{"id":3505,"date":"2026-07-10T16:33:26","date_gmt":"2026-07-10T16:33:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/denvermovingchronicle.com\/?p=3505"},"modified":"2026-07-10T16:33:26","modified_gmt":"2026-07-10T16:33:26","slug":"family-of-mississippi-teen-who-died-after-july-4-trip-to-call-for-transparency-deeper-investigation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/denvermovingchronicle.com\/?p=3505","title":{"rendered":"Family of Mississippi teen who died after July 4 trip to call for transparency, deeper investigation"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

NEW YORK<\/strong> | The family of a Mississippi 18-year-old who was found dead after a July 4 boat trip with friends to an island off the Gulf Coast is expected to call for greater transparency at a news conference Friday with the Rev. Al Sharpton and noted civil rights attorney Ben Crump.<\/p>\n

Crump, who was retained by the family of Nolan Xavier Wells earlier this week, has said the family has concerns about the investigation and planned to conduct an independent autopsy. Wells travelled by boat to Horn Island, Mississippi on July 4 with a group of friends, but did not make the return trip with them that afternoon. His body was found early Monday morning, more than a day later.<\/p>\n

While Jackson County Sheriff\u2019s Office officials said investigators don\u2019t suspect foul play in the Black college student\u2019s death, the sheriff has asked for any witnesses or people with video from the popular beach island about 10 miles off the coast of Mississippi to come forward to help shed light on the moments before Wells\u2019 disappearance and death.<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

Family members have raised concerns, saying they\u2019ve seen video of a fight allegedly involving their son, and saying as an elite athlete he was able to swim. Wells, who would have turned 19 next month, attended Southwest Mississippi Community College, where he played wide receiver on the football team.<\/p>\n

A photo posted to social media, allegedly from the boat ride to the island, shows Wells with his arms around three white, male friends. Speculation and suspicion about the teen\u2019s death have been rampant online, as people grapple with the state\u2019s history of racial tension and what it means to be a Black person in a majority white space.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe 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,\u201d Crump wrote in an emailed statement earlier this week.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s the second case the noted civil rights attorney has taken on in the state in recent months. He also was recently retained by the family of a Mississippi 1-year-old who was killed when police fired into a moving car.<\/p>\n

Jackson County Sheriff John Ledbetter said earlier this week that Wells\u2019 mother had called to report him missing around midnight into the morning of July 5. Crews from multiple local and state agencies began an extensive search Sunday of the island and surrounding waters. His body was recovered early Monday, family members confirmed.<\/p>\n

An official autopsy was conducted Tuesday, though officials have said it could be weeks before results are released.<\/p>\n

Ledbetter said Wells\u2019 friends were cooperating with the investigation.<\/p>\n

\u201cFrom the people we\u2019ve 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,\u201d Ledbetter told The Associated Press earlier this week.<\/p>\n

In a social media post, his mother, Christine Wonsley, said the family is seeking videos and other documentation from the island.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy heart is broken for our sweet son who was always willing to cheer and uplift others,\u201d she said. \u201cNolan was a special soul, God took his time creating our son.\u201d<\/p>\n

AP reporter Jake Offenhartz contributed to this report.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

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NEW YORK | The family of a Mississippi 18-year-old who was found dead after a July 4 boat trip with friends to an island off the Gulf Coast is expected to call for greater transparency at a news conference Friday with the Rev. Al Sharpton and noted civil rights attorney Ben Crump. 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