Famous civil rights lawyer says he is representing Nolan Wells family
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Attorney Ben Crump is representing Nolan Xavier Wells’ family as they seek answers.
- Wells was reported missing Saturday after failing to return from a July 4 trip.
- Crump’s team will press for timely release of records, witness accounts, and autopsy.
High-profile civil rights and personal injury attorney Ben Crump is representing the family of Nolan Xavier Wells, 18, of Ocean Springs, whose death over the Fourth of July is under investigation.
Wells’ body was found Monday morning off Horn Island after a lengthy search. His mother, Christine Wonsley, reported him missing Saturday evening, when he failed to return from a Fourth of July trip to the island.
Wells was Black and went to the island on a boat with white friends. Speculation about his death has been rampant on social media, with Jackson County Sheriff John Ledbetter urging the public to call investigators only with firsthand information.
Ledbetter said all the social media rumors are making the case more difficult to investigate.
Crump speaks on Nolan Wells case
“Attorney Crump and the legal team will conduct an independent review of the circumstances of Nolan’s death and will press for the timely release of all records, witness accounts, and autopsy findings,” says a news release from Ben Crump Law. The firm lists an address in Tallahassee, Florida, but is licensed to practice law in multiple states.
An autopsy was scheduled Tuesday. The State Medical Examiner’s Office has positively identified Wells through dental records.
“Nolan Wells was a beloved son, teammate and friend who went out to celebrate the Fourth of July and never came home,” a statement from Crump says. “His family deserves answers. They deserve the truth. We will not rest until every fact about what happened to Nolan on Horn Island is brought into the light, and we call on investigators to pursue this case with the urgency and transparency this family deserves.”
Crump has handled multiple cases in Mississippi, including the case of a 15-year-old shot by Gulfport police in 2022. Crump has represented other families of Black people killed by police across the U.S., including Breonna Taylor, Trayvon Martin, George Floyd and others.
The death of Wells, a standout athlete and popular teenager on the Coast, has made national news, with stories by Ebony, TMZ and the New York Post.
A GoFundMe account for Wells’ family had raised more than $122,000 by Tuesday afternoon.
Staff Writer Margaret Baker contributed to this report.
This story was originally published July 7, 2026 at 4:04 PM.
