Nolan Wells’ family seeking federal investigation into his death
Civil rights leaders and family members of Nolan Wells are demanding a federal investigation into the death of the Mississippi teen.
Wells disappeared while on a trip with friends to Horn Island off the Mississippi coast during the Fourth of July holiday. His body was found a few days later.
Wells’ death sparked nationwide attention and speculation that race may have played a role, given Mississippi’s fraught racial history. Photos from the trip showed the Black teen surrounded by white friends. Some of Wells’ friends who were on the trip have received death threats.
Others say the currents near Horn Island can be notoriously rough, with the local coroner saying his office has received numerous drowning victims from Mississippi’s barrier islands in recent years.
The Congressional Black Caucus sent a letter urging the Department of Justice to determine whether a separate federal investigation, including a possible civil rights investigation, is warranted.
Lawmakers addressed those efforts at a news conference Thursday.
