Nolan Wells’ family continues to push for answers into the 18-year-old’s death on a Mississippi Gulf Coast island, and the NAACP has declared it is joining the effort.
The NAACP’s Office of General Counsel announced on Monday it will join the legal team representing Nolan Wells’ family, which includes civil rights attorney Ben Crump, as they search for answers regarding the circumstances of Wells’ death.
“We’re taking up this fight to search for truth and transparency surrounding the death of Nolan Wells,” General Counsel of the NAACP Kristen Clarke said.
A park ranger found 18-year-old Wells’ body on Horn Island two days after his mother Christine Wonsley and a friend reported him missing to authorities on the evening of July 4. Authorities have not concluded whether any foul play led to Wells’ death.
The NAACP’s Office of General Counsel said it will work alongside Crump’s legal team to “press for comprehensive fact-finding,” advocate for transparency from authorities and support Wells’ family’s efforts to receive information.
“Drawing on the Association’s long history of pushing for full and fair investigations when Black lives are lost under suspicious circumstances, we will help bring additional investigative resources to bear and work to ensure that no stone is left unturned in seeking answers and accountability for Nolan’s family,” Clarke said in a statement.
Wells’ official autopsy results have not been released. An independent autopsy the family ordered previously found Wells’ cause and manner of death undetermined.
Crump announced the results of the independent autopsy to the public during the 117th NAACP National Convention in Chicago last month. The NAACP said these findings emphasize the need for a complete and thorough investigation.
“The world is watching, and Nolan Wells’ family deserves a thorough accounting of what happened,” NAACP President and CEO Derrick Johnson said in a statement announcing the legal collaboration on Monday. “Too often, the deaths of young Black people are dismissed, downplayed, or inadequately investigated unless we demand answers.”
During an appearance at the 2026 National Association of Black Journalists Convention in Atlanta, Georgia, on Thursday, Crump, civil rights activist Al Sharpton and others urged FBI Director Kash Patel to launch a full federal investigation into Wells’ death.
On Aug. 12, members of the Congressional Black Caucus also issued a letter to Patel and U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche, urging the U.S. Department of Justice to launch an “independent federal review” of the circumstances surrounding Wells’ death to determine if there is a basis for federal investigation.
Johnson said the NAACP’s involvement in this case is part of its ongoing commitment to pursue answers “with urgency and respect for Black lives.”
The NAACP Office of General Counsel said it “remains committed to pursuing every available avenue” to uncover the truth as it continues to search for answers regarding the circumstances of Wells’ death.
While continuing its long-standing fight to ensure that “no Black life is overlooked, dismissed or denied justice,” the association said in a statement on Monday, it will stand with Wells’ family in demanding a transparent and thorough investigation.
Follow the Mississippi Free Press’ coverage of the Nolan Wells case and read past stories here.
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