Mississippi Island Death

The family of a Mississippi 18-year-old who was found dead after a July 4 boat trip with friends to an island off the Gulf Coast called for a deeper investigation and for greater transparency at a news conference Friday with the Rev. Al Sharpton and noted civil rights attorney Ben Crump. The body of Nolan Xavier Wells was found Monday off Horn Island, Mississippi. That’s where he was last seen with friends on Saturday. Crump says the family is seeking answers about the death. Sheriff John Ledbetter says investigators have been told Wells chose to stay on the island when his friends left and was apparently going to return with someone else.

Nolan Xavier Wells, an 18-year-old who was found dead after a July 4 boat trip with his friends to a Gulf Coast island, was remembered in Mississippi. The service began Monday with a prayer from the Rev. Al Sharpton, followed by speeches from Wells’ parents, who described their son as a warm, gentle presence and role model to his younger siblings. Wells’ death has sparked national attention and calls for a deeper investigation. Wells, who was Black, traveled by boat to the island with his friends, who are white. He didn't return with them to the mainland. His body was found two days later. The investigation remains ongoing.