The family of Nolan Xavier Wells, an 18-year-old football player who disappeared after a Fourth of July boating trip, has retained civil rights attorney Ben Crump. Wells' body was recovered Monday off the northwestern tip of Horn Island, a barrier island approximately 10 miles off the Mississippi coast.
The Jackson County Coroner's Office confirmed Wells' identity on Tuesday afternoon using dental records. The cause of death is currently undetermined and awaits autopsy results, though authorities suspect drowning as the investigation proceeds.
"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 stated. The family is demanding answers regarding the circumstances of the teenager's death.
Jackson County Sheriff John Ledbetter told ABC News that foul play is not suspected. However, law enforcement is reportedly examining a viral online video that appears to show an argument among individuals on the island. The sheriff's office is seeking to speak with anyone who may have witnessed or heard any arguments, disturbances, or unusual activity on Horn Island on July 4.
According to Ledbetter, Wells' friends departed the island without him after their Fourth of July activities. Wells, a wide receiver at Southwest Mississippi Community College, was last seen around 3 p.m. on the island. His mother reported him missing around midnight that same night.
Photos shared by his family show Wells, described as 6-foot-1 and 180 pounds, wearing blue swim trunks and sunglasses alongside friends on a boat before his disappearance. His mother, Christine Wonsley, expressed her grief on Facebook, stating, "Missing our Nolan so much every second of everyday. This has been the worst time in our lives."