President Trump said Wednesday that he may ask the FBI to examine the death of Nolan Wells during a news conference at the White House.
Asked whether federal authorities would launch their own investigation into the death of the 18-year-old Mississippi football player, Trump told reporters, “We’re looking at that.” Wells was found dead days after disappearing during a summer boat trip with friends.
The request for a federal investigation came Monday from Wells’ father, Elmore Wonsley, who urged the FBI to review the case.
“Our son was found on federal land and we are asking the FBI to step in and do a full investigation,” Wonsley said.
Wells, who was Black, disappeared during a troubled Fourth of July trip with friends to Mississippi’s Horn Island, authorities said. His body was later discovered near the island.
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The Southwest Mississippi Community College student and his friends had traveled to the island by boat. Wells did not leave with the group, and authorities found him dead two days later.
The Jackson County Sheriff’s Department said Wells was last seen heading to the other side of the island with a girl. Investigators, however, said they found no evidence that the teen’s death involved foul play.
Wells’ family and supporters have disputed the account of his disappearance. They have raised concerns about the transparency of the investigation, the accountability of authorities and whether racial bias may have played a role.
After the case was presented to a grand jury last month, Wells’ death was determined to have been neither criminal nor racially motivated.
The family remained skeptical of the grand jury’s decision. Their attorney, Ben Crump, criticized the outcome in a statement, saying it “[left] us with more questions than answers.”
“Today, the State of Mississippi is attempting to close the chapter on Nolan Wells’ death without getting to the truth,” Crump said.
