On Wednesday, Donald Trump said he plans to ask the FBI to investigate the death of Nolan Wells, a black freshman who was last seen alive on a July 4 boat trip with friends.
Wells, 18, disappeared while on Horn Island, a barrier island off the coast of Mississippi. His body was found on the island two days later. The cause and manner of Wells’ death are still undetermined.
His disappearance and subsequent death became a flashpoint for racial animosity in the country, attracting national attention. During Jackson County’s investigation into the case, social media was filled with misinformation about Wells, his family and friends.
Wells’ mother, Christine Wells-Wonsley, began searching for him, which led to a photo of Wells with three white friends on a boat going viral.
In the months between the discovery of Wells’ body and the Jackson County grand jury’s refusal to indict anyone in his case, many suggested that the treatment Wells’ family received from local authorities would have been different if they had been white.
Wells’ family and Ben Crump, the civil rights attorney representing the family, called for a federal investigation into Wells’ disappearance and death after the Jackson County grand jury decided to decline to indict anyone in the case.
The Jackson County grand jury determined that Wells drowned. However, an independent autopsy conducted by Howard University Hospital President Roger A Mitchell Jr, a medical examiner, determined that there was no evidence of drowning due to the absence of water in Wells’ stomach, lungs and throat. That autopsy also revealed bruising on Well’s head, back, left shoulder and buttocks.
“We do not believe Nolan drowned, and the blunt force trauma to the head cannot be ignored or explained away,” Crump said in a statement. “Nolan’s family deserves the truth, and we will continue to fight until all questions are answered and justice is served.”
On Tuesday, Crump and Wells’ parents joined Cynthia Choi, executive director of Stop AAPI Hate, in calling for a federal investigation into Wells’ death and disappearance. California Congresswoman Maxine Waters, Florida Congresswoman Frederica Wilson and others also sent a letter to Jessica Bowron, acting director of the U.S. National Park Service (NPS), emphasizing that most of Horn Island is federally designated land and calling on the NPS Investigative Services branch to open a “prompt and comprehensive investigation” into Wells’ disappearance and death.
“Today I ask those whose job it is to serve and protect to keep their word to our family,” Elmore Wonsley, Wells’ father, said at the news conference. “Our son was found on federal land and we are asking the FBI to step in and conduct a thorough investigation. We are not asking for special treatment. We are asking what any father would do for their child, and that is finding out the truth about what happened to their child.”
As he left the White House, Trump was asked by reporters whether he planned to push the FBI to launch an independent investigation into Wells’ death.
“Well, we’re looking into that,” he said. “Yes, we are.”
“Sunday will mark 100 days since we investigated the death of Nolan Wells, so when President Trump responds to reporters by saying ‘we are looking into it,’ we believe that carries more weight than the response given by the FBI,” Crump said in a statement. “Our team stands ready to work with the federal government to ensure Nolan’s death is thoroughly investigated.”
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