NAACP adopts resolution calling for in-depth, transparent investigation
CHICAGO (July 21, 2026) –– Nationally renowned civil rights and personal injury attorney Ben Crump will join the family of Nolan Xavier Wells at a news conference Wednesday at the 117th NAACP National Convention. Crump will announce the preliminary findings of an independent autopsy conducted on behalf of the family.
Nolan, 18, traveled by boat with friends to Horn Island, Mississippi, on July 4 to celebrate the holiday. When the group returned to shore, Nolan was not with them. On the morning of July 6, a U.S. park ranger found his body at the northwestern tip of the island.
On July 18, the NAACP National Board of Directors adopted a resolution of condolence for the family that calls on local, state, and federal authorities, including the U.S. Department of Justice, to complete an in-depth and openly transparent review of how Nolan came to be left on the island and of all activities in the hours before his body was recovered.
WHO:
Christine and Elmore Wonsley, parents of Nolan Wells
Attorney Ben Crump
Derrick Johnson, President and CEO, NAACP
WHEN:
Wednesday, July 22, 2026
8 a.m. CDT
WHERE:
McCormick Place West Building, Room 183B/C
2301 S. Indiana Ave.
Chicago, IL 60616
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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.
