As the saga into the disappearance and death of 18-year-old Nolan Wells enters a third week, his parents and his Mississippi community are preparing to lay him to rest.
According to nola.com and WLOX, the funeral services for the 18-year-old will be held on July 20. Despite reports that the service will be held at the Mississippi Coast Coliseum & Convention Center in Biloxi, the the family is still undecided on the location, as per a source close to the family. Visitation will reportedly be from 9-11 a.m. with a service to follow from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Rev. Al Sharpton previously stated at a news conference that he would officiate the service and that filmmaker Tyler Perry would fund it. Wells’ parents, Christine and Elmore Wonsley, and Attorney Ben Crump have not publicly verified the reports of the funeral’s date or location.
Protests calling for transparency and accountability into Wells’ disappearance and death have been held in the days since his body was discovered on Horn Island on July 6. One of those protests was organized by his friends, who held a small protest in Ocean Springs, Mississippi. However, Sharpton has stated that the teen’s funeral will not be a protest and will instead be a celebration of his life and legacy.
In a Facebook post on Monday, Christine Wonsley anguished over having to prepare not for her son’s next year of college, but for his memorial service.
“Planning the funeral of our 18 year old does not feel real,” she wrote. “All the emotions are running together. I thank God for the moments of being able to watch videos and hear his laugh again. We miss you so much Nolan.”
As the investigation into Wells’ death continues, the Wonsleys and Crump have been outspoken about the handling of the case by investigators and some of the accounts given about their son by those who considered him their best friend. In an interview with theGrio, the Wonsleys revealed they hadn’t heard from investigators since July 7, one day after Nolan was discovered.
“So, I’m going to be honest, we have not heard from our local authorities since last Tuesday,” Christine Wonsley said. “And that was because I sent a text. I was like, ‘Hey, this is Christine, Nolan’s mom. Just wanted to get an update.’ We received a phone call. Basically, really no updates. And that was it. We’ve heard from no one else.”
Crump added, “If the roles were reversed, this investigation would be handled totally different … We want a zealous investigation for our son too. We want you to do for our son what you would do for anybody’s son and get to the bottom of this because it’s not adding up.”
