Full: Nolan Wells Family REVEAL Mississippi Police ‘Blocking’ Info?, Autopsy Update & More - HP News

Let me just say that under the law in Mississippi, a victim is entitled within, I think it's 72 hours to get an incident report and to have certain information shared.It's been more than 72 hours.

Good morning.I'm attorney Ben Crump, along with attorney Lisa Park, attorney Eric Hurst, Justin Preston and Cliff Jones.We have the honor of representing the family of Nolan Wells.We have present with us, his mother and father, Ch Um, we've just had an op district attorney, Angel members of her team.We h meeting.Uh, the thing I may know the thing to an with the family that the jury that she will turn Once they have collected all the information and finish their investigation, we also agreed that we will have a mutual inspection of the cell phone with our experts and their experts.

Attorney Eric Hertz is helping lead the investigation team with former law enforcement experts who are going to help us with the cell phone download.So everybody will be able to see at the same time what the cell phone has.We also talked about trying to make sure we dot every I and cross every T. I know that we're getting about 50 calls a day.day to 100 calls a day from people who were there on Horn Island, people who are familiar with individuals that were there on Horn Island.And so we continue to be steadfast and try to get to the truth of why Nolan Wells is dead.At this time, we'll have Attorney Hertz say a few words and then Christine and Elmore will just talk about the homegoing services and celebration for Nolan and then we'll take a few of your questions.

Attorney Eric Hertz.Thank you.

Right now there's a lot of unanswered questions.We appreciate the District Attorney meeting with us, but because of certain types of confidentiality that even the victims are not allowed to know, we did not get all the answers we want.We have an independent investigation going on that involves former law enforcement federal agents that are going to be looking into all the different information we got.The calls are coming in and we're getting a lot of information.Some of the people that I spoke to are not talking with law enforcement here.We're going to be trying to get them to cooperate with each other because we want to make sure the narrative, which has been put out that it's false, is going to be corrected.

So at this point, we just ask everybody to keep keep calling in if you have any information and let us know and I personally if it's that if we validate you're a legitimate call we'll call you and talk to you and I thank you all for showing up today.

And now Christine and Elmore will just share with you some details of the homeboy celebration for their son.

Hello everyone so umthe home going celebration, the funeral will be held at Center Point Church in Ocean Springs.It is going to be visitation will be 9 to 11.And then the funeral will start after that.Um, the plan is for the repass because again, we want to celebrate.And he would not, um, want us to be sitting around crying and eating and so what we're going to do is kind of have a party to celebrate him and that'll be held at the Jackson County Fairgrounds.

So we really do want to keep it for family and friends.We are going to allow media to come in as well and Lastly, I just.Oh, absolutely teammates.We've already contacted Coach Les George because we want to make sure that those guys are there.Former teammates from high school, middle school teams that he played against.You guys are all welcome, but of course you know we want to make sure that our families for sure and close friends get there.

So I do want to just say for those of you again, if you are having protests.Um, even the day of his service, I am asking you guys to just keep it peaceful.Nolan would never want any type of violence or anything like that.He was not that kind of person.So if you guys would again, just, just be peaceful and to the community.Thank you so much.

Um, just the outpouring of love, support.Um, we've had some local officials, uh, Mayor Casey Vaughn from Goshay has reached out to us.Oh my gosh, I can't even tell you.He has, it's almost been every day.He's been texting to check on us.Also, Jeffrey Hollum, thank you so much.

He's been texting pretty much every day.Receiving a lot of Stories from Nolan's teachers, which just warms my heart, his classmates, teammates.So again, for those of you who have donated to the GoFundMe, once again, I stress, if you are not financially able to, we're not begging for that money, okay?If you're not financially able to, we understand.We thank you for whatever you can give, but if you cannot, if you would, just keep us in your prayers.And to his friends, stay strong and please just take care of your mental health because I know this is a lot.

It's a lot for us and I know you guys are feeling some of that too.So thank you all.

Are there any questions?

Yes, I'm scattering here with CBS News.The last time that You spoke in a setting like this.I know you guys are hoping to get results back from an independent autopsy.I know you mentioned that no one had been sent to Washington.Is there anything to share on that front?

Not at this time, but we hope soon, very soon.Obviously we're concentrating on the funeral services, but hopefully shortly thereafter we will be able to tell some findings of the preliminary autopsy.Still waiting on some things and also while we're talking about funeral services want to thank mr. Tyler Perry for Pam for the funeralas well as Colin Kaepernick for helping to shoulder the expense of the independent autopsy and I thank Reverend Al for agreeing to officiate on the funeral services.Yes, sir.

Aaron Gilchrist of NBC News.Mr. and Mrs. Wadsley, you said from the very beginning that for you this was really about getting some answers about what happened to your son.Do you feel like after your meeting today you have any more clarity on what happened?

It was just a meeting where she talked about the process.She didn't tell us any information about the investigation too much because those things are, as she said, her role and what she has to do.But they still have questions, and that's not insignificant to this meeting.It's just, in general, every morning they wake up and there's a hole in their heart, and they are trying to say, what happened to my son?Obviously, they feel strongly that he would not have just stayed behind.He wouldn't have left his cell phone.

And so we're trying to get to those answers.

Attorney Crump, Brian Rose, GC Wire.There's been a lot of misinformation that's been spread online, especially the pool picture that was shared by you.And you had said that...

