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Family of Nolan Wells, Black teen found dead off Mississippi island, retains lawyer Ben Crump

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− Fresh Air Wild Card with Rachel Martin It's Been a Minute Embedded Get NPR+ More Podcasts & Shows Search Newsletters NPR Shop Get NPR+ Tiny Desk New Music Friday All Songs Considered Music Features Live Sessions About NPR Diversity Support Careers Press Ethics Family of Nolan Wells retains lawyer Ben Crump The body of 18-year-old Nolan Xavier Wells was found Monday off Horn Island, Mississippi.
+ Fresh Air Wild Card with Rachel Martin It's Been a Minute Embedded Get NPR+ More Podcasts & Shows Search Newsletters NPR Shop Get NPR+ Tiny Desk New Music Friday All Songs Considered Music Features Live Sessions About NPR Diversity Support Careers Press Ethics Family of Nolan Wells retains lawyer Ben Crump The Jackson County Sheriff's Office said the investigation remains "active and ongoing" and is asking for photos and videos from the northwest part of Horn Island on July 4, where Wells' body was found.
− That's where he was last seen with friends Saturday.
+ News What we know about Nolan Wells, the student-athlete found dead off the coast of Mississippi Updated July 8, 20267:40 PM ET Originally published July 8, 202612:46 PM ET From Gulf States Newsroom By Elise Gregg An undated photo of Nolan Wells provided to the Jackson County Sheriff's Office, July 4, 2026.
− Crump says the family is seeking answers.
+ Jackson County Sheriff's Office hide caption The family of 18-year-old Nolan Wells has retained civil rights attorney Benjamin Crump. The Mississippi teenager was found dead Monday morning on Horn Island, a barrier island off the state's coast, after a Fourth of July weekend trip with friends. The Jackson County Sheriff's Office said the investigation remains "active and ongoing" and is asking for photos and videos from the northwest part of Horn Island on July 4, where Wells' body was found. "Particularly those depicting alleged altercations or containing images of, or believed to include Nolan Wells," Sheriff John Ledbetter wrote in a statement, additionally asking for eyewitness accounts and statements of any other arguments or disturbances from that day. The Jackson County coroner positively identified the body as Wells on Tuesday. Screenshot of the missing persons press release shared by the Jackson County Sheriff's Office, including an undated photo of Wells provided to the them.
− News Family of Nolan Wells, Black teen found dead off Mississippi island, retains lawyer Ben Crump July 8, 202612:46 PM ET By The Associated Press The family of an 18-year-old who was found dead after a July 4 boat trip to an island off the Gulf Coast has retained civil rights attorney Ben Crump amid an ongoing investigation into the circumstances of his disappearance.
+ Jackson County Sheriff's Office hide caption Crump said in a statement that his office will conduct an independent review of the circumstances surrounding Wells' death.
− Nolan Xavier Wells' body was discovered Monday off the coast of Horn Island, Mississippi, where he was last seen with a group of friends Saturday afternoon, officials said.
+ "Nolan Wells was a beloved son, teammate and friend who went out to celebrate the Fourth of July and never came home. His family deserves answers," said Crump in a statement. "They deserve the truth. 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." In a Wednesday interview with Don Lemon, Crump said the family was seeking an independent autopsy. Crump told Lemon they would be flying Wells' body to Washington, D.C. for that autopsy and expects results from it on Friday.
− In a statement released Tuesday, Crump said the family is searching for answers about the events leading up to his death.
+ Results of the state's autopsy are pending.
− "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," said Crump, who also was recently retained by the family of a Mississippi 1-year-old who was killed when police fired into a moving car.
+ Wells, along with a group of friends, traveled to Horn island on July 4. That night, his mother, Christine Wonsley, reported him missing and posted on social media, writing that he was last seen on the northwest tip of the island around 3:00 p.m.
− Wells traveled by boat with friends to the island Saturday but did not return with them that afternoon, according to Jackson County Sheriff John Ledbetter.
+ The island, which is part of the Gulf Islands National Seashore, is managed by the National Park Service and is primarily accessible by private boat. According to the NPS website, "there is no staff, drinking water, shelter, facilities, or communication on the island." On July 6, a national park service ranger found Well's body on the northwest tip of Horn Island.
− Wells was reported missing that night by his mother.
+ Ashlee Cole, a local chancery judge and the mother of one of Wells' friends, said her son, Warren, had been interviewed by the local sheriff's office. "He saw Nolan last at around 3 pm on July 4th," Cole wrote in a Facebook post.
− A rescue team found his body the following morning, the family said.
+ "They left around 4:30 pm when the boat was taking on water and they had an issue with the bilge pump.
− An autopsy was set to be completed Tuesday.
+ Nolan made a decision to stay on the island and return inland later with another group of friends." Blige pumps are used to help remove excess water from the bottom of a boat.
− Ledbetter said Wells' friends were cooperating with the investigation.
+ It's still unclear why Wells was the only member of the group who did not return.
− "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.
+ The case has attracted national attention online. In his interview with Don Lemon Wednesday, Attorney Ben Crump said officials have not yet told the family if they suspect foul play involved in Well's death.
− Wells, who would have turned 19 next month, attended Southwest Mississippi Community College, where he played wide receiver on the football team.
+ As of Wednesday, a GoFundMe set up for the family to cover funeral and memorial expenses had raised over $230,000.
− In a social media post, his mother, Christine Wonsley, said the family is seeking videos and other documentation from the island.
+ Wells, was a native of Ocean Springs, Mississippi and a wide receiver for Southwest Mississippi Community College's football team. His high school coach said in a statement Wells was the type of player coaches love: "He was the kind of son, teammate, friend, and student every coach hopes to have in a program," Ocean Springs High School head coach Jake Bramlett said in a statement. "He carried himself with humility, treated others with respect, worked hard, and led by example." His high school principal, Dr. Jacob Dykes, described him as a leader in the classroom as well.
− "My heart is broken for our sweet son who was always willing to cheer and uplift others," she said.
+ "Nolan was a remarkable student, teammate, and brother," said Dykes in a statement.
− "Nolan was a special soul, God took his time creating our son." Sponsor Message Become an NPR sponsor
+ "He will be remembered as an extremely kind and hardworking young man who left a lasting impression on his teachers, coaches, teammates, and community. Our thoughts are with his family and the many people he made a lasting impact on around him." Wells' mother has asked for privacy as the family grieves. "My heart is broken for our sweet son who was always willing to cheer and uplift others," Wonsley wrote on Facebook. "Nolan was a special soul, God took his time creating our son." Elise Catrion Gregg is the Community Engagement Reporter for the Gulf States Newsroom and Mississippi Public Broadcasting. She is based in Jackson, Mississippi. Editor's note: This story has been updated to include original reporting. July 8, 2026 Sponsor Message Become an NPR sponsor