Nolan Wells’ parents opened up about their son’s death on “Good Morning America” with attorney Ben Crump.
Ben Crump stands with the Wonsley family and details the disturbing contradictions surrounding his son’s death during Mississippi’s Fourth of July weekend.
The attorneys and parents of 18-year-old Nolan Wells appeared on “Good Morning America” to reveal inconsistencies in the accounts given by friends who were present at the time of his death.
The family’s core focus is on the principles that Nolan’s father instilled in him from an early age.
“If you go with five people, you’ll come back with five people. Don’t fall off the team,” Elmore Wansley emphasized, explaining that his son understood and respected this rule.
Yet somehow, while his friends left, Nolan stayed, a decision his parents say was completely out of character and remains unexplainable.
When the team came back without Nolan, they gave an explanation. They claimed he chose to be with a young woman.
But when the Wansleys checked their son’s phone, they discovered something worrying. His Snapchat shows nothing, absolutely nothing.
“It wasn’t even 24 hours, which is how long videos and pictures stay on Snapchat. I was like, this can’t be possible,” his mother, Christine, said, describing the eerie emptiness of his digital footprint.
The contradictions in the friends’ comments became impossible to ignore.
“They said Nolan was talking to a young woman and she said Nolan said, ‘I’m going to go back and get on the boat with the kids.'” The boys said he said he wanted to be with her. So it’s an obvious contradiction,” Crump explained.
He also cited an audio clip in which Nolan’s voice can be heard demanding, “Give me my damn phone. What the hell are you doing?” before his phone disappears completely.
Crump raises some key questions about the timeline that simply don’t make sense.
“Why wasn’t his body washed away by the tide on Sunday? Why didn’t it come on Monday? It doesn’t make sense,” he said, underscoring the family’s longstanding distrust of Mississippi law enforcement.
Nolan’s family commissioned an independent autopsy, and Colin Kaepernick paid for it to be flown to Washington, D.C., to ensure the examination was performed by someone with no ties to the area.
Christine paints a picture of her son in the aftermath of the tragedy.
“Nolan was like a bright light, right? Walking into a room, his smile and his energy was so contagious. Like, he drew you to him. He was just one of those guys, like he always wanted everyone to be included. He didn’t want anyone to feel left out,” she said.
One teacher even sent her an email about how Nolan ensures students with special needs feel respected in math class.
His father’s memories of him were different, but equally strong.
“I know a lot of his teammates, and they look at him as a leader. He’s more of a silent leader. Not a lot of words, more actions,” Elmore reflected. He noted how Nolan’s younger brother, inspired by Nolan’s example, now strives to follow in his footsteps.
The Wansleys’ message to authorities and the public was clear and unwavering.
“We just want honesty and transparency. We want a thorough investigation. We want to give the same respect to anyone else,” they said, according to “Good Morning America.”
The results of an independent autopsy are expected to provide important clarity on the circumstances of Nolan’s death.
