Civil rights and personal injury attorney Ben Crump held a press conference Thursday at the National Urban League’s annual conference in Nashville to provide updates on the cases of Nolan Wells, Daniel Erving, and Tyler Smith. Crump’s team noted that Wells, Erving, and Smith were all 18-year-old Black men who died within a three-month period.
Regarding the Nolan Wells case, Wells was found in the water off Horn Island on July 6 after being reported missing on July 4 following a boating trip. An independent autopsy performed by Dr. Roger Mitchell found the cause and manner of death to be undetermined pending further investigation. The state autopsy report is currently being withheld until a grand jury can review it.
Crump announced that his team has obtained audio from a call made to Sea Tow by a teen on the boat involved in the case and is working with audio engineers to review it. Additionally, the team is working with oceanic engineer experts to investigate why Wells' body was found on the northwestern tip of Horn Island, a location where he was last seen, despite concerns regarding how oceanic tides might affect such a location.
Attorney Eric Hertz stated that his team is communicating with Jackson County District Attorney Angel Myers McIlrath. They are seeking a tentative agreement to allow both Crump's investigators and county investigators to examine phones related to the case, an inspection that Hertz believes the FBI may attend.
The families of Wells, Erving, and Smith were present at the conference. The families of Daniel Erving and Tyler Smith spoke regarding their respective cases, addressing issues with investigations and a perceived lack of transparency. Erving died in Texas in April and was ruled an accidental drowning, while Smith died of a gunshot wound in Kentucky on July 4, an account his family disputes.
Liza Park, a senior attorney at Ben Crump Law, stated the team has been receiving over 100 calls a day and encouraged anyone with information to come forward. Nolan's mother, Christine Wonsley, and father, Elmore Wonsley, also issued pleas for anyone with information to contact authorities, stating they will not rest until they find the truth.
Crump addressed reports of individuals sending threats to Nolan's parents and leaving negative reviews on Christine Wonsley's employer's website. Crump characterized these actions as attacks on the parents for seeking answers regarding their son's death.
