The family of Nolan Xavier Wells, an 18-year-old found dead after a boat trip, has hired civil rights attorney Ben Crump. The investigation focuses on the events leading to his disappearance. Wells’ body was discovered off Horn Island, Mississippi, after he was last spotted Saturday afternoon with friends.
Crump released a statement Tuesday saying the family seeks answers about Wells’ death. “We will not rest until every fact about what happened to Nolan on Horn Island is brought into the light,” Crump stressed, urging investigators to handle the case transparently. Crump is also representing another case involving a Mississippi 1-year-old killed during a police shooting.
Wells and his friends traveled to the island by boat on Saturday. He did not return with them, according to Jackson County Sheriff John Ledbetter. His mother reported him missing that night. A rescue team found his body the following morning. An autopsy was planned for Tuesday.
Ledbetter stated Wells’ friends are 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,” he said.
Wells, who was soon to turn 19, attended Southwest Mississippi Community College and played as a wide receiver on the football team. His mother, Christine Wonsley, expressed her grief on social media, stating, “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.” She asked for any videos or documentation from the island.
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