Nolan Wells' hometown officials rally behind sheriff after 'derelict in their duties' attack

Officials from Nolan Wells' hometown are rallying down their sheriff aft being accused of being "derelict successful their duties" connected Wednesday morning.

NAACP President Derrick Johnson accused Mississippi officials of failing to decently grip the lawsuit during the aforesaid quality league wherever lawyer Ben Crump announced the autarkic autopsy results.

"We're not accusing anyone of thing different than the authorities of Mississippi and section officials. We're accusing them of being derelict successful their duties," Johnson said. "To travel up and to guarantee that careless of what happened, that determination was the due probe truthful that this household and that assemblage could beryllium assured that if anyone was involved, they would beryllium held accountable."

NOLAN WELLS INDEPENDENT AUTOPSY DOESN'T POINT TO FOUL PLAY, FORMER MEDICAL EXAMINER SAYS

Nolan Wells smiles connected the tract portion playing wide receiver for Southwest Mississippi Community College. (Christine Wonsley/Facebook)

Wells, 18, disappeared July 4 after helium went with friends connected a vessel travel to Horn Island, which is simply a obstruction land disconnected Mississippi's Gulf Coast. Officials and hunt crews searched for 2 days earlier a National Park Service ranger located his remains connected July 6 portion connected the island's northwestern tip.

Mississippi State Senator Jeremy England, who represents a information of Jackson County, wherever the incidental took place, told Fox News Digital the accusation by Johnson was "completely unfair."

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"Our sheriff and our territory lawyer present successful Jackson County, our DPS commissioner implicit the authorities of Mississippi instrumentality enforcement, our transgression lab, the offices they enactment together, I cognize galore of them personally and professionally, and they person the utmost integrity and they privation to get the facts close and get retired there. You know, they recognize they're nether a microscope astatine this constituent successful time, but they're being unfairly attacked," England said. "For nary crushed different than radical trying to marque shocking claims and get radical to deliberation thing nefarious has happened oregon is going on."

NOLAN WELLS INDEPENDENT AUTOPSY DOESN'T POINT TO FOUL PLAY, FORMER MEDICAL EXAMINER SAYS

Nolan Xavier Wells disappeared connected the Fourth of July portion boating with friends, according to authorities. (Jackson County Sheriff's Department via Facebook)

"But these are precise bully people, and it's truly disheartening to spot their sanction and their estimation being dragged done the mud," England said.

The authorities legislator said Mississippi investigators won't beryllium swayed by nationalist pressure, adjacent arsenic expectations physique astir the case.

"There's not ever idiosyncratic to blame," helium said. "And present successful Mississippi, we don't person and we don't travel what you spot successful immoderate different states and immoderate different communities wherever you person activistic territory attorneys and activistic sheriffs, and they're listening to the nationalist and they're wanting to respond to the public."

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"Our leaders, the radical successful that office, they don't bash that. They instrumentality their time, they marque definite they get it right, and they're doing that retired of respect for the household and for the full assemblage astatine this point," England said.

Congressman Mike Ezell, R-Miss., told Fox News Digital helium has implicit assurance successful the existent Jackson County sheriff, John Ledbetter, who is moving the investigation.

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"I person afloat assurance successful Sheriff Ledbetter and each of our instrumentality enforcement officials arsenic they are moving hard to bash a thorough investigation. As a erstwhile sheriff and constabulary officer, I cognize firsthand the demands and unit of their job, and I cognize they volition grip this substance with integrity."

During Wednesday's quality conference, Crump revealed that an country of "red discoloration" was recovered connected Wells' head, but said Dr. Roger Mitchell, who performed the autopsy, couldn't travel to a decision connected a origin oregon mode of decease "pending further investigation." An authoritative autopsy into Wells' decease hasn't been completed.

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When asked by Fox News Digital astir the case, forensic pathologist Dr. Michael Baden said the caput wounded doesn't constituent to foul play.

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Attorney Ben Crump, center, speaks adjacent to Elmore and Christine Wonsley, astatine left, and Rev. Al Sharpton during a memorial work for Nolan Xavier Wells, an 18-year-old recovered dormant aft taking a July 4 vessel travel with friends, Monday, July 20, 2026, successful Ocean Springs, Miss. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

"So that could beryllium from bumping into thing successful the water. There's a batch of debris successful the water, for example. It depends however heavy it is, but it's describing a truly superficial interaction that could person happened earlier decease oregon aft death," Baden said. "What he's describing is simply a insignificant wounded that could be... wholly innocent."

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Without having further information, Mitchell wrote successful his study that helium couldn't regularisation retired the anticipation that "non-accidental factors contributed to oregon caused the death."

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The autarkic autopsy's merchandise comes arsenic Rev. Al Sharpton said he's offering a $50,000 reward for accusation starring to an apprehension and condemnation successful the decease of Wells. Authorities antecedently told the Associated Press that foul play isn't suspected.

Wells' friends returned to the mainland that day without him. Ledbetter has said investigators judge Wells chose to enactment connected the island. It wasn't until aboriginal that nighttime that his parent learned helium was missing from 1 of Wells' friends and reported it to authorities.