Well, I didn't share it.I reposted it.We're reposting everything.Let's make it clear.We're reposting everything because we're trying to get people to come in and call.And so We've said from the beginning, we're in a ferocious search for the truth.

And so things out there we are trying to post as people.Do you know something about this?Let us know.Just because we repost does not mean that we authenticate anything.Look at our social media.We have always been

careful to say this is a repost, and we almost always give a declaration that that's what it is, a repost.And so we want people to continue to call about everything, videos, whatever interactions they saw.And thank God, we are getting dozens of people calling every day said I was on Horn Island.This is what I saw.I know these individuals.This is what we know.

They said we understand the sheriff's investigation has hundreds of people calling too.And so the hope is that when this is presented to the grand jury, all relevant witnesses and evidence will be presented to them so that we can have a fair, an impartial investigation into the death of Nolan Wells.We were very honest and candid with the district attorney.She was honest and candid with us.Our lived experiences tell us that we must question everything.Everybody's role, law enforcement role.

That is the lived experience of us as black people in America.And we will be not honoring the ancestor's sacrifices for us if we did not be honest every chance we got when we talk to power.

There's a lot of narratives out there right now.There's a lot of narratives out there right now.now.I'm not going to comment on any particular one.But whenever a case this big gets in the news, people try for whatever motivations, law enforcement or whoever people that call in, try to set up a narrative so that people will follow the narrative.Our job is to cut through all the noise and find the truth.

And the truth needs to be found by unbiased, investigation, as well as unbiased lawyers and all the people that are out here, all you investigatory journalists and everyone else.We just ask that you keep an open mind until we get to the truth.

And one of the things I will say, we are trying desperately to figure it out.And We don't profess to have all the answers, but what we're trying.And so when people call and tell us, this is this person, and then we get somebody saying that, no, this isn't that person.We're trying to balance it all.So we want to even be more careful ourselves to make certain that we're trying to get people to come forward and there are a lot of people who have different perspectives.We're getting that just from the phone calls that people who were there at the same time are saying different things, but we're going to get there.

We're going to get to the truth.

Uh, yes.Yeah.

And as she says, she, her role is confidential.at this point, but so she can maintain her prosecutorial independence.Obviously, I stress to her very strenuously to say, we want you to zealously, you and the sheriff's department, to zealously investigate this matter.And Christine and Elmore, their life experiences too.We know, we know, through our live experience is our life experiences.That's as she said, that's not how our office operates.

But we know in America, in the south, certain people are investigated differently.And we share that with the we didn't, you know, ask that she understand our perspective.But we said we should mutually try to understand each other's perspectives where we're coming from.And we agreed that we will try to do that.Well, no, we like we said, we're waiting.Let the doctors do what they do.

They ain't got their autopsy back, neither.So we're trying to get it right.And when we get it, we're going to share it.Yes, ma 'am.Yes.That's what a witness told us.

And that's what we report out.Then another witness said, no, that was it for us.We have other witnesses who said there were other altercations.So as Mr. Hurt said, we're trying to go through it all and so forth.And we'll be even more careful to say this is what a witness told us in the future.Now, we have audio people doing it, but we know.

certain people said it was him, and then certain people said it was not him.Oh my God, I saw a fake video.We don't want anybody's life to be in harm's way just because we're trying to get to the truth of what happened to Christine and Elmore's son.And we saw fake videos about AI -generated videos of Christine and it's just God awful as they are grieving and trying to fight for the truth that they also having to deal with these fake videos attacking them as they are just trying to literally bury their son next week.But we want everybody to say that we can go through this journey together for the truth and even though we may have different viewpoints.We can all agree that everybody wants the truth and nobody life should be threatened for seeking the truth.

Nobody should be, you know, presumed accountable until we have evidence.His mother and father only want and Christine has said it multiple times.She only wants what you will want.If this was your son, if this was your daughter, will you want desperately to get to the truth when you want people who were closest in proximity to what happened to be investigated and thoroughly investigated.We knowthat, you know, if it was no Nolan, how would he be investigated?

So one last question really quickly.

Just curious about the dynamic that you guys have seen in Elmore with law enforcement up until this point, have you all been able to speak with the sheriff and the lead investigators since what happened last week?

So that was actually clarified in today's meeting.Um, The DA's office wanted to take over that communications because they do have a victim advocate, which I appreciate.But of course, that wasn't what she took responsibility and accountability for.But we were not communicated with that information.So for us, like I said before, the last time we actually spoke to someone with the Sheriff's Department was last Tuesday.That was via text message that I initiated, just asking for an update.

Um, so that's the biggest thing is, you know, I appreciate that.She's had accountability for saying, Hey, that was actually are doing.But, you know, we have a set up now.And so the hope is that we'll have that open lines of communication.

So you feel like this with you?Attorney Hertz has a comment on that.

Let me just say that under the law in Mississippi, a victim is entitled within, I think it's 72 hours to get an incident report and have certain information shared.Um, It's been more than 72 hours and that's part of the meeting here today to start getting the incident report and all that information that we came here to collect as well as listen to the district attorney and what she had to say.

Did you get that report?

No, not yet.We are working with them to say there needs to be better communications with the clients and so forth.So the big things thatknow, there's going to be a grand jury into the death of Nolan Wells.And number two, that we're going to have a mutual inspection of Nolan's cell phone.We just want to make sure everybody else's cell phone is also being downloaded.

Thank you.