Forget any controversy - the death of 18-year-old Nolan Wells is a heartbreaking tragedy. But the truth about what happened is important.
From the beginning of the sad news that a teenager ready to enter Southwest Mississippi Community College died on Horn Island in the Mississippi Sound I did not understand why high-profile civil rights attorney Benjamin Crump was involved. The story of the death of the 18-year-old exploded into a national news story with Crump and the parents of Nolan Wells appearing on the national network morning news shows.
My initial suspicion about Crump’s involvement was not a discounting of racism - I really didn’t understand how racism might have played a part in the death of the teen. The fact that the teen who was found dead was Black and the friends he was with were White should in no way automatically bring up the idea of racism. For young generations - the friendships between races are seamless compared to the unfortunate judgment that still lives among the Boomer generation. But is there a link between the teen’s death and racism?
Nolan Wells was apparently on a last big escape before reporting to football camp at the community college he was planning to attend. Nolan was with friends and together they traveled to Horn Island in the Mississippi sound.
What you need to know about Horn Island:
Horn Island is a barrier island off the Mississippi Gulf Coast and depending on your departure point, the speed of your boat, and the water conditions - the island is a 20 minute to a 1 hour boat ride from the coast. Horn Island is uninhabited and lacks the large concession area offered on nearby Ship Island. There is also no phone service on Horn Island. The island is a desirable destination by boat because the water on the southern shore of Horn Island is clear compared to the water of the Mississippi Sound.
Nolan Wells and his friends ventured to Horn Island for recreation. At some point - Wells separated from his friends with the understanding that he would get a ride back to the Mississippi coast with someone else.
Away from the group of friends - Wells disappeared on July 4 and his body was discovered in the water on the northwest end of the island. Apparently, his friends had possession of his phone - which is quite curious.
Mississippi authorities said there were pictures of the teens drinking beer - but there was no indication that Nolan’s blood-alcohol reached a level of intoxication. Authorities also said there were no signs that a crime had been committed. Social media activity is being processed in an effort to corroborate the information that is available.
The mother of one of the teenagers with Nolan before he broke away from the group - Jackson County Judge Ashlee Cole - has reported death threats to herself and her family. While talking about the latest information on the unfortunate death - I received a text from someone who said there is suspicion because that mother is a judge and she was interfering in the investigation - which suggested some kind of cover-up. If that’s true - I have not found credible evidence of interference or a cover-up. But that does lead to more questions.
Why did Nolan Wells break away from his group of friends? Who was he going to get a ride with to get back to the coast? Was there an argument or altercation? Did the other teens have Nolan’s cellphone?
But there are still enough questions for the parents to order an independent investigation. Is that investigation led by the parents or Attorney Benjamin Crump? And what are the theories that point to racism being a factor in the death of Nolan Wells?
I understand the parents’ desire to make sure they know the truth about what happened to their son. We may all benefit from knowing what happened and the truth may prevent another similar tragedy from occurring.
But the tragic death of Nolan Wells on Horn Island yields more questions than answers. Appearing on ABC’s “Good Morning America,” Nolan’s father - Elmore Wonsley - said, “We always taught him that if you go with a group, you stay with a group. If you go with five, you come back with five. Do not separate from the group. Because I always said, ‘Safety is in numbers.’ So he knew to stay with this group, so why would he split from the group? I don’t know.” Christine Wonsley said that she could not imagine that her son would go off alone. So, what happened?
As much as we hope our kids do exactly what we tell them - teenagers often defy what they have been taught. I’m not suggesting that is the case with Nolan Wells - but it is fair to consider that an 18-year-old might have made a decision that his parents would not approve of.
Everything that happens is not the result of racism. It’s sad that we are still at a point where racism is part of nearly every conversation involving the death of a Black person. In the case of Nolan Wells’ death - it is important to know if race was a motivation.
I’m not sure how we finally get beyond race being a factor in everything. And if race was an issue - then let’s call it out and learn from it. But it is also possible that a teenager somehow found trouble and we then must judge what happened on the facts - not on racism.
