The parents of Nolan Wells have spoken out publicly for the first time on the mysterious disappearance of their 18-year-old son, casting doubt on the circumstances surrounding his death following the discovery of his cell phone.
Wells, a wide receiver for Southwest Mississippi Community College, disappeared after a Fourth of July boat trip to Horn Island off the Mississippi Gulf Coast. His body was found two days later.
It was suspicious that the account showed no activity whatsoever, his mother said, despite his history of being constantly active on social media.
"When we finally got his phone, me and my sister went through the phone. We went in his Snapchat. He had two accounts. Absolutely nothing," Christine Wonsley said. "It wasn't even 24 hours, which is how long videos and pictures stay in Snapchat.”
The parents also said it was suspicious that his friends claimed their son decided to stay behind on the island instead of going out with them.
"That we cannot answer," Christine Wonsley said when asked to explain why her son would not join his friends. "I just, I can't -- I can't fathom why he would."
Elmore Wonsley said he taught his son that there is safety in numbers.
"We always told him, if you go with a group, you stay with a group," he said.
Jackson County Sheriff John Ledbetter addressed the friends' accounts based on interviews.
The Wonsleys have hired civil rights attorney Ben Crump to represent them in the son’s case.
Crump addressed a video circulating on social media that some believe showed Wells in an argument with someone on the beach over possession of his cell phone.
"No young person leaves their cell phone," Crump said. "It's not adding up, and that is the problem when you think about the history of Mississippi. There are so many questions that need to be answered."
Investigators said they have not discovered any evidence of foul play and suspect drowning.
Wells' family has requested an independent autopsy and a more transparent investigation, according to Crump. The official cause of death has not yet been finalized pending autopsy results.
The family has described Wells as an elite athlete who was able to swim. The college football player would have turned 19 in August.