The family of Nolan Wells, the 18-year-old whose body was found days after he went missing following a July 4th boat trip to the isolated Mississippi barrier island Horn Island, provided an update on their independent investigation into his death on July 30. Alongside their attorney, Ben Crump, they pleaded with the public for more information and addressed the severe attacks and harassment they have endured.
Wells' body was discovered days after his disappearance, but the circumstances surrounding his death largely remain a mystery. Jackson County Sheriff John Ledbetter stated that investigators did not initially suspect foul play but are continuing their probe. Citing a lack of confidence in Mississippi law enforcement, Wells' family launched their own independent investigation.
As these parallel investigations proceed, the case has been plagued by the spread of false claims, AI-generated content, and conspiracy theories, which have circulated alongside genuine developments. Family attorney Ben Crump, speaking at a news conference during the National Urban League conference in Nashville, Tennessee, revealed on July 30 that "sick people" have been targeting Wells' mother, a nurse, with negative online reviews.
"They are just sick, evil people who would attack this mother and this father for simply saying we want to know what happened to our child," Crump stated.
Crump announced that the family has successfully obtained the full audio recording of a distress call made to Sea Tow by the boat Wells reportedly traveled on to Horn Island. The family has since retained audio engineering experts to meticulously review this call. Additionally, they are consulting with "oceanic engineering experts" to gain a deeper understanding of how tides and weather conditions might have influenced where Wells' body was found.
The legal team also hopes to provide more information to Dr. Roger Mitchell, the independent medical examiner who performed a second autopsy on Wells. Mitchell was unable to determine a cause or manner of death, partly because he could not inspect certain parts of Wells' body, including the throat and larynx, which may have been retained for further investigation.
Crump was joined at the conference by family members of two other Black teenagers who died this year: Daniel Erving, 18, who drowned in a north Texas lake in April, and Tyler Smith, also 18, who died of a gunshot wound on July 4 in Lexington, Kentucky.
Attorney Liza Park reported that the legal team is receiving over 100 calls daily and urged anyone with information to come forward. Attorney Eric Hertz added that they are working to reach an agreement with district attorney Angel Myers McIlrath to allow for a joint investigation of cellphone evidence in the case.
In previous interviews, Wells' mother, Christine Wonsley, expressed suspicion over her son's phone appearing to lack Snapchat history from the day he disappeared and noted discrepancies in location data she observed during the search for him.
Wells' parents also spoke about the personal attacks they have faced while seeking answers. Christine Wonsley has been subjected to a harassment campaign, resulting in negative reviews for her and her workplace, as well as threatening messages and harassing mail.
"A parent can’t grieve when you have people attacking them, attacking their jobs, attacking their character, just attacking them period," said Wells' father, Elmore Wonsley. "Like, where’s the empathy?"
Several of Nolan Wells' friends have also reported receiving threats. Ashlee Cole, a chancery court judge whose son was on the boat trip, deactivated her social media account due to threats directed at her entire family, including her young children. Cole's son, Warren Hudson, also stated in an interview that his family had received "thousands of death threats," which prompted him to skip Wells' memorial service.
The distress call currently being investigated by Crump's team has also fueled further speculation and threats. The caller reportedly stated that the boat was sinking due to a bilge pump problem. The dispatcher then contacted a captain who indicated he had spoken to the caller's grandfather and that the issue appeared to have been resolved.
The Edmiston family, whose son Bart, Jr. was falsely implicated online, announced plans to "pursue all available legal remedies." They sent a cease and desist letter to one social media user who "shared pictures of our home, our residential address, land plats, and information about our work, while simultaneously falsely asserting through various videos and posts, that Bart, Jr. is a suspect, that he caused or contributed to Nolan’s death, or that he is involved in a cover up of Nolan’s death." The family asserted, "None of these things are true."
