Christine Wells Wonsley, a family nurse practitioner and the mother of 18-year-old Nolan Wells, is facing a professional misconduct investigation by the Mississippi Board of Nursing. The investigation was initiated after an anonymous complaint was filed, according to the family's attorney, Ben Crump. Crump characterized the complaint as an attempt to intimidate Wells Wonsley as she seeks answers about her son's death.
Nolan Wells was found dead on July 6, two days after he traveled by boat to Horn Island with friends for a Fourth of July celebration. Authorities initially believe the teen died by drowning, with no immediate evidence of foul play. An official autopsy report has not yet been released and will be presented to a grand jury. An independent autopsy commissioned by the family listed the manner and cause of death as undetermined, though it noted a "red discoloration" on the back of Wells' skull that warrants further investigation.
Wells Wonsley and her husband, Elmore Wonsley, have publicly questioned the accounts of their son's friends and have been actively seeking information about the circumstances surrounding his death. Crump stated that Wells Wonsley had no prior complaints during her nursing career and that her professional practice had not changed, only her pursuit of answers. "Attacking a grieving mother's career does not answer the question of what happened to Nolan," Crump said in a statement.
Hours after the misconduct investigation became public, Wells Wonsley posted on Facebook that the case had been closed by the Mississippi Board of Nursing. She expressed gratitude for prayers and noted the added distress the probe caused during her grieving period. She also stated that she had temporarily stepped away from her job at Memorial Health System due to the circumstances and the public scrutiny.
In their search for information, Wells Wonsley's legal team has issued subpoenas to several social media and tech companies, including Meta (Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp), Snapchat, TikTok, and Life360. The subpoenas seek messages, photos, videos, and GPS location data from Nolan Wells' accounts that might provide clues about his final moments. This action followed the discovery by the family that some text and Snapchat messages had been deleted from Wells' phone after it was recovered.
Several individuals have been arrested as part of a federal investigation into allegations of witness intimidation in the aftermath of Wells' death. Edward James Porter of Berwyn, Illinois, is among those charged with allegedly threatening witnesses and their families through phone calls and text messages.