The family of Nolan Xavier Wells will hold a press conference on Friday (July 10), demanding transparency into the investigation of his disappearance and death.
The news conference will take place at noon at the National Action Network House of Justice in Harlem, according to a press release from Ben Crump’s firm, which is representing the late high school graduate’s family. Crump and Rev. Al Sharpton will join them.
“They will demand a full, transparent, and urgent investigation into the death of the teenager, along with the timely release of all investigative records, witness accounts, and findings,” per the press release.
On Tuesday, Crump’s firm announced Wells’ family had retained its legal counsel, which has promised to conduct an independent review, press for the release of all records, witness accounts, and autopsy findings, and examine the viral social media video that was shot in Horn Island the day of Wells’ disappearance. Crump has already pointed out his concerns with the witness accounts in the investigation, calling them “conflicting.”
Per the press release, the Wells family also has “serious, unanswered questions about the circumstances that left Nolan alone on the island and about how he died.”
On July 4, Wells, an 18-year-old from Mississippi, spent Independence Day traveling to Horn Island with a group of friends. According to the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office, Wells was last seen at 3 p.m. that day. He had taken a boat from a private dock with the group, but did not return with them. His mother reported him missing at midnight.
Investigators found a body in the water on the northwestern tip of Horn Island on July 6, according to WLOX. Wells’ mother confirmed on social media that it was her son’s.
Authorities said they do not suspect foul play as a cause of Wells’ death, but are looking into any potential factors. One viral video, depicting what appears to be an argument taking place on the beach where Wells traveled with the group, is also being included in the investigation.
In the statement announcing he would represent the Wells family, Crump 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. 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.”
