Photo: GoFundMe
A Mississippi judge whose son was with Nolan Xavier Wells on Horn Island has broken her silence — and Ben Crump says there are still "contradictions" in the accounts of what happened that need to be answered.
Chancery Court Judge Ashlee Cole posted a lengthy statement on Facebook Tuesday night (July 7), saying she felt compelled to "dispel some rumors with facts" amid the swirl of online attention surrounding the circumstances of Wells' death.
"Our family, along with the community, grieves the loss of Nolan Wells," Cole began. "Our thoughts and prayers are with Nolan's family. Our son, Warren, loved Nolan dearly."
Cole said she and her husband were not on Horn Island on July 4. Her son, Warren, was. She said Warren last saw Wells around 3 p.m. and that the group left around 4:30 p.m. when their boat began taking on water due to a bilge pump problem.
"Nolan made a decision to stay on the island and return inland later with another group of friends," Cole wrote.
She confirmed Warren has been interviewed by the Jackson County Sheriff's Department and cooperated fully, adding: "No one in our family is trying in any way to impede with the investigation by law enforcement or to otherwise hamper the family and law enforcement's quest for answers."
Cole also addressed the deactivation of her social media accounts, which had drawn scrutiny online.
"Yes, I am a judge. I also value transparency. I apologize if anyone was offended that I deleted my social media. There were no nefarious motivations in my deleting my social media," she wrote. She cited fear for the safety of her six children as her reason.
"Given the very heightened emotional state of social media right now, I fear for the safety of my child and my children."
She also noted she graduated high school with Wells' mother, Christine Wonsley.
"We are from the same community. I have the utmost respect for her and all of the Wells family. We mourn the loss of Nolan with them. Our prayers have been and will continue to be with them," she wrote.
She concluded: "My family is hopeful that this information will help to redirect the attention to the Wells family, their grief, and their need for our community's support."
But civil rights attorney Ben Crump, who has been retained by Wells' family, said his team is working through "contradictions" in the accounts of what happened that day.
Appearing on ABC News, Crump pointed to the viral video circulating online that appears to show an altercation on Horn Island the evening Wells was last seen.
"They continue to tell the family that we don't see any evidence of foul play, even though you have students who recorded an altercation while they were on the boat," he said. "An argument where you had Nolan and somebody yelling at one another on the boat. So that's an issue."
He also pointed to conflicting claims about whether Wells planned to stay behind on the island or return to the boat with his friends.
"You have the young lady [who was on the island that day] make a statement, and she said Nolan and I finished talking, and Nolan said he was going back to the boat," Crump shared. "Then the boys on the boat said Nolan told them he was going to stay with her, so they're conflicting. She's saying he got on the boat. They're saying he didn't get on the boat. All we know is Nolan is dead."
He said the family is concerned that Wells, who was Black, was with a group of white friends whose accounts are now part of the investigation.
In a separate interview with journalist Don Lemon, Crump spoke about the family concerns, saying, "They’re not telling the family anything about whether it was foul play or not, and so that’s why the family is so desperate for answers because they’re saying, ‘We don’t want you to just wrap up this investigation and say, 'Oh, well, it was just an accident,' and sweep it under the rug."
Crump also raised concerns about Wells' phone — the family believes messages may have been deleted from it before it was returned to them.
"It's very implausible that Nolan would've not wanted his cellphone with him if he was going to stay on the island," Crump said. He said his team is actively interviewing witnesses who have no connection to the case.
The Jackson County Sheriff's Office has confirmed the investigation remains "active and ongoing" and has specifically asked the public for photos, videos, and eyewitness accounts from the northwest part of Horn Island on July 4 — particularly those "depicting alleged altercations or containing images of, or believed to include Nolan Wells.”
Sheriff John Ledbetter also asked for accounts of "any other arguments or disturbances" from that day.
An independent autopsy is underway.
Crump told Lemon that Wells' body had been flown to Washington, D.C., for the examination and said results could come as soon as Friday (July 10). The official autopsy was completed Tuesday, but toxicology and final findings could take weeks.
The Jackson County NAACP said it is monitoring the investigation closely. "The NAACP is going to ensure that the tragedy will be fully investigated," President Curley Clark told WLOX. "But we do not want anyone to jump to conclusions before the facts are known."
The Black Information Network is your source for Black News! Get the latest news 24/7 on The Black Information Network. Listen now on the iHeartRadio app or click HERE to tune in live.