Trump Signals Potential FBI Review of Nolan Wells' Death

President Trump indicated Wednesday that the FBI might investigate the death of Nolan Wells, an 18-year-old Mississippi football player found dead after disappearing during a Fourth of July boat trip. When asked by reporters at a White House press conference if federal authorities would conduct their own investigation, Trump responded, “we’re looking at that.”

The call for a federal investigation was previously made by Wells’ father, Elmore Wonsley, on Monday. Wonsley stated, “Our son was found on federal land and we are asking the FBI to step in and do a full investigation.”

Wells, who is Black, was discovered dead on July 6, two days after he went missing from Horn Island off the coast of Mississippi. He had been on a boat trip with friends. Authorities from the Jackson County Sheriff’s Department stated Wells was last seen heading to the other side of the island with a girl, but they denied any foul play was involved.

The circumstances surrounding Wells' disappearance led his family and supporters to question the investigation and suggest a potential racial motive. However, a grand jury concluded last month that Wells' death was consistent with drowning and found no evidence it was criminal or racially motivated.

Wells' family attorney, Ben Crump, criticized the grand jury's decision, saying it left them with "more questions than answers" and that the state was attempting to "close the chapter on Nolan Wells’ death without getting to the truth."