The Rev. Al Sharpton announced a $100,000 reward for new information regarding the circumstances of Nolan Xavier Wells' death at a funeral service for the 18-year-old in Mississippi. Actor and producer Tyler Perry will contribute half of the reward and also covered the costs of Wells' funeral.
Wells, who was Black, disappeared on July 4th after a boat trip with a group of friends to Horn Island, off the Mississippi Gulf Coast. His body was discovered two days later near the island. His family and supporters gathered at a church Monday to mourn and remember him, with Sharpton urging attendees to seek truth and justice.
"Somebody knows something," Sharpton stated during his eulogy, drawing applause from a crowd that included director Spike Lee and former NFL player Terrell Owens. "Let every stone be rolled back and every veil be torn asunder and let truth pop out of the ground like a flower."
Family members described Wells as a gentle person, a role model to his younger siblings, and a gifted athlete with NFL aspirations. His mother, Christine Wonsley, remembered him as someone who had a way of making people feel "seen, welcomed and valued."
While initial interviews suggested Wells may have chosen to stay on the island and his friends believed he would find another way back to the mainland, the unexplained circumstances have generated significant online speculation and concerns within the Black community. Sharpton questioned why Wells' phone and keys were found with his friends, why police were not immediately notified upon realizing he was missing, and why officials were quick to dismiss the possibility of foul play.
Invoking the history of racial injustice in Mississippi, Sharpton addressed law enforcement, stating, "Before we can medicate and heal today, we’ve got to look at your history." The family's attorney, Ben Crump, led a chant of "Nolan's life mattered" during the service.
Following the funeral, Crump confirmed that the family is awaiting the results of an independent autopsy, in addition to the official one, which has not yet been released. Crump is reportedly working with the local prosecutor to examine Wells' phone, and the results are expected to be presented to a grand jury once the investigation is complete.
"They went out on the boat, the boat came back, and Nolan washed up on the shore two days later dead," Crump said at the funeral. "Wouldn’t you want answers?"
Wells, who would have turned 19 next month, was a wide receiver on the football team at Southwest Mississippi Community College and had ambitions of playing at a high-level Division I program. His father, Elmore Wonsley, recalled their time studying game tape and practicing drills together, tearfully remembering his son as "Mr. Cool Hands."