Family of College Football Player Found Dead After Disappearing on July 4 Trip Hires Ben Crump

The family of an 18-year-old college football player found dead after disappearing during a July 4 boat trip to a Mississippi barrier island has hired civil rights attorney Ben Crump as investigators work to determine what happened.

Nolan Xavier Wells' body was found Monday in waters off Horn Island, where he was last seen Saturday with a group of friends, authorities said.

Crump, who announced Tuesday that he is representing the family, said they are demanding answers about the circumstances surrounding Wells' death.

"We will not rest until every fact about what happened to Nolan on Horn Island is brought into the light, and we call on investigators to pursue this case with the urgency and transparency this family deserves," Crump said.

Jackson County Sheriff John Ledbetter said Wells traveled to the island by boat with friends on Saturday but did not return with the group later that day.

According to Ledbetter, witnesses told investigators Wells chose to remain on the island because he believed he would be able to catch another ride back to the mainland.

His mother reported him missing that night. Search crews later recovered his body, and an autopsy was scheduled for Tuesday.

Investigators have not released a cause or manner of death, and officials say the investigation remains active.

Ledbetter said Wells' friends have been cooperating with investigators.

"From the people we've talked to, it sounds like he chose to stay on the island with the assumption that he was going to ride back to the mainland with someone else," the sheriff told The Associated Press.

Wells, who would have turned 19 next month, was a wide receiver at Southwest Mississippi Community College.

In a social media post, his mother, Christine Wonsley, appealed for anyone who was on Horn Island to come forward with photos, videos or other information that could help investigators piece together her son's final hours.

"My heart is broken for our sweet son who was always willing to cheer and uplift others," she wrote. "Nolan was a special soul. God took his time creating our son."

The family's decision to retain Crump comes as they continue pressing for a full accounting of the events leading up to Wells' death. Authorities have not said whether foul play is suspected.