‘All we want to know is what happened’: Nolan Wells’ parents address journalists at NABJ convention

Christine and Elmore Wonsley appeared at the National Association for Black Journalists convention, saying they are still seeking answers about

Aug 13, 2026 0

‘All we want to know is what happened’: Nolan Wells’ parents address journalists at NABJ convention

Civil Rights Attorney Ben Crump Holds News Conference On Death Of Nolan Wells In Mississippi — CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - JULY 22: Elmore Wonsley and Christine Wells-Wonsley, the parents of Nolan Wells, listen as attorney Ben Crump goes over the results of an independent autopsy of Wells during a press conference at the annual NAACP National Convention on July 22, 2026 in Chicago, Illinois. Eighteen-year-old Wells was found dead two days after he disappeared during a July 4th boat trip to Horn Island off the coast of Mississippi with a group of high school friends. (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images)Photo by: Scott Olson / Getty Images

Christine and Elmore Wonsley appeared at the National Association for Black Journalists convention, saying they are still seeking answers about their son’s death.

More than a month after their son went missing and was later found dead, the parents of Nolan Wells are still looking for answers about what happened on July 4.

Christine and Elmore Wonsley appeared Thursday (Aug. 13) at the National Association for Black Journalists convention in Atlanta, accompanied by Rev. Al Sharpton and their lawyer, Attorney Ben Crump. Almost immediately after taking the mic, Christine began to cry, breaking down while describing one of the first major events that she will spend without her son.

“As many of you know, his 19th birthday is next Wednesday, and as the days get closer, it’s definitely getting harder,” she said tearfully. “That realization is really sinking in that we don’t have our son physically here anymore.”

Wells’ mother then made an appeal to parents everywhere, stressing that all she and Elmore want is the full story of how their son died, nothing more.

“The only thing we want to know is what happened,” Christine continued. “That’s all we want to know is what happened to our son. Because many parents out there, you still have your children. You still can hug them. You still can call them. You still can celebrate their life with them. And we do not have that anymore.”

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Wells, a teenager from Ocean Springs, Mississippi, was reported missing by Christine on July 4, after he left early that day for Horn Island with friends to enjoy the holiday weekend and never returned. His body was found two days later on the northwest end of Horn Island. An official autopsy was completed at the end of July, but its findings will be sealed until they can be presented in front of a grand jury as part of an ongoing investigation into Wells’ death.

The family of the 18-year-old also commissioned an independent autopsy, which found the cause and the manner of his death to be undetermined.