Civil Rights Attorney Says Witness Accounts About What Happened Before 18-Year-Old Disappeared From Horn Island Do Not Align as Family Presses for Answers
Civil rights attorney Ben Crump is pointing to what he says are conflicting accounts surrounding the final known movements of 18-year-old Nolan Xavier Wells, raising new questions as the teen’s family demands a full accounting of what happened on Horn Island over the July 4 weekend.
In a clip shared by ABC News, Crump focused on differing versions of what happened after Wells was reportedly last seen speaking with a young woman on the Mississippi barrier island.
According to Crump, the woman said Wells told her he planned to return to the boat after their conversation. But the account attributed to friends who had traveled with Wells was different: They said the teen intended to remain behind with her.
Crump Questions Conflicting Accounts in Nolan Wells Case
For Crump, that discrepancy is central to the family’s concerns.
“They are conflicting,” Crump said while discussing the accounts.
He then laid out the contradiction directly.
“She saying he went and got on the boat. They saying he didn’t get on the boat. So which is it?” Crump asked.
The attorney followed with the one fact that is no longer in dispute.
“All we know is Nolan is dead.”
The conflicting accounts have added to questions surrounding Wells’ final hours as investigators work to determine what happened after the teen became separated from the group he traveled with to Horn Island.
Wells disappeared during a July 4 boat trip with friends. His body was later found near Horn Island, roughly 10 miles south of the Mississippi Gulf Coast. The case remains under investigation.
Jackson County Sheriff John Ledbetter previously said information gathered by investigators suggested Wells may have chosen to remain on the island with the expectation that he would return to the mainland with another group. Authorities have also said Wells’ friends were cooperating with investigators.
But Crump’s latest remarks underscore why the Wells family is seeking further scrutiny of the timeline and witness accounts surrounding the teen’s disappearance.
Family Pushes for Transparency After Wells’ Death
Wells’ family retained Crump after his body was found, calling for a thorough and transparent investigation into how the 18-year-old went from celebrating the Fourth of July with friends to being found dead days later.
“Nolan Wells was a beloved son, teammate and friend who went out to celebrate the Fourth of July and never came home,” Crump said in an earlier statement announcing his involvement. “His family deserves answers. They deserve the truth.”
Also Read: What Happened to Nolan Wells? Viral Video Becomes Part of Investigation Into Teen’s Death
Crump has said the family will continue pressing for facts about Wells’ final hours and greater clarity from the investigation.
“We will not rest until every fact about what happened to Nolan on Horn Island is brought into the light, and we call on investigators to pursue this case with the urgency and transparency this family deserves,” he said.
Wells was a student and wide receiver at Southwest Mississippi Community College. He would have turned 19 in August.
For his family, Crump’s involvement is aimed at resolving the unanswered questions surrounding the case — particularly where witness accounts diverge over what Wells intended to do before he disappeared.
As Crump made clear, the family is not satisfied with a timeline that still leaves fundamental questions unresolved.
