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Parents of Nolan Wells, teen found dead after boat trip, raise concerns about friends, deleted texts
The parents of Nolan Wells speak out in an emotional press conference, raising serious concerns after their teenage son was found dead following a July 4th boating trip in Mississippi. Christine Wells Wamsley and Elmer Wamsley remember Nolan’s vibrant, peace-loving character while demanding an honest, thorough investigation into the suspicious circumstances surrounding his death.
The family of Nolan Wells, the Mississippi 18-year-old who was found dead after a July 4 boat trip, is calling for more transparency and further investigation into his death.
At a news conference Friday with the Rev. Al Sharpton, civil rights attorney Ben Crump said the details they’ve uncovered so far are "not adding up."
What happened to Nolan Wells?
The backstory:
Wells, who played wide receiver on the Southwest Mississippi Community College football team, traveled by boat to Horn Island, Mississippi, on July 4 with a group of friends, but didn’t make the return trip with them that afternoon.
According to the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office, Wells’ mother had called to report him missing around midnight into the morning of July 5. A search ensued, and his body was found on the beach on the northwest tip of Horn Island early Monday morning, more than a day later.
Sheriff John Ledbetter said earlier this week that investigators don’t suspect foul play in Wells’ death, but the sheriff has asked for any witnesses or people with video to come forward.
RELATED: Search called off after body matching missing teen Nolan Wells found off Mississippi coast
The teen’s death has fueled rampant speculation and suspicion online.
An official autopsy was conducted Tuesday, though officials have said it could be weeks before results are released. Ledbetter said Wells’ friends were cooperating with the investigation.
What they're saying:
"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.
‘It’s not adding up at all’
Dig deeper:
On Friday, Crump said the friends who left Wells on the island took his phone and keys when they departed. He said Wells’ family used an app to track his phone, and a friend went to where it was on land to pick it up. The family believes social media messages were deleted from his phone. Attorneys say they’re going to try and recover all the data they can, in addition to performing an independent autopsy.
"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.
Nolan Wells, 18, was found dead on July 6 after he didn't return home from a boat trip with friends on July 4. His death has fueled widespread suspicion and speculation online.
They said the girl Wells was reportedly speaking to gave a different story about him leaving with those friends. They raised questions about why no one would have given him a ride home if he chose to stay.
"If he’s drowning, nobody sees him drown? Nobody offers assistance? Nobody tries to help? I mean, obviously he stands out. I think he’s the only Black person I saw when I’m looking at the videos," Crump said.
History of racial tension
Wells’ mysterious death has brought to light the state’s deep history of racial tension, as Wells was reportedly one of, if not the only, Black person on the island where there were around 200 people celebrating July 4. A photo posted to social media, allegedly from the boat ride to the island, shows Wells with his arms around three white, male friends.
"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?" Crump said.
Wells’ mother, Christine Wonsley, said this was not how she wanted the world to know her son. She described Wells as a peacemaker who didn’t like division, and wanted everyone to be included.
"We just wanna know what happened, and why our baby didn’t come home," she said through tears.
Crump made his plea directly to law enforcement: "They want to know that you have not taken the path of least resistance."
The Source: This report includes information from the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office and The Associated Press, along with comments from attorney Ben Crump and Christine Wonsley.