At Mississippi funeral, Civil Rights leaders call for justice for Nolan Wells, 18

 Wells, who was found dead on an island off the state’s coast two days after he and his friends boated out to party for the Fourth of July, was celebrated as a dearly loved friend, son, brother and teammate. He played football for Ocean Springs High School and Southwest Mississippi Community College.

“Share his stories, and never stop saying his name,” said his mom, Christine Wells-Wonsley, at the funeral. “As long as we continue to remember him, his light will continue to shine through us all.”

The cause of Wells’ death is still under investigation, but in the last two weeks, the case has drawn attention from around the country and the world.

In the weeks since his body was found, Civil Rights leaders have also joined the call for answers about Wells’ death. The Reverend Al Sharpton officiated the service on Monday, and civil rights attorney Ben Crump is serving as the family’s legal representative.

“For an 18-year-old young man to no longer be with us, we want answers, not bias either way: just answers,” Sharpton said during the eulogy. “I think that for the family, the closure can come if there is justice.” 

Crump announced at a press conference last week that former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick paid for an independent autopsy. Filmmaker and media mogul Tyler Perry paid for the funeral.

In Ocean Springs on Monday, Sharpton announced that he and Perry would offer a combined $100,000 reward for information leading to an arrest. 

“He was not on that island by himself: somebody saw something and knows something,” said Sharpton. “I didn't come to make money, I came to give money. Stand up and tell the truth." 

The Jackson County Sheriff’s Office has not indicated that foul play was involved in Wells’ death. The case is being discussed across social media, but much of the initial speculation has shifted over the last two weeks. 

Wells was the only Black friend in his group who went out to Horn Island, Miss., for the Independence Day trip. He’s the only member of the group who failed to return.

That alone has sparked a lot of conversation around Mississippi’s history when it comes to race and fears that there is a racial element in what happened to Wells. 

Family members have shared concerns about a lack of communication with law enforcement and a lack of information from law enforcement.

“We want answers because we love our children just like you love your children,” said Crump to mourners on Monday. “Our tears are just as painful as your tears, our pain hurts just as much as your pain.”

“Whatever you would do for your children, if they were on that boat on Horn Island on July 4th, we want you to do it for Nolan Wells!”

In the two weeks since Wells’ body was found, the sheriff’s office hasn’t released many details about its investigation. Recently, Jackson County Sheriff John Ledbetter said the investigation is still ongoing, with law enforcement receiving a lot of “valuable” information. 

An autopsy from the state is pending, with state officials saying the medical examiner is waiting on a toxicology report. 

Results from an independent autopsy ordered by Crump and his team haven’t been released either. At a press conference following the funeral, Crump said they would have results “soon.”

“You want stuff from the first autopsy because they had the body closer to time: we got the body almost six days later.”

Crump said Jackson County District Attorney Angel Myers McIlrath shared that her office would turn investigation results over to a grand jury. Crump said his team and law enforcement would review the data from Wells’ cell phone together.

In an interview with “Good Morning America,” Wells’ mom said that after his disappearance, she used a location-sharing app to track her son’s phone to one of his friend’s houses. From there, Wells-Wonsley said a friend of hers went to pick up his phone.  

His parents have expressed concerns that messages may have been deleted from Wells’ phone and they’re hoping a review of the phone and any digital evidence may help them figure out what happened to their son.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation confirmed to Mississippi Public Broadcasting that they’re assisting local law enforcement, particularly investigating “interstate threats” that people involved in the case have received.

The county coroner says that, typically, state autopsies take several weeks to complete.

Elise Catrion Gregg is the Community Engagement Reporter for the Gulf States Newsroom and Mississippi Public Broadcasting. She is based in Jackson, Miss.