The father of Nolan Wells' best friend has accused civil rights attorney Ben Crump of exploiting the teenager's death for financial and political gain, calling the situation a "political circus."
Ben Hudson, 56, whose son Warren Hudson was with 18-year-old Nolan Wells when he went missing during a July 4th boat trip to Horn Island off the Mississippi Gulf Coast, stated that truth is not Crump's primary concern. Wells' body was found two days after he disappeared.
"He's exploiting the situation and raising money," Hudson said in an exclusive interview. "I think this is financially exploiting this entire tragedy and making it a much bigger tragedy at the expense of my family and our community and the Wells family."
Hudson announced his family intends to sue Crump for defamation and slander over remarks he has made concerning Wells' death, alleging Crump has falsely accused his son and friends of murder.
"I think he can expect lawsuits not just from my family but from a number of other families who, in my opinion, he's defamed," Hudson added.
Hudson also criticized the involvement of the Rev. Al Sharpton and his National Action Network, who are supporting the Wells family's private investigation into the death. Hudson believes their actions are tied to the upcoming midterm elections.
"My family, the Wells-Wonsley family, and the families of all these other kids are being used by people like Al Sharpton and Ben Crump and news outlets as political pawns to win some kind of political favor for the midterms," Hudson stated.
Hudson claimed his family has received thousands of "credible" death threats and hate messages, including one depicting his wife's mother, Jackson County chancery court judge Ashlee Cole, with a message wishing them all dead.
He further stated that on the day of Wells' funeral, July 20, his family received a letter from a law firm representing the Wells parents, warning that litigation was "reasonably anticipated" and cautioning against the "destruction or failure to preserve evidence."
At Wells' funeral, officiated by Sharpton, a reward was announced for information leading to an arrest and conviction in the case, which has since grown to $125,000 with contributions from Terrell Owens and Tyler Perry. Ben Hudson has also offered a separate $50,000 reward.
Crump led mourners in chants of "Justice for Nolan Wells" and "Nolan's life matters." Hudson expressed disappointment, stating, "I was very disappointed that they turned the funeral into a political rally."
He questioned how his son and his friends could attend the funeral when a reward was offered based on allegations of murder. "My son is 19, he's trying to grieve the death of his friend. Meanwhile, he's getting death threats and he's called a racist and a murderer, and the truth couldn't be further from that," Hudson said.
Responding to Hudson's comments at a press conference in Nashville, Crump dismissed the defamation lawsuit intention as a "distraction." He reiterated that his focus remains on uncovering the truth and that his team has only been asking questions to that end.
Rev. Sharpton denied turning the funeral into a political rally or that his organization's involvement was linked to the midterm elections. He characterized the reward as an "overreach" and stated he was unaware of Warren Hudson's name until contacted by the press. Sharpton also cautioned against prejudging the case as racist but advised against assuming it wasn't until investigations conclude.