The NAACP announced that it will be a part of the legal team working to get answers about the death of 18-year-old Nolan Wells.
As announced earlier this week, the NAACP’s Office of General Counsel will work alongside the existing legal team, helmed by civil rights attorney Ben Crump.
Together, the teams will seek transparency from authorities on breakthroughs in the case and ensure Wells’ family receives information and accountability.
The NAACP’s involvement comes a week after the Congressional Black Caucus released a letter urging the federal government to launch an independent investigation into Wells’ death. The case currently remains ongoing at the state level. Authorities have not yet addressed foul play allegations or discrepancies in the case.
Early in July, during the Fourth of July weekend, the body of Wells was discovered on the shore of Horn Island, a Mississippi island accessible only by water. He had been there with a group of friends, all of whom are white. His friends allege that Wells stayed on the island with a young woman while they left.
Wells’ phone was also found in the possession of one of the friends, raising questions about the veracity of their account. The results of the autopsy conducted by the state medical examiner have not yet been made publicly available. A private autopsy commissioned by Wells’ own family found that the manner of death is “undetermined pending investigation.”
The case will reportedly be presented to a grand jury once the sheriff’s department concludes its investigation.
The case has garnered national attention as several discrepancies have arisen in the investigation, increasing calls for transparency and for addressing disparities in cases involving Black victims.
“The world is watching, and Nolan Wells’ family deserves a thorough accounting of what happened,” said Derrick Johnson, president and CEO of the NAACP, in a statement. “Too often, the deaths of young Black people are dismissed, downplayed, or inadequately investigated unless we demand answers. Our involvement in this case is part of our ongoing commitment to make sure those answers are pursued with urgency and respect for Black lives.”
🚨We have joined the legal team for the family of Nolan Xavier Wells to ensure that there is no stone left unturned in the quest for truth, justice and transparency.
— Kristen Clarke (@KristenClarkeJD) August 18, 2026
The NAACP stands with Nolan’s family in this time of grief, @AttorneyCrump
& the full team. We will not rest. pic.twitter.com/tWfWi598gJ
The NAACP legal team has previously supported cases such as the shooting of Imam Luqman Ameen Abdullah, a 53-year-old man who was shot 20 times in less than five seconds during a warehouse raid. It has also been involved in calling for investigations into the deaths of Tamir Rice, Eric Garner, Alton Sterling, Michael Brown, Walter Scott, Freddie Gray, Laquan McDonald, Stephone Clark and Philando Castille.
“Our investigation will be victim-focused, community-based and sensitive to the ongoing pain felt by Nolan Wells’ family and his community,” said NAACP general counsel Kristen Clarke. “Drawing on the Association’s long history of pushing for full and fair investigations when Black lives are lost under suspicious circumstances, we will bring additional investigative and legal resources to bear and ensure that no stone is left unturned in the quest for truth and accountability for Nolan’s family.”
