The memorial service for Nolan Wells, the Mississippi teen who died on July 4 during a trip to Horn Island, will be livestreamed today as the mysterious case has drawn national attention because of Wells’ race. Wells was the only black in the friend group and the rest came back home. Wells’s body was found face down in the water on July 6.Wells was a 2025 graduate and multi-sport athlete at Ocean Springs High School and later played football at Southwest Mississippi Community College.According to CBS News, actor and media mogul Tyler Perry is paying for the services.While investigators have said drowning is suspected, they have not released an official cause of death, and the case remains under investigation.
Drowning has not been ruled out but the family has appointed a lawyer for a separate investigation
There were no signs of trauma or foul play on Vail’s body but autopsy results have not been released as experts are now awaiting toxicology tests. Family attorney Ben Crump said Wells’ parents had their son’s body shipped out of state for an independent autopsy.“We moved his body from Mississippi to Washington, D.C., because his family wanted to make sure they had a doctor who had no ties to Mississippi law enforcement to independently examine their son’s body,” Crump said. This autopsy result is also awaited.The remaining three friends have hired lawyers. One of the friends said he stayed there with a girl he met. “They met that day, and it was like – it’s one of those things. … He really liked her, but that was the only time they met on the 4th of July on Horn Island,” Treystein Shepherd said. But another friend who saw Wells on July 4 said it was unlikely Wells would get separated from the group he came with.Wells’ mother, Christine Wells-Wansley, said the family compared location history between the Snapchat and Life360 apps that track her son’s phone — but the data didn’t match.Shepherd said friends are now receiving death threats. “We did nothing wrong here and we don’t understand how so much hatred is following us,” he said. “We all cared about Nolan and loved him, and no one wanted to see Nolan die. No one wanted to see his life cut so short.”