{"id":4502,"date":"2026-07-13T05:05:09","date_gmt":"2026-07-13T05:05:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/durhammovinghub.com\/?p=4502"},"modified":"2026-07-13T05:05:09","modified_gmt":"2026-07-13T05:05:09","slug":"nolan-wells-family-speaks-publicly-for-first-time-since-south-ms-teens-death","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/durhammovinghub.com\/?p=4502","title":{"rendered":"Nolan Wells\u2019 family speaks publicly for first time since South MS teen\u2019s death"},"content":{"rendered":"

Nolan Wells\u2019 mother, Christine Wonsley, talked about her son\u2019s death Friday during interviews with independent journalist Don Lemon and two national morning news shows.<\/p>\n

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Nolan Wells, 18, was reported missing after he didn\u2019t return home from a trip to Horn Island with friends on the Fourth of July. Wells, who was Black, went to the island with three white friends.<\/p>\n

The friend returned to shore without Wells. Wells\u2019 body was found Monday on the northwestern tip of Horn Island.<\/p>\n

Since then, speculation about the death has spread on social media, prompting Jackson County Sheriff Ledbetter to urge the public to call investigators only with firsthand information, including original videos and photos from the island that day. He said the case remains under investigation.<\/p>\n

The State Medical Examiner\u2019s Office in Mississippi performed an autopsy on Wells this week, but the results are pending.<\/p>\n

Crump\u2019s office had Wells\u2019 body flown to Washington, D.C., for an independent autopsy.<\/p>\n

Crump said early-on that Wells parents were frustrated because investigators have not told them whether they believe foul play was involved in their son\u2019s death.<\/p>\n

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He said the family\u2019s primary concern is ensuring investigators conduct a thorough investigation.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey\u2019re not telling the family anything about whether it was foul play or not, and so that\u2019s why the family is so desperate for answers because they\u2019re saying, \u2018We don\u2019t want you to just wrap up this investigation and say, \u201cOh, well, it was just an accident,\u201d and sweep it under the rug.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

Crump said the Wells family has several concerns, including concerns about their son\u2019s cellphone because of messages that had allegedly been deleted.<\/p>\n

According to Crump, the three young men who returned from Horn Island had Wells\u2019 cellphone with them. They have said Wells stayed behind to talk with a girl and another group of friends.<\/p>\n

Wells\u2019 mother tracked down her son\u2019s phone using its location.<\/p>\n

Since taking the case, Crump said his legal team has spent time interviewing family members, friends and others who were on Horn Island during the July 4 weekend.<\/p>\n

Crump said the Wells\u2019 family \u201care still in disbelief.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s like they are in a nightmare, and they can\u2019t wake up,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

This story was originally published July 12, 2026 at 4:38 PM<\/span> with the headline “Nolan Wells\u2019 family speaks publicly for first time since South MS teen\u2019s death.” <\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

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Ben Crump, who is representing Nolan Wells\u2019 family after 18-year-old from Ocean Springs was found dead off Horn Island; talks to journalist Don Lemon.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":4501,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4502","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-read-todays-edition"],"yoast_head":"\nNolan Wells\u2019 family speaks publicly for first time since South MS teen\u2019s death - Durham Moving Hub<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/durhammovinghub.com\/?p=4502\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Nolan Wells\u2019 family speaks publicly for first time since South MS teen\u2019s death - 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