The family of Nolan Wells, an 18-year-old found dead on Horn Island following July 4th celebrations, has retained civil rights attorney Ben Crump. Wells was reported missing on Sunday morning after failing to return from the island where he had gone with friends. His body was discovered on Monday morning on the island's northwestern tip.

At a press conference, Wells' mother, Christine Wonsley, shared her son's last words to her: "Hey, mom, I'm about to go, love you." She recalled him hugging and kissing her before spending the night at a friend's house prior to the July 4th outing.

Mississippi authorities have indicated they do not suspect foul play and believe Wells drowned. However, the family is seeking a more thorough investigation, expressing distrust in local authorities to conduct a fair inquiry due to the racial dynamics of the case. Crump stated the family has "distrust of law enforcement officials giving them a fair investigation where their black son ended up dead after going out on a boat with three white young men."

Wonsley has raised further concerns after receiving her son's phone. She noted the absence of photos or videos from the day of his disappearance, which she found unusual for her son, who she described as someone who frequently documented social gatherings. "When we opened it up, there was nothing. There were no saved pictures. There were no snaps from that day, and we did open it before the 24-hour expiration," she said, suggesting potential deletion of data.

Crump also highlighted a discrepancy in accounts regarding Wells' last known moments. While a female acquaintance stated Wells was returning to the boat, the friends he was with claimed he decided to stay on the island due to a mechanical issue with the boat. Police are reportedly investigating a video that appears to capture a heated argument on the beach, where Wells can allegedly be heard demanding his phone back.

Wells was last seen around 3 p.m. on Saturday. His body is being transported to Washington D.C. for an independent autopsy, and the family plans to enlist experts to attempt data recovery from his phone before it is submitted to authorities.

A GoFundMe campaign has been established to assist the family with funeral expenses and other support.