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‘Let’s not call him a man…’: Nolan Wells' mom speaks out amid plans to release cellphone report
Nolan Wells’ mother, Christine Wonsley, pushed back on the way her son has been described since his death.
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Nolan Wells’ mother, Christine Wonsley, pushed back on the way her son has been described since his death. She asked the world to remember that Wells was just an 18-year-old teenager when he died, not a “man.”
During an interview with NBC News’ Yasmine Vossoughian Tuesday, September 22, Wonsley corrected the description of Nolan as a “man” and explained why the distinction matters.
“Let’s not call him a man because 18, you’re still a teenager,” she said. “I know by law you’re an adult. Nolan was a boy. He was a child. He was our child.”
“So, for everyone watching, please stop referring to him as a man because he was a teenager. He was 18 when he left this earth,” she added.
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This interview came after a grand jury unanimously declined to indict anyone in the death of Wells. The Ocean Springs, Mississippi teen was found dead in the water on the northwest end of Horn Island on July 6.
Wells went missing on July 4 after taking a boat to the island with friends. The search for the teen was called off after a body was found by a park ranger on Monday, July 6.
Ben Crump plans release of cellphone report
Civil rights attorney Ben Crump has scheduled the release of a forensic examination of Nolan Wells’ cellphone. Attorneys have called for transparency, asking that the grand jury investigative materials and the official autopsy report be publicly released.
Crump released the final independent autopsy report Tuesday on behalf of Wells’ family. He also scheduled a livestreamed release of the cellphone report Thursday, September 24.
The grand jury report released late on Monday, September 20, by Jackson County District Attorney Angel Myers McIlrath’s office, said, "The grand jury finds no credible evidence to support the public allegations that any persons who rode to or from Horn Island on July 4, 2026 on the Triton, the Palm Beach, or the Tideline engaged in any criminal conduct related to the death of Mr. Wells.”
Attorney Ben Crump had sought a comprehensive investigation and transparency from authorities on Wells’ death. The grand jury found that "the position of, the condition of, time of discovery, and location of Mr. Wells' body is consistent with drowning," its report said.
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"Both the State of Mississippi Chief Medical Examiner and Dr. (name redacted) opined that the cause and manner of Mr. Wells' death is undetermined and that drowning is a diagnosis of exclusion," the report added.
According to the report, the grand jury understood that neither forensic expert had ruled out accidental drowning as a cause of death.
"Jackson County, after a thorough and exhaustive investigation, your grand jury met last week concerning the death investigation of Nolan Wells and unanimously returned a no true bill," McIlrath said in a social media video.
McIlrath said there was no evidence to support the claims that race was a factor in Wells’ death.
