A Fourth of July trip to Mississippi’s Horn Island turned tragic for 18-year-old Nolan Wells, whose body was found face down near the shoreline two days later.
He had been vacationing with three friends, Warren Hudson, Tracestin Shepherd, and Jayvon Williams, all of whom made it back home safely.
While investigators did not report any evidence of foul play, Wells’ parents, Christine and Elmore Wonsley, remained concerned, particularly after learning that his friends had taken his phone before leaving him behind.
- Nolan Wells’ final Snapchat message to his aunt was revealed, along with new details about deleted data.
- A grand jury ruled his passing accidental after examining the evidence and two autopsy reports.
- The teenager’s parents rejected the official conclusion and vowed to continue seeking justice.
The case took a fresh turn on Thursday, September 24, after the pair’s attorney released the last message the teenager sent to a family member, along with the state’s autopsy findings.
Nolan Wells sent his aunt a two-word text shortly before his disappearance and passing
Wells’ friends handed his phone to a friend of Christine’s at 1:30 a.m. on July 4.
It was subsequently sent to a team of independent digital forensic experts for examination.
According to their findings, 8:30 p.m. on July 3 marked the last time Wells contacted his family, civil rights counsel Ben Crump said.
He sent “thank you” to his Auntie Gabby via Snapchat.
Wells’ parents said this was “common,” explaining the teenager, “like many” of his age group, did not use traditional text messaging and instead relied on social media to communicate.
Crump also said that “282 pages” of Snapchat messages involving Wells’ friend group were uncovered after his phone was examined.
This came after the family previously claimed that Wells’ friends, including Jax Pitalo, Morgan Seymour, and an unidentified girl, in addition to the aforementioned names, had deleted their conversations.
Edward Andrew Paltzik, who represents some of the friends, disputed the claims in a recent conversation with TMZ, saying the circle never had access to Wells’ phone.
He instead questioned the narrative surrounding the alleged deletion of messages, claiming that Crump never handed the device over to law enforcement.
Crump, for his part, said the device’s data was provided to the district attorney.
The teenager’s passing was ruled accidental last week after a grand jury examined two autopsy findings alongside his phone data
Wells’ parents flew his remains from Mississippi to Washington, D.C., for an independent autopsy in July.
Dr. Roger Mitchell, president of the National Medical Association, carried out the procedure.
He identified a 12-by-8-inch red discoloration on the back of Wells’ head, which Crump suggested could indicate head trauma.
The manner of his passing, however, remained undetermined, as the decomposition of the body and lack of associated injuries limited the interpretation.
The state’s autopsy results, meanwhile, came in August.
@livenowfox Nolan Wells’ family attorney Ben Crump held a press conference in Orlando Thursday to reveal findings from a forensic examination of the teen’s cell phone. #news♬ original sound – LiveNOW from FOX
A 23-person grand jury reviewed both sets of findings before declaring on Friday that it found no evidence of foul play.
They also ruled Wells’ passing accidental.
“The grand jury finds that the position of, the condition of, time of discovery, and location of Mr. Wells’ body is consistent with drowning,” they said.
Tyler Cox, a second attorney representing Wells’ group of friends, pointed out that the grand jury also found no evidence of deleted correspondence on the device.
Nolan Wells’ parents rejected the conclusion and vowed to keep seeking answers
Crump said the state’s autopsy report raised questions about the conclusion that Wells drowned, noting that no fluid or debris was found in his airways.
He also highlighted discrepancies between the independent and the state reports regarding injuries found on Wells’ body.
While the state’s report described two scalp contusions, each measuring up to approximately two inches, the independent autopsy documented a single larger mark.
Christine Wells broke down in tears during the press conference discussing the concerns and explained that she and her husband “do not believe” their son “simply and accidentally drowned.”
“Despite the grand jury’s decision, Elmore, our family and I will continue to fight for justice, and I know all those who have supported us will do the same,” she said.
Wells’ passing sparked conversations about racial tensions in Mississippi
According to 2022 data from the Center of Public Integrity, despite boasting the highest percentage of Black residents of any US state at nearly 39 percent, people from this community face severe systematic mistreatment, economic suppression, and institutional neglect.
Crump discussed Wells’ case through the lens of racial disparities while criticizing the pace of the investigation on July 12.
“We are in Mississippi,” he said. “These were three young white men [Wells’ friends]. He was the only young Black man. Had the roles been reversed, we know this investigation would be going differently.”
CNN law enforcement analyst Charles Ramsey, however, said the timeline of the investigation was not unusual.
“The only thing that is unusual is the degree of media attention,” he added.
He also said that if the incident had occurred somewhere other than Mississippi, there would likely be less discussion about racism surrounding the case.
The grand jury ruled that attacks against Wells’ friends and their families were “malicious,” “false,” and had “no truth in fact or evidence.”
“Track his friends’ phones,” a netizen demanded
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