SerpApi.Org
Christine Wonsley has filed a petition to open the estate of her deceased son, Nolan Xavier Wells, and serve as its administratrix, saying the estate assets would consist “solely of claims for damages resulting from the circumstances surrounding his death.”
Wonsley signed the petition on the day of her son’s funeral, attended by hundreds. The petition was filed that same day in Jackson County Chancery Court. It would allow her to file a lawsuit for damages on behalf of her son’s estate should others be found responsible for his death. No cause of death has been released in the ongoing investigation.
If granted, administratrix status would allow Wonsley to file a wrongful death lawsuit on behalf of her son’s estate. Wells boated to Horn Island with friends on July 4. His phone and keys remained on the boat, but Wells did not return with his friends. His body washed up two days later on the island shoreline.
Wells was unmarried and had no children, Wonsley’s petition said. He was a popular student and football player for the Ocean Springs High School Greyhounds who was attending Southwest Mississippi Community College. He was set to return to school for football camp the day his body was found.
Attorney Crump on independent autopsy
Nolan Wells’ parents, Christine and Elmore Wonsley, have hired nationally prominent civil rights attorney Ben Crump, who has launched an independent investigation into the Black teenager’s death. Crump is known for securing large settlements in cases where Black individuals died violently or were wronged because of racial discrimination.
During the Wells funeral, Crump led mourners in a chant of “Justice for Nolan Wells.” He acknowledged that nobody knows yet how the young man died. Crump initially said that he would have results of an independent autopsy on July 10.
He said during the news conference that those results are still unavailable. For the first time, Crump publicly mentioned “there are limitations” to the independent autopsy.
The state’s autopsy was conducted the morning of July 7. Wells’ body was turned over to the funeral home the same day. Crump had the body flown to Washington for the independent autopsy, but said there were flight delays.
Forensic pathologist Roger A. Mitchell Jr. conducted the autopsy. A National Medical Association biography on Mitchell says he is an expert on deaths while in law enforcement custody and that he has been an expert witness in many high-profile cases
“Obviously, you want stuff from the first (state) autopsy because they had the body closer to time,” Crump said when asked at the news conference about the independent autopsy’s status. “We got the body almost six days later . . . So there are limitations as to what he could do. So, you know, you do the best you can, but there are unanswered questions. So, he’s getting his report together. I believe it will be coming very soon.”
Late Tuesday morning, a public relations firm working with Crump sent out a news release that said the attorney will join the Wells’ family to release preliminary independent autopsy results at a news conference at 8 a.m. Wednesday at the 117th NAACP National Convention in Chicago.
