In new interviews with ABC News and Don Lemon, Civil rights attorney Ben Crump revealed that multiple text messages were deleted from 18-year-old Nolan Wells’ phone before his family got it back. And the family is not buying the official story.
The three young men who left Horn Island without Nolan had his cellphone in their possession. When the device was finally returned to his mother, several text messages had been wiped.
“Uh, you know, the guys on the boat, they said Nolan stayed, but they took his cell phone,” Crump said. “That’s not adding up to them. The fact that then when the family gets the cell phone back… they’re saying they are trying to understand why they’re deleted messages.”
Crump didn’t hold back asking: Why did the friends take Nolan’s phone if he was supposedly staying behind voluntarily? Who deleted the messages — and when? What was in those texts that someone didn’t want the family to see?
The attorney called it part of a much bigger pattern of “contradictions” and “discrepancies” that have the family in absolute disbelief.
What Really Happened on Horn Island?
Nolan Wells — a talented wide receiver — headed out for a July 4 boat trip to remote Horn Island off the Mississippi Gulf Coast with three friends.
According to the group, Nolan decided to stay behind to talk to a girl and catch another ride back. His mother, Christine Wonsley, reported him missing that same night when he never came home.
A massive multi-agency search involving the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office, U.S. Park Service rangers, and the United Cajun Navy was launched.
On Monday, July 6, a park ranger found a body at the northwestern tip of the island. It was Nolan. Dental records and DNA confirmed it.
The Mississippi State Medical Examiner performed an autopsy. Full results (including cause and manner of death) are still pending as well as the Toxicology.
But the family refuses to accept a “accidental drowning” ruling.
Crump also spoke about a viral video circulating online that appears to show an altercation or heated argument involving Nolan on or near the boat.
One account says Nolan was heading back to the boat after talking to a girl. The guys on the boat say he told them he was staying.
But it’s unknown which story is true.
Crump also noted Nolan was a strong swimmer — raising even more red flags about how a healthy, athletic 18-year-old ended up deceased in the water.
Family Fights Back
The Wells family has hired Ben Crump’s powerhouse legal team to conduct their own investigation. They’ve already sent Nolan’s body to Washington, D.C. for an independent autopsy.
Results are expected any day.
And this Friday, the family is holding a press conference in New York with Ben Crump and Rev. Al Sharpton to demand full transparency and the immediate release of all records, witness statements, and findings.
“Nolan Wells was a beloved son, teammate and friend who went out to celebrate the Fourth of July and never came home,” Crump said in a statement. “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.”
Jackson County Sheriff John Ledbetter says detectives have found no evidence of foul play and the investigation remains active. They’re asking the public for original videos, photos, and firsthand accounts only.
But the family isn’t satisfied. They want every stone turned over.
