Details about the funeral arrangements for Nolan Wells, the teen who was found dead on July 6 after visiting Horn Island, Mississippi, have been released. On Wednesday, following a meeting with Jackson County District Attorney Angel Myers Mcllrath, Nolan Wells’ parents and their attorney Ben Crump announced that the funeral will be open to family, friends, and the media.
Reverend Al Sharpton will deliver the eulogy at Wells’ funeral on July 20 at Center Pointe Church in Ocean Springs, Mississippi. Visitation will be from 9-11 a.m., with the funeral service starting immediately afterward. For the repass, Wells’ family plans to have a party at the Jackson County Fairgrounds.
“We want to celebrate Nolan,” said Wells’ mother, Christine Wonsley. “He would not want us to be sitting around crying and eating.” Wells’ family said they would like to keep the repast open to just family and friends, but members of the media would be allowed entry. “If you are having protests, even the day of his service, I am asking you guys to just keep it peaceful. Nolan would never want any type of violence, he was not that kind of person.”
On July 4, following a boat trip with friends to Horn Island, 18-year-old Wells went missing. Two days later, on July 6, his body was discovered by a U.S. Park Service Ranger.
On July 15, Wells’ parents, Christine and Elmore Wonsley, met with the Jackson County district attorney for the first time. Crump said the family had been walked through the legal process, but did not receive any further information regarding the investigation of Wells’ death. Crump is conducting an independent autopsy and investigation on behalf of the family. The autopsy reports from both the state and the family’s investigation have not been released.
During Wednesday’s (July 15) press conference, Crump addressed the misinformation spreading on social media. Following the announcement of Wells’ death on July 6, video of an altercation circulated that was believed by some to be Wells’ fighting with his friends and demanding his phone. In an exclusive with Rolling Stone, Tracestin Shepherd, a friend of Wells — who was also on the island on July 4 — reported that it was an altercation between Shepherd and another man. There were also pictures circulated of Wells at a pool party, which was rumored to be the last place he was seen on July 4, but in fact had been taken the weekend before his disappearance, as Rolling Stone reported. Crump reposted the pool picture and addressed the speculation on Instagram.
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“We are reposting everything because we are trying to get people to comment and call,” said Crump. “We said, from the beginning, that we are on a ferocious search for the truth. Just because we repost doesn’t mean we authenticate anything.”
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Actor and film producer Tyler Perry is covering the funeral expenses for the family, and Colin Kaepernick helped fund the private autopsy and investigation in D.C. The family also has a current GoFundMe, called In Loving Memory of Nolan Xavier Wells, to help with additional costs that go into honoring Wells’ memory.
“Every morning they wake up, they have a hole in their heart,” said Crump on Wednesday. “They are trying to say what happened to my son? We are trying to get to those answers.”
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