News conference Friday, July 10, at noon at the National Action Network’s House of Justice in Harlem
NEW YORK (July 9, 2026) – Nationally renowned civil rights and personal injury attorney Ben Crump will join the family of Nolan Xavier Wells and Rev. Al Sharpton, founder and president of the National Action Network, at a news conference Friday, July 10, at noon in Harlem. They will demand a full, transparent, and urgent investigation into the death of the 18-year-old, along with the timely release of all investigative records, witness accounts, and findings.
Nolan, of Ocean Springs, Mississippi, was an Ocean Springs High School graduate and a football player at Southwest Mississippi Community College. On July 4, he traveled by boat with a group of friends to Horn Island, off the Mississippi Gulf Coast, to celebrate the holiday. He was last seen on the island at approximately 3 p.m. and did not return to the mainland with the group. His mother reported him missing that night.
Following a multi-agency search, Nolan’s body was recovered near Horn Island on Monday, July 6. The Jackson County Sheriff’s Office has stated that the investigation remains active and that the cause of death is undetermined. The family has retained Attorney Crump, whose team is conducting an independent review. They have serious, unanswered questions about the circumstances that left Nolan alone on the island and about how he died. U.S. Rep. Bennie Thompson of Mississippi has also called for a full, transparent, and timely investigation.
WHO:
The Family of Nolan Xavier Wells
Attorney Ben Crump
Rev. Al Sharpton
WHEN:
Friday, July 10, 2026
12 p.m. ET
WHERE:
National Action Network House of Justice
6 Hancock Place
Harlem, NY 10027
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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.
About National Action Network (NAN)
National Action Network is one of the leading civil rights organizations in the Nation with chapters throughout the entire United States. Founded in 1991 by Reverend Al Sharpton, NAN works within the spirit and tradition of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. to promote a modern civil rights agenda that includes the fight for one standard of justice, decency, and equal opportunities for all people regardless of race, religion, nationality, or gender.
For more information, visit www.nationalactionnetwork.net
