Family of Black teen found dead after Mississippi boat trip demands thorough investigation

The family of Nolan Wells, a Black teenager who died after disappearing on a Mississippi island, is demanding a thorough and honest investigation into his death. "We just want to know what happened and why our baby didn't come home," said his mother, Christine Wells-Wonsley, at a press conference with the Rev. Al Sharpton and attorney Ben Crump.

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We just want to know what happened and why our baby didn't come home.

Wells, 18, went missing on July 4 while on a boat trip with three white friends to Horn Island, an undeveloped barrier island off the Mississippi coast. His body was found on July 6. Authorities have stated they believe Wells drowned and do not suspect foul play. However, Crump and his legal team, who are conducting an independent investigation and autopsy, have highlighted "glaring contradictions" in the witnesses' accounts.

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Because it doesn't take an attorney, it doesn't take a special investigator, it doesn't take someone with extreme training to know right off, there's something wrong here.

These contradictions reportedly involve whether Wells stayed on or left the island, why he didn't have his phone, and the possibility of him drowning despite being a young athlete who knew how to swim. The Jackson County Sheriff's Department has requested information about any arguments or unusual activity on the island that day as they continue their investigation.

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We are in a ferocious pursuit for the truth.