The family of Nolan Wells, an 18-year-old Black man, is demanding answers after his body was discovered on Horn Island, Mississippi, on July 6.
Wells went missing during the Independence Day holiday on July 4 while visiting the barrier island along the Mississippi Gulf coast with friends from his high school in Ocean Springs.
The Jackson County Sheriff's Office is investigating the incident. Investigators suspect drowning, but no official ruling has been made.
Christine Wonsley, the victim's mother, expressed her grief during a press conference. “We just want to know what happened and why our baby didn’t come home,” she said.
Civil rights attorney Ben Crump is assisting the family with an independent investigation and a private autopsy.
Crump raised concerns about conflicting timelines provided by the three white acquaintances who were with Wells on the afternoon of July 4.
The family also discovered that Wells' phone was in the possession of one of the accompanying individuals, not with his body.
Family-location data suggests several social media messages were deleted.
