The family of Nolan Xavier Wells, an 18-year-old from Ocean Springs, Mississippi, who was reportedly found dead in the water on the northwest end of Horn Island on Monday morning, July 6, has hired renowned attorney Ben Crump. 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.
Wells’ cause of death has not been released. The circumstances of his disappearance and death also remain unclear.
“Nolan Wells was a beloved son, teammate and friend who went out to celebrate the Fourth of July and never came home. His family deserves answers. They deserve the truth. 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 said in a statement, according to the Clarion Ledger.
Jackson County Coroner Bruce Lynd told the Sun Herald that the body that was found matched Wells' description. However, as of Monday afternoon, the Mississippi State Medical Examiner's Office had not identified the body through DNA testing.
A GoFundMe launched for the family says that after an extensive search, which involved “countless volunteers from the United Cajun Navy, first responders, local law enforcement, the United States Coast Guard, and organizations from across the region , our worst fears became reality.”
{{/usCountry}}A GoFundMe launched for the family says that after an extensive search, which involved “countless volunteers from the United Cajun Navy, first responders, local law enforcement, the United States Coast Guard, and organizations from across the region , our worst fears became reality.”
{{/usCountry}}Crump's team said that an autopsy was scheduled for Tuesday, July 7.
An active investigation
Jackson County Sheriff John Ledbetter has said that an investigation remains active. TMZ reported that the sheriff's office was investigating a video shared on social media that appeared to show people arguing on Horn Island on the holiday. The video shows a crowded beach, and it is unclear if it is related to the case.
Crump and his legal team are planning to conduct an independent review, and have committed to urging "the timely release of all records, witness accounts, and autopsy findings."
Who is Ben Crump?
Crump is a prominent American civil rights attorney and the founder of the national law firm Ben Crump Law PLLC. He has represented families of victims in some of the most high-profile cases, including those of George Floyd, Trayvon Martin, and Breonna Taylor
Crump is listed among the Most Influential People of 2021 by TIME100, Ebony Magazine’s Power 100 Most Influential African Americans, The National Trial Lawyers Top 100 Lawyers, and the 2014 NNPA Newsmaker of the Year. He is referred to as “Black America’s Attorney General,” according to his website.
“Crump is the President of the National Civil Rights Trial Lawyers Association and previously served as President of the National Bar Association. He was the first African-American to chair the Florida State University College of Law Board of Directors and is the founder and director of the Benjamin Crump Social Justice Institute. In 2023, the College of Law at St. Thomas University in Miami, Florida, became the Benjamin L. Crump College of Law. As one of the most diverse law schools and the first in the country named after a practicing Black attorney, this partnership will open doors for minority students pursuing law degree,” his website says.
“Among dozens of accomplishments, Attorney Crump has been recognized with the NAACP Thurgood Marshall Award, the SCLC Martin Luther King Servant Leader Award, the American Association for Justice Johnnie Cochran Award, and the Alpha Kappa Alpha Eleanor Roosevelt Medallion for Service,” it adds.
Crump has even hosted legal docudramas ‘Evidence of Innocence’ on TVOne and ‘Who Killed Tupac: The Search For Justice’ on A&E. He served as executive producer and writer for the documentary ‘Woman in Motion,’ which tells the story of Nichelle Nichols, one of the first African-American TV actresses.
“Crump’s book, published in October 2019, Open Season: Legalized Genocide of Colored People, reflects on the landmark cases he has battled, and how discrimination in the courthouse devastates real families and communities,” per his website.
Crump graduated from Florida State University and received his law degree from FSU College of Law.