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Nolan Wells case under scrutiny as attorney Ben Crump pushes for ‘full, fair’ investigation
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Civil rights attorney Ben Crump, who is representing the family of Nolan Wells, provided an update on the case Thursday morning.
“We have the audio from the officials, and we have retained consultants who are audio experts,” Crump said.
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Crump said experts will review the audio, while others will examine the tides and how they correspond to where Wells’ body was found.
“We want to make sure everybody who is remotely involved has their questions answered to make sure we have a full, fair, impartial and transparent investigation,” Crump said. “We are laser-focused on getting to the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.”
Wells’ friends told authorities that they returned to shore because their boat was taking on water, but Wells stayed on the island with a girl he had met. Wells was found dead near Horn Island two days after Independence Day.
The Jackson County Sheriff’s Department said Wells’ friends had his cellphone when he went missing.
Wonsley reported Wells missing after he went on a boat trip with friends and did not return home. His friends said Wells chose to stay behind with a woman on the island, who has not been officially identified.
A preliminary independent autopsy listed Wells’ cause of death as undetermined pending further investigation. Local law enforcement and the Jackson County district attorney said their findings would not be released immediately to the public, but instead would be turned over to a grand jury.
Jackson County District Attorney Angel McIlrath said that was standard practice in any investigation where the cause of death was not natural or clearly accidental.
The Jackson County sheriff initially said he believed Wells’ death was an accidental drowning, but the case remained an active investigation.
In a request to use sonar scans during the search for Wells, the Mississippi Department of Marine Resources said in a document that Wells had been drinking heavily, though no attribution was listed.
