The family of Nolan Xavier Wells agreed to work with a local prosecutor’s office to inspect the contents of his cellphone as the Nolan Wells case continues. Christine Wonsley and Elmore Wonsley met with District Attorney Angel Myers McIlrath on Wednesday, and the family’s attorney said the review is part of the ongoing investigation into his death.
Ben Crump said McIlrath committed to presenting the investigation to a grand jury once it is completed. Crump also said, “The hope is when this is presented to the grand jury, all relevant witnesses and evidence will be presented to them, so we can have a fair and impartial investigation into the death of Nolan Wells.”
Christine Wonsley in New York
Christine Wonsley and Elmore Wonsley reacted during a news conference at National Action Network headquarters in New York on Friday, July 10, 2026. Crump said after the meeting with McIlrath that the family wanted the process handled with care and that the cellphone review would be part of the evidence discussed in the case.
Wells went missing during a July Fourth boat trip to Horn Island, about 7 miles offshore, after he did not return with his friends when they left around 3 p.m. The family previously said messages seemed to have been erased from his phone before it was returned.
Horn Island cellphone review
The family’s agreement to inspect the phone adds a specific step to a case that has already drawn attention because the missing teen was later found dead and the phone may contain message history tied to the last hours before he disappeared. The inspection also gives prosecutors and the family a chance to compare what remains on the device with the concerns the family has raised about deleted messages.
Crump said, “Our lived experiences tell us that we must question everything, everybody’s role, law enforcement’s role. That is the lived experience as Black people in America.”
Grand jury in Mississippi
Ronald Rychlak, a University of Mississippi law professor, said most felony cases go to a grand jury in Mississippi. He said a grand jury is typically made up of 15 to 25 citizens who listen to the prosecutor’s evidence and decide whether there is enough evidence for an indictment.
For Wells’ family, the next practical step is the cellphone inspection before the case moves into that review. If the device still contains the material the family expects, it could become part of what prosecutors present to the grand jury with the rest of the evidence.
