What we know about death of Nolan Wells, Black teen who went missing on Mississippi boat trip

By — Maria Ramirez Uribe Maria Ramirez Uribe Leave your feedback Share Copy URL https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/what-we-know-about-death-of-nolan-wells-black-teen-who-went-missing-on-mississippi-boat-trip Email Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Tumblr Share on Facebook Share on Twitter What we know about death of Nolan Wells, Black teen who went missing on Mississippi boat trip Nation Jul 10, 2026 6:49 PM EDT The family of Nolan Wells, a Black teenager who was found dead after going missing on an island in Mississippi, made an emotional plea Friday for an honest, thorough investigation in a case that has captured national attention over its unanswered questions. "We just want to know what happened and why our baby didn't come home," his mother Christine Wells-Wonsley said at a news conference with the Rev. Al Sharpton and noted civil rights attorney Ben Crump. WATCH: Nolan Wells' family calls for probe into teen's death with attorney Ben Crump Wells, an 18-year-old described by his parents as having a big heart, went out on a boat with three friends who were white on July 4 before going missing. His body was found on July 6. Liza Park, senior attorney in the Atlanta office of Ben Crump Law, said she heard about Wells' death before she got the call to work on the case. "Why? 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," Park said. Authorities have said they believe Wells drowned and don't suspect foul play. Educate your inbox Subscribe to Here’s the Deal, our politics newsletter for analysis you won’t find anywhere else. Throughout the news conference, Crump described "glaring contradictions" in the witnesses' accounts of Wells' disappearance, related to whether he stayed on or left the island, why he didn't have his phone with him and the very idea that a young athlete who knew how to swim would drown. The Jackson County Sheriff's Department said in a statement it is actively investigating the situation and has asked for information, including unedited photos and videos or knowledge of "an argument, disturbance, or other unusual activity while on the island that day." Wells' family has retained Crump, who said his team is conducting a thorough investigation including an independent autopsy. "We are in a ferocious pursuit for the truth," Crump said. Here's what we know about Wells' death. What do we know about Wells' disappearance? On July 3, Wells cooked his parents a dinner of baked salmon after his mom had a busy day at work, Wells-Wonsley said. That night, he stayed over at his friend's house. The next day he and his friends went by boat to Horn Island , an undeveloped barrier island eight miles off the coast of Mississippi that can only be reached via private boat. He was last seen at 3 p.m. on July 4. One of Wells' friends contacted Wells-Wonsley at around 11 p.m. to report him missing. Wells-Wonsley posted on