New Developments in the Nolan Wells Case As Ben Crump Drops Concerns

It has been four days since Nolan Wells‘ body was found on Horn Island after he vanished during an Independence Day celebration with friends. While the internet boldly speculates over alleged beach footage from that day, authorities maintain there is currently no evidence of foul play. But new developments could turn the entire case on its head.

The Root already told you Wells’ family hired high-profile civil rights attorney Ben Crump to spearhead the family’s demand for answers about what happened to their beloved son, teammate and friend.

Now, Crump is raising concerns, calling out what he said are blatant “contradictions” in the stories being told that he plans to get to the bottom of.

Crump: Contradicting Witness Statements

During an appearance on “ABC News Live Prime” Wednesday night, Crump explained to host Linsey Davis exactly why he has concerns about the investigation so far.

“Well the fact that they continue to tell the family that we don’t see any evidence of any foul play, even though you have students who recorded an altercation while they were on the boat—an argument where you had Nolan and somebody yelling at one another on the boat. So that’s an issue,” Crump said.

Related: Exclusive: Dr. Bernice King Calls for National Reflection Following Tragic Passing of Nolan Wells

He added: “And then you have the young lady make a statement and she said, ‘Well, Nolan and I finished talking and Nolan said he was going back to the boat,’ and then the boys on the boat said, ‘No, Nolan told them he was going to stay with her,’ and so they are conflicting. […] So which is it? And all we know is Nolan is dead.”

Crump: Deleted Texts from Wells’ Phone

According to Crump, the three young white men who left Horn Island without Wells had his cellphone in their possession. When the device was finally returned to his mother, several text messages were allegedly wiped.

“That’s not adding up to them [Nolan’s family],” Crump said. “The fact that when the family gets the cell phone back… they’re saying they are trying to understand why they’re deleted messages.”

Crump wondered, “Why did the friends take Nolan’s phone if he was supposedly staying behind voluntarily? Who deleted the messages— and when? What was in those texts that someone didn’t want the family to see?”

Nolan Wells’ Parents Break Their Silence

During an interview on “Good Morning America” Friday, Wells’ mom, Christine Wonsley, said she wants “honesty and transparency and a thorough investigation” after she tracked Wells’ phone on the Life360 app after his disappearance, but became suspicious when she recovered it.

“When we finally got his phone, me and my sister went through the phone. We went in his Snapchat. He had two accounts. Absolutely nothing,” Christine said. “It wasn’t even 24 hours, which is how long videos and pictures stay on Snapchat, and I was just like, ‘That can’t be.’”

Christine added: “I’ve seen Nolan whenever he Snaps – like when he goes and he’s having fun, like he does videos…there was absolutely nothing…even my sister was like, ‘That’s suspicious.’”

Crump: Calling Out the State of Mississippi

Crump said Wells’ family is worried about Mississippi investigating the death of a young Black man where young white people may be involved, WLOX 13 reported.

“We’re going to investigate every aspect of why Nolan Wells is not with us today,” Crump told TMZ. “We know that he was with his friends… he was the only Black teenager who was there and all of them came back safely on the boat with his cellphone, but Nolan was found washed up on the shore Monday morning.”

Crump continued: “His family is not accepting it was an accidental downing. […] Because Nolan was a college football player, a superior athlete, he was in great fitness and condition, so for them to try to say, ‘Well we got his phone but we don’t know where he’s at,’ then he turns up dead. They’re not accepting that. This is just too much to try to sweep under the rug—we want to have a thorough investigation as if it was three Black boys and a white boy who was with them ended up dead.”

GoFundMe Scams

Fake GoFundMe accounts are surfacing online following the 18-year-old’s death —so much so, his mother Christine had to warn the public against scammers.

The official GoFundMe created by Allayah Denis, a friend of Wells’ family, has raised over $374,000 of its $400,000 goal in less than a week. The campaign was created to raise funds for Wells’ funeral and memorial expenses.

However, scammers are trying to capitalize off the Wells’ family tragedy. “I am being made aware of fake GoFund Me accounts. Please make sure you are donating to the [one] created by Allayah Denis,” she wrote on Facebook.

Ben Crump, Reverend Al Sharpton and others are planning to hold a news conference in Harlem at 12 p.m. Friday to call for a “full, transparent, and urgent investigation” into Wells’ death.

Crump also said Wells’ body was flown to Washington, D.C., for an independent autopsy, with results available Friday. Toxicology testing and other findings could take several weeks.