Justice for Nolan Wells calls continue as questions circle about what happened
Ocean Springs, Mississippi - People across the country continue to call for justice for Nolan Wells, the 18-year-old who mysteriously died after a July 4 outing with friends, as many continue to ask: What happened?
Another day means another protest or rally is taking place in honor of Wells, with his family and their legal team continuing to publicly question how the state of Mississippi concluded it was an accidental drowning if no water or liquid was found in his lungs or stomach.
A "justice for Nolan Wells" rally took place in New York City on Wednesday, with participants using drums, holding signs, and chanting to continue bringing awareness to the late teen's mysterious case.
Last week, numerous rallies broke out on college campuses across the US, including Jackson State University in Jackson, Mississippi, and Prairie View A&M University in the Dallas suburb of Prairie View, Texas. A rally also took place in Atlanta, Georgia, with Fox 5 reporting that one speaker said, "This is not just Mississippi versus Atlanta. It’s about all of the United States."
Though the Department of Justice has thus far declined to open a federal investigation into Wells' death, his family and their attorney Ben Crump continue to lead the charge, with Wells' mom Christine Wonsley decrying social media users telling her to get over it and accept his son's "undetermined" death.
"Have you people lost your minds?!" she wrote on social media. "So you’re telling me if YOUR CHILD DIED under these same exact circumstances you would not fight for the truth?!?"
President Donald Trump last week also indicated he is considering asking the Kash Patel-directed FBI to investigate Wells' death, per reports by The Guardian.
Pastor Jamal Bryant promised last week that he is "not gonna rest 'til the family of Nolan Wells gets justice," adding his belief that Wells' friends "Warren Hudson, Wyatt Pyron, Bart Edmiston Jr., and Will Parker need to be brought in immediately ... for questioning."
What happened to Nolan Wells?
Nolan Wells was an 18-year-old Mississippi teen who took a boat trip with friends to Horn Island off the Mississippi Coast on July 4.
Around 6 PM that evening, his friends returned from the island, but Wells was not with them. Around 10:30 PM, Wells' friends started asking in group chats if anyone had heard from Wells. Around 11 PM, a friend called Wells' mom before contacting the Coast Guard to report him missing. His family also reported him missing that night.
Wells' family did not get his cell phone until the early hours of July 5. A few of his friends had previously said everyone's phones that were left on boats were collected and placed in one person's car. The teen's phone was later tracked down by his mom's friend using Life360.
Wells' body was found on July 6 off the northwestern shoreline of Horn Island.
On October 14, a roughly 262-page report came out, including texts between Wells' friends before and after his body was found, with one friend telling the group they should get an attorney.
The state of Mississippi's medical examiner classified Wells' death as undetermined. Later in September, a grand jury declined to press charges related to Wells' death, saying there was not enough evidence to do so. However, despite the medical examiner and an independent autopsy report citing his manner of death as undetermined, the grand jury determined his death was an accidental drowning.
Wells' family attorney Ben Crump, in a September 24 press conference, said the state's autopsy report documented two two-inch contusions on the back of Wells' scalp, indicating blunt force trauma may have been involved.
Wells family, their legal team, and supporters across the country continue their pleas for a further investigation into Wells' death, as many questions remain while his friends continue sitting down for interviews about how his death has affected them.
Cover photo: Collage: IMAGO / ZUMA Press Wire |



