Key facts
- Nolan Wells' family has hired audio engineers to review a distress call made on July 4.
- The call was from a boat taking on water off Horn Island, where Wells was last seen.
- Civil rights attorney Ben Crump is representing the Wells family and seeking transparency.
- Law enforcement stated witnesses reported Wells was not on the boat when it left the island.
- Online speculation and threats have targeted individuals connected to the case.
- Crump is also drawing parallels to the recent deaths of two other Black teenagers.
The family of Nolan Wells, an 18-year-old who disappeared on July 4 and was later found deceased, has hired audio engineering experts to analyze a distress call made from a boat that was taking on water off Horn Island, where Wells was last seen. Civil rights attorney Ben Crump, representing the family, stated that the recording's release has fueled online speculation and defamation claims.
Authorities stated that witnesses indicated Wells was not on the boat when it departed the island. The distress call, made to Sea Tow, was released by the Mississippi Department of Marine Resources. Crump's legal team is also requesting that outside authorities examine phones belonging to Wells' friends who were on the trip.
The circumstances surrounding Wells' death have ignited widespread speculation, partly due to uncertainty about his final hours and a perceived distrust of law enforcement, exacerbated by Mississippi's history of racial violence. Wells, who was Black, had traveled to the island with a group of white high school friends and did not return with them.
Jackson County Sheriff John Ledbetter initially stated that Wells' friends were cooperating and that foul play was not suspected, though the investigation remains ongoing. An independent autopsy commissioned by the family was inconclusive, and the official autopsy results are sealed pending a grand jury review.
In the absence of official updates, social media users have focused on online videos and photos, leading to unsubstantiated claims against Wells' friends. The parents of one individual mentioned in the audio reported their son had been doxed and threatened due to "outright fabrications." Crump defended the attention on the case, emphasizing the desire for truth and noting that Wells' parents have also faced online attacks.
Crump also drew parallels to the recent deaths of two other Black teenagers, Tyler Smith and Daniel Erving, suggesting similar circumstances and concerns about the thoroughness of investigations into their deaths.