MISSISSIPPI – Federal authorities are now looking into threats aimed at people connected to the final hours of Nolan Wells, the Mississippi teenager who disappeared during a Fourth of July boating trip and was later found dead, a senior state law enforcement official said.
Wells, 18, was last seen July 4 after traveling with friends by boat to Horn Island, a barrier island off Mississippi’s Gulf Coast. Search teams combed the area for two days before a National Park Service ranger discovered his remains on the island’s northwestern end on July 6.
Mississippi Department of Public Safety Commissioner Sean Tindell said Wednesday that the FBI is examining threats made against public officials, individuals who were with Wells before he vanished and members of their families. Tindell discussed the investigation on Mississippi Public Broadcasting’s “The Sit Down,” hosted by Magnolia Tribune founder and CEO Russ Latino.
Nolan Xavier Wells went missing on July 4 while boating with friends, authorities said. (Jackson County Sheriff’s Department via Facebook)
“I’m sure state law enforcement and the FBI is going to be very interested in investigating, so, you know, when you make those types of threats against public officials, against possible witnesses, and against, the, you know, the folks that are involved in this investigation and the family, then you are also, committing a criminal act, and that’s going to be taken very, very seriously,” Tindell said.
Tindell said the spread of “false information” surrounding Wells’ death has fueled “rage and emotion,” resulting in an increase in calls to his office. Some, he said, have crossed the line into “direct threats.” He added that he believes Wells’ mother, Christine Wonsley, has also been targeted with threats.
“I can tell you, the FBI has reached out. They’re working in any capacity. They’ve offered a hand, in this case, to do anything that that’s needed from their end. But they’re also taking a serious look, at some of these threats that have come across, to public officials, to witnesses to the family, to anybody involved in this case,” Tindell said.
Nolan Wells is pictured smiling on the field while playing wide receiver for Southwest Mississippi Community College. (Christine Wonsley/Facebook)
The warning from one of Mississippi’s top public safety officials comes as national attention on the case has reached a fever pitch, with Rep. André Carson, D-Ind., accusing officials in Mississippi of not being transparent.
“Not only are [Nolan Wells’ family] suffering the unimaginable grief of losing a child, they’re not getting the truth, transparency, or accountability. Mississippi officials retained some of Nolan’s body parts, so yesterday’s independent autopsy leaves more questions unanswered,” Carson said.
As the speculation has grown, Mississippi’s top elected officials have begun pushing back publicly.
Republican Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves told INC News in a statement that attorney Ben Crump and Al Sharpton are responsible for inciting the threats.
“Ben Crump and Al Sharpton are to blame for the threats. They are stoking division for personal gain. It’s sad to see, but not unexpected. This is how they’ve built their careers,” Reeves said. “Jackson County law enforcement, the Mississippi Department of Public Safety, and the State Medical Examiner are conducting a thorough investigation. I’m confident they will follow the facts of the case, wherever that leads them. The state’s top prosecutor is also drawing a hard line.”
Mississippi Attorney General Lynn Fitch told INC News in a statement that her office will hold accountable anyone who threatens law enforcement working the case.
“I am proud of the professionalism with which our law enforcement, district attorney, and other local leaders are approaching this tragic case. During an open investigation, it is vital to the cause of justice that everyone respect the integrity of the process. Efforts to intimidate, disrupt, or interfere with the work of our law enforcement and prosecutors and threats to their well-being will be taken seriously and we will hold those who make them accountable. A bright young life has been lost and we extend our prayers to his family,” Fitch said.
During Wednesday’s news conference, Crump revealed that an area of “red discoloration” was found on Wells’ head, but said Dr. Roger Mitchell, who performed the autopsy, couldn’t come to a conclusion on a cause or manner of death “pending further investigation.” An official autopsy into Wells’ death hasn’t been completed, but the revelation from Crump fueled even more speculation.
Attorney Ben Crump, center, speaks next to Elmore and Christine Wonsley, at left, and Rev. Al Sharpton during a memorial service for Nolan Xavier Wells, an 18-year-old found dead after taking a July 4 boat trip with friends, Monday, July 20, 2026, in Ocean Springs, Miss. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
Wells’ friends returned to the mainland that July afternoon without him, but Jackson County Sheriff John Ledbetter previously said investigators believe Wells chose to stay on the island. It wasn’t until later that night that his mother learned he was missing from one of Wells’ friends and reported it to authorities.
INC News has reached out to Crump, Sharpton and the FBI for comment.
