks before results are released. Ledbetter stated that Wells’ friends were cooperating with the investigation.

“From the people we’ve talked to, it sounds like he chose to stay on the island with the assumption that he was going to ride back to the mainland with someone else,” Ledbetter told The Associated Press earlier this week.

Crump and the Wells family argued that these details are inconsistent. Based on videos they reviewed, Wells appeared to be one of the few Black people — if not the only one — on an island where approximately 200 people were celebrating the holiday. They also noted that a girl the friends claimed Wells was speaking to gave a conflicting account, and they questioned why no one would have offered him a ride home if he had chosen to stay.

“If he’s drowning, nobody sees him? Nobody offers assistance? Nobody tries to help? I mean, obviously he stands out. I think he’s the only Black person I saw in the videos,” Crump said.

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AP reporter Jake Offenhartz contributed to this report.

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