Family Calls for Independent Investigation After 18-Year-Old Found Dead on Mississippi Gulf Island
The parents of Nolan Wells, an 18-year-old who was found dead on Horn Island, are seeking an independent autopsy and a transparent inquiry, citing concerns about the handling of the case by Mississippi authorities.
Nolan Xavier Wells, 18, was discovered dead on the shore of Horn Island, off the Mississippi Gulf Coast, a week after a July 4 boat trip with friends. His parents, Christine and Elmore Wonsley, held a news conference in New York City demanding a thorough and transparent investigation, questioning the sheriff’s suggestion that Wells chose to stay on the island and accidentally drowned.
The body was recovered early Monday, more than a day after Wells was last seen alive. The family has commissioned an independent autopsy by a forensic pathologist in Washington, D.C., and plans to hire experts to recover deleted messages from his cellphone before turning the device over to authorities. They have also asked witnesses to come forward and to submit any video that might show Wells on the island.
Sheriff John Ledbetter said investigators do not suspect foul play and that Wells’ friends are cooperating, though the family’s attorney, civil-rights lawyer Ben Crump, noted the friends have retained counsel and have not yet been interviewed by his team. Crump expressed distrust of Mississippi law-enforcement agencies, referencing the state’s history of racial violence, and said the family will not allow the case to be dismissed without scrutiny.
Wells, a wide receiver at Southwest Mississippi Community College, was described by his coach as sociable and never having a bad day. He was reportedly the only Black person visible in publicly available videos from the island. The family reported that Wells left the island without his cellphone or car keys, which were in the possession of his friends, and that some of his messages appeared to have been deleted.
Prominent figures, including civil-rights activist Rev. Al Sharpton, actor Tyler Perry, former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick and filmmaker Spike Lee, attended the conference to show support. The Wonsleys urged the public to remain peaceful while they seek answers about their son’s death.