Ben Crump, Al Sharpton, Congressional Leaders to join Nolan Wells’ family in call for federal review
Atlanta, Ga (WXXV) – Civil rights attorney Ben Crump, civil rights activist Rev. Al Sharpton, Congresswoman Lucy McBath, and the parents of Nolan Wells are set to hold a news conference Thursday as calls grow for a federal review into the 18-year-old’s disappearance and death.
The event comes after members of the Congressional Black Caucus urged the U.S. Department of Justice to conduct an independent review of the case and determine whether a separate federal investigation, including a possible civil rights investigation, is warranted.
In a letter sent to Attorney General Todd Blanche and FBI Director Kash Patel, Congressional Black Caucus Chair Yvette D. Clarke and other caucus members said the Wells family has waited more than a month for answers surrounding the case and requested a response from the Justice Department within seven days regarding any action being taken. The FBI is already assisting local investigators.
According to the release, Nolan Wells disappeared during a Fourth of July boat trip to Horn Island, Mississippi. His body was found on July 6. An independent autopsy commissioned by the family classified both the cause and manner of death as undetermined. Findings from the Mississippi State Medical Examiner’s Office have not been publicly released.
Congresswoman Lucy McBath, who represents Georgia and serves in the Congressional Black Caucus, is expected to join the family at the news conference. McBath entered public life after the death of her son, Jordan Davis, in 2012.
The news conference will take place Thursday, Aug. 13, following a plenary discussion featuring Crump, Sharpton, and the Wells family at the 2026 National Association of Black Journalists Convention & Career Fair in Atlanta.
The conference is scheduled to be held at the Atlanta Marriott Marquis.
