Attorney Ben Crump will hold a press conference on Wednesday, July 22, 2026, at 8 a.m. CT at the NAACP Convention Center in Chicago to announce the preliminary findings of an independent autopsy conducted on behalf of Nolan Wells’ family. Crump announced the news in a press release.
“As this family continues to seek answers, we remain committed to pursuing the truth and demanding a full and transparent investigation into Nolan’s death,” Crump said in his caption on Instagram while announcing the news.
The independent autopsy, separate from the one conducted in Mississippi, was arranged by Crump and Wells’ family and paid for by former NFL player and social justice activist Colin Kaepernick. The Mississippi State Medical Examiner’s Office conducted its own autopsy, which was announced by Jackson County Coroner Bruce Lynd. However, the results have not yet been released as officials await toxicology reports.
The 18-year-old died during a trip with friends to Horn Island, Mississippi. He was reported missing on July 5th, and his body was recovered from the waters off Horn Island on July 6th. He had traveled to the island with three friends.
The three friends reportedly returned safely to the mainland, while Nolan remained on the island without his phone. According to reports, he stayed behind after the others left to talk to a woman he had met on the island. Because Horn Island is accessible only by boat, questions have been raised about how Nolan stayed on the island.
Sheriff John Ledbetter with the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office told Good Morning America on July 10th that they did not suspect foul play in Wells’ death. However, officials emphasized that the investigation was ongoing and would take time.
“We’re working toward the same goal as the family. We want a thorough investigation. We’re trying to find out everything,” Sheriff John Ledbetter said. “We are providing a thorough, professional and accurate investigation. That’s what we’re going to continue to do until we arrive at the answers that the family deserves.”
The family has questioned inconsistencies surrounding Wells’ reported location. While his friends reportedly said he remained on Horn Island, location data from Life360 allegedly showed Wells in different locations.
Since Wells’ death, the family has hired civil rights attorney Ben Crump to represent them amid concerns and unanswered questions surrounding the investigation.
The family recently broke its silence during an interview with Good Morning America on July 10th. Christine Wonsley, Nolan’s mother, said the family was able to locate and recover Nolan’s phone through the Life360 app through a friend.
Wonsley contacted her friend Tashima, whose two sons, Jalen and Jayvon, grew up with Nolan. Tashima’s sons attempted to search for Nolan through Snapchat, and the location information differed from the location data shown on Life360.
Tashima told CNN that it took 15 minutes for the teens to recover the phone, questioning the amount of time it took for the phone to be retrieved. Tashima also noted that the lights of the house was off when she arrived at the house, noting that the phone was in a friend’s truck with a girl bringing the phone to Tashima.
The family has questioned why Nolan’s phone was allegedly left on a boat if he was believed to be on the island. They have also raised questions about the conflicting location data and the circumstances surrounding Nolan’s final movements.
After the phone was recovered through Life360, the family alleged that it had been tampered with. They claimed that messages had been deleted from the device, along with content from Nolan’s two Snapchat accounts and photos documenting his experience on Horn Island.
Christine and her sister reportedly looked through Nolan’s phone and found no posts on either of his two Snapchat accounts during the approximately 24-hour period before the phone was recovered. Christine said her son was an active Snapchat user.
“When we finally got his phone, me and my sister went through the phone. We went in his Snapchat. He had two accounts. Absolutely nothing,” Christine Wonsley said. “It wasn’t even 24 hours, which is how long videos and pictures stay on Snapchat … even my sister was like, ‘Yeah, that’s suspicious.’”
“I’ve seen Nolan whenever he Snaps—like when he goes and he’s having fun, he does videos. There was absolutely nothing … even my sister was like, ‘That’s suspicious,’” Christine said, noting that her son was a videographer who regularly recorded videos.
“Anyone who’s ever been around Nolan will tell you, at social gatherings, he’s taking videos, he’s taking pictures. He’s even come up to me when I’m getting ready to go to bed and said, ‘Hey, Ma, come on, take a picture of me,’” she explained.
Jackson County Sheriff John Ledbetter said initial interviews suggested that Wells chose to remain on the island and that his friends believed he would get a ride back with someone else. He has also said that the friends were cooperating with the investigation, which remains ongoing.
However, during the Good Morning America interview, Nolan’s father, Elmore Wonsley, told interviewer Michael Strahan that he had always taught his son to take safety precautions while traveling, including staying with a group. He said he found it unusual that Nolan’s friends allegedly left the island while Nolan remained behind.
Jayvon Williams also told CNN that Nolan was not the type of person who would want to be left behind.
“I’ve never known Nolan to stay back while his friends leave. He’s always been a guy where, if he rode with you, he’s going to come back with you. That’s always how he’s been every single time,” Jayvon said.
Crump has also stated that, after the phone was recovered, he heard what appeared to be Nolan’s voice in a recording saying, “Hand me my freakin’ phone.”
While Crump is conducting an independent investigation and cooperating with authorities, the FBI is also assisting the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office with its investigation.
On July 8, Jackson County Sheriff John Ledbetter issued a statement asking anyone who was in the area around the time of Wells’ disappearance to provide potentially helpful information, including:
• Any interactions with, sightings of, or statements regarding Nolan Wells;
• Original, unedited photos and videos taken on the northwest tip of Horn Island on July 4, 2026, particularly those depicting alleged altercations or containing images of, or believed to include, Nolan Wells. According to the sheriff’s office, original media may contain critical details that could be essential to the ongoing investigation; and
• Any observed or heard arguments, disturbances or other unusual activity on the island that day.
The FBI also released dispatch audio from the day of the incident. In the recording, a caller can be heard requesting help:
CALLER: “We’re sinking. Can y’all please come?”
DISPATCH: “Is everyone on board and in good health otherwise?”
CALLER: “Yeah, yeah. Everybody is on board.”
Some have also questioned the timing of statements regarding the absence of suspected foul play, arguing that investigators should allow the investigation to fully develop before reaching conclusions.
Television host Nancy Grace also discussed Wells’ death, questioning aspects of the timeline and the conflicting accounts surrounding his final hours, including the claims regarding his phone, the location data from Snapchat and Life360, why his friends allegedly left him on the island, and the woman Wells reportedly met.
Wells’ funeral was held on July 20, 2026, in Ocean Springs, Mississippi.
Rev. Al Sharpton also questioned inconsistencies surrounding the case during his eulogy at Wells’ funeral.
“The reason that a lot of people across the nation are looking at this Nolan situation is because we’re looking at the history in Mississippi,” Sharpton said during the eulogy, according to ABC News.
Wells, who would have turned 19 next month, attended Southwest Mississippi Community College, where he played wide receiver on the football team.
He is survived by his parents, Elmore and Christine Wonsley, and five siblings: Carlisha Briscoe, Jaden Briscoe, Jalen Briscoe, Ethan Glaude and Elmore Wonsley Jr.
