NASHVILLE, Tenn. (July 29, 2026) — Nationally renowned civil rights and personal injury attorney Ben Crump will join the families of Nolan Xavier Wells, Daniel Erving, and Tyler Smith at the National Urban League’s annual conference on Thursday. Crump will provide updates on all three cases and be joined by Marc H. Morial, president and CEO of the National Urban League, who will voice the League’s support for the families’ pursuit of answers.
Overview of the Cases and Disputed Circumstances
All three young men were 18-year-old Black men who died within three months of each other. In each case, the families dispute or are still awaiting the official account of how their son died:
- Nolan Wells: An Ocean Springs, Mississippi, student-athlete who traveled by boat to Horn Island with friends on July 4 and did not return with the group. A park ranger found his body two days later, and the cause of death has not been determined.
- Daniel Erving: An honor roll student and swimmer who was at Lake Ray Hubbard near Rowlett, Texas, with two white teenagers on April 13 and did not come home. His body was recovered four days later, and his death was ruled an accidental drowning.
- Tyler Smith: A recent Lafayette High School graduate who died of a gunshot wound in Lexington, Kentucky, on July 4. Police reported the shooting as accidental and self-inflicted—an account his family disputes. According to a Lexington Police Department citation, the firearm officers recovered did not match the shell casing found at the scene.
Investigation Updates and Legal Findings
Nolan’s family commissioned an independent autopsy, and the preliminary findings released July 22 list the cause and manner of death as undetermined pending further investigation.
Police have since charged 20-year-old Bryce Chestnut with tampering with physical evidence in the Smith case, and 19-year-old Lucas Roper and a 16-year-old with the same offense in the Erving case. No one has been charged in connection with any of the three deaths.
Press Conference Event Details
WHO:
The families of Daniel Erving, Tyler Smith, and Nolan Wells
Attorney Ben Crump
Marc H. Morial, CEO, The National Urban League
WHEN:
Thursday, July 30, 2026
11:00 a.m. CT
WHERE:
Music City Center, Grand Lobby, Level 3
201 Rep. John Lewis Way S
Nashville, TN 37203
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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.
