*Al Sharpton and Tyler Perry are offering a combined $100,000 reward as the family of Nolan Wells continues searching for answers about the Mississippi teenager’s unexplained death.
Sharpton announced during Wells’ funeral Monday that he would contribute $50,000 for information resulting in an arrest and conviction. He later said Perry would provide an additional $50,000, doubling the reward, NBC News reports.
The announcement came as hundreds gathered at Center Pointe Church in Ocean Springs to remember Wells, 18, and support his family. Attorney Ben Crump used the service to appeal directly to anyone who may know what happened.
“Until we get to truth, until we get to justice, we gonna stand up and we gonna keep ringing the justice bells for Nolan Wells,” Crump said before leading mourners in chants of “Justice for Nolan Wells!”
Scroll to continue reading
Wells vanished during a July 4 outing to Horn Island with friends. The group returned to the mainland that afternoon, but Wells reportedly remained behind and planned to leave with someone else. After he failed to make it home, his mother reported him missing around midnight. A U.S. park ranger discovered his body July 6 along the island’s northwest shoreline.
Authorities have not publicly revealed how Wells died, and the official autopsy findings remain unreleased. His parents and Crump have launched a separate inquiry and arranged an independent autopsy. Colin Kaepernick covered its cost.
“I want to give all thanks and honor and glory to God for choosing Elmore and me to be Nolan’s parents,” Wells’ mother, Christine Wells-Wonsley, said at the funeral. “We thank you, Lord, for the beautiful 18 years that you blessed us with him.”
She remembered her son as someone whose presence made others feel secure and included.
“Nolan had such a gentle, calming spirit about him. He had a way of making people feel seen, welcome and valued,” she said. “He could lift your confidence with just a few words and make you feel like you belonged.”
Wells-Wonsley also described him as protective and nurturing before speaking directly to her son.
“Your absence has left an emptiness that can never truly be filled,” she said. “In a world that can often feel dark, be like Nolan, be the light that brightens the lives of those around you.”
His father, Elmore Wonsley, praised Wells as an example to his younger brothers.
“You grew up to be a very young man that everyone enjoyed to be around,” he said.
Many of Wells’ football teammates attended wearing black and blue, the colors requested by the family. Spike Lee and Terrell Owens were also present, while Perry paid for the funeral.
MORE NEWS ON EURWEB.COM: Byron Allen Donates $100,000 to Nolan Wells GoFundMe
We Publish Breaking News 24/7. Don’t Miss Out! Sign up for our Free daily newsletter HERE.
Leave a Reply