Rev. Al Sharpton has announced a $50,000 reward for information that leads to an arrest and conviction in the death of Mississippi teenager Nolan Wells, as civil rights attorney Ben Crump prepares to disclose preliminary results from an independent autopsy that may offer the first public medical details in the 18-year-old’s still-unexplained death.
Crump is set to present the findings Wednesday during a news conference at the 117th NAACP National Convention in Chicago. He is expected to be joined by Wells’ parents, Christine and Elmore Wonsley, as the family’s attorneys release the initial public results of the independent examination.
The planned announcement follows the NAACP’s adoption of a resolution calling on local, state and federal officials, including the U.S. Department of Justice, to carry out what the organization described as a thorough and transparent investigation into Wells’ death.
Nolan Wells smiles on the field while playing wide receiver for Southwest Mississippi Community College. (Christine Wonsley/Facebook)
The case has drawn fresh attention after TMZ published previously unseen video that it said was filmed during the July 4 gathering on Horn Island. The footage shows dozens of boats and people in the water before briefly centering on a person TMZ identified as Wells. INC News has not independently confirmed the video’s authenticity, the date it was recorded or the identity of the person shown.
Wells vanished on July 4 after traveling by boat with friends to Horn Island, a barrier island off Mississippi’s Gulf Coast, for Independence Day celebrations. Search teams looked for the teenager for two days before a National Park Service ranger discovered his body near the island’s northwestern tip on July 6. Authorities have not released a cause or manner of death, and the investigation is continuing.
With the official autopsy report still unreleased, Wednesday’s news conference is expected to mark the first time independent medical findings in the case are made public.
Rev. Al Sharpton speaks during a recent appearance. Sharpton has announced a $50,000 reward for information leading to an arrest and conviction in the death of Mississippi teenager Nolan Wells. (Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)
The case has drawn growing national attention, with prominent civil rights leaders and public figures rallying behind Wells’ family, including Crump, Sharpton, former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick and filmmaker Tyler Perry.
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Along with Crump, Sharpton has repeatedly called for a thorough investigation, though he has cautioned against drawing premature conclusions.
“We cannot say it was racist, but we cannot say it was not racist,” Sharpton said during Wells’ funeral. “So let’s not judge either way until all the evidence is in.”
Nolan Xavier Wells disappeared on the Fourth of July while boating with friends, according to authorities. (Jackson County Sheriff’s Department via Facebook)
Sharpton also questioned why Wells’ cellphone and keys were found with his friends, why they did not immediately contact law enforcement after realizing he was missing and why local officials appeared quick to dismiss the possibility of foul play.
During Wells’ funeral Monday, Sharpton announced a $50,000 reward through the National Action Network for information leading to an arrest and conviction, saying someone at the July 4 gathering knows what happened.
“He was not on that island by himself,” Sharpton said. “Somebody saw something and knows something. So I didn’t come to make money. I came to give money. Stand up and tell the truth.”
The Associated Press reported that Perry later pledged to help fund the reward in addition to paying for Wells’ funeral. Crump has also said the local prosecutor agreed to present the completed investigation to a grand jury once it is finished and that the family was still awaiting the results of the independent autopsy following Monday’s funeral.
As the family continues pressing for answers, INC News has filed public records requests with the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office and the Mississippi Department of Marine Resources’ Marine Patrol seeking 911 calls, dispatch records, body-camera footage, incident reports, radio communications, vessel logs and other records related to the response to Wells’ disappearance and death.
INC News has also reached out to Crump’s office and the National Action Network for additional information regarding Wednesday’s announcement and the reward.
