The family of an 18-year-old Mississippi college student who was discovered dead following a July 4 boat excursion to an island off the Gulf Coast is preparing to speak out Friday alongside civil rights attorney Ben Crump and the Rev. Al Sharpton, demanding greater transparency and a more thorough investigation into the young man’s death.
Crump, who was hired by the family of Nolan Xavier Wells earlier this week, has voiced the family’s concerns about how the investigation has been handled and announced plans for an independent autopsy. Wells had traveled by boat with a group of friends to Horn Island, Mississippi on July 4, but he did not return with them that afternoon. His body was discovered early Monday morning, more than a day after he was last seen.
The Jackson County Sheriff’s Office has stated that investigators do not believe foul play was involved in the death of the Black college student. However, the sheriff has publicly called on anyone who witnessed events on the popular beach island — located roughly 10 miles off the Mississippi coast — or who captured video there, to come forward and help piece together the circumstances surrounding Wells’ disappearance and death.
Family members have raised serious questions, saying they have seen footage of an alleged fight involving their son. They have also pointed out that Wells was a strong swimmer and an elite athlete. Wells, who would have celebrated his 19th birthday next month, was enrolled at Southwest Mississippi Community College, where he played wide receiver on the football team.
A photo circulating on social media, reportedly taken during the boat ride to the island, shows Wells with his arms around three white male friends. Online speculation about the circumstances of his death has been widespread, with many people drawing on the state’s history of racial tension and reflecting on what it means to be a Black person in a predominantly white environment.
Crump released a statement earlier this week making clear the family’s position: “We will not rest until every fact about what happened to Nolan on Horn Island is brought into the light, and we call on investigators to pursue this case with the urgency and transparency this family deserves.”
This marks the second case in recent months that Crump has taken on in Mississippi. He was also recently retained by the family of a 1-year-old who was killed after police fired into a moving vehicle.
Jackson County Sheriff John Ledbetter said Wells’ mother called to report him missing around midnight on the morning of July 5. A large-scale search involving crews from multiple local and state agencies got underway Sunday across the island and surrounding waters. Family members confirmed his body was recovered early Monday.
An official autopsy was completed Tuesday, though authorities have indicated it could take several weeks before the results are made available.
Sheriff Ledbetter noted that Wells’ friends have been cooperating with investigators. “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.
Wells’ mother, Christine Wonsley, took to social media to ask for videos and other documentation from the island. In an emotional post, she remembered her son: “My heart is broken for our sweet son who was always willing to cheer and uplift others. Nolan was a special soul, God took his time creating our son.”
