News conference to immediately follow Wednesday morning meeting on the investigation into the teen’s death on Horn Island
PASCAGOULA, Miss. (July 15, 2026) –– Nationally renowned civil rights and personal injury attorney Ben Crump will join the family of Nolan Wells for a meeting with Jackson County District Attorney Angel Myers McIlrath today at 9 a.m. CT. They will hold a news conference immediately following the meeting to share updates on the investigation into Nolan’s death and any relevant developments from the discussion.
Nolan, an 18-year-old Ocean Springs native and Southwest Mississippi Community College football player, traveled by boat to Horn Island with a group of friends on July 4 to celebrate the holiday and did not return with the group. A park ranger found his body in the water just off the northwestern tip of the island on the morning of July 6. The cause of his death has not been determined, and the family has commissioned an independent autopsy.
Attorney Crump released the following statement:
“We are looking forward to our meeting with the district attorney this morning. Nolan’s family still has no answers about how their son went to Horn Island and never came home. A thorough investigation must be completed, and the district attorney must put every relevant fact before the grand jury. Nothing held back. Nothing overlooked.”
WHO:
The Family of Nolan Xavier Wells
Attorney Ben Crump
Attorney Eric Hertz
WHEN:
Wednesday, July 15, 2026
News conference immediately following the 9 a.m. CT meeting, approximately 10 a.m. CT
WHERE:
Outside the entrance to the Jackson County Courthouse
3104 Magnolia St.
Pascagoula, MS 39567
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MEDIA CONTACT:
[email protected]
ABOUT BEN CRUMP LAW
Through his work, nationally renowned civil rights and personal injury attorney Ben Crump has spearheaded a legal movement to better protect the rights of marginalized citizens. He has led landscape-changing civil rights cases and represented clients in a wide range of areas including civil rights, personal injury, labor and employment, class actions, and more. Ben Crump Law is dedicated to holding the powerful accountable. For more information, visit bencrump.com.
