The death of Nolan Wells, an 18-year-old who boated to a Mississippi barrier island on July 4 and never returned, has drawn national attention, with celebrities among those commenting on the case on social media.
Among them are Rachel Accurso — known as Ms. Rachel on YouTube, where she creates educational videos for children — and Nancy Grace, a former prosecutor turned television personality.
In an Instagram post that garnered more than 80,000 likes, Accurso said Wells and his family “deserve justice.” She also pointed to the racial tensions surrounding the case after photos surfaced showing Wells, who was Black, with white friends on the day of his disappearance.
“We know the investigation and everything that followed would have been different if Nolan Wells were white and his friends were Black,” Accurso wrote.
Grace discussed the case on her Fox One television series “Crime Stories with Nancy Grace,” where she questioned why the independent autopsy case did not identify findings consistent with drowning after Mississippi authorities said they believe Wells accidentally drowned.
“(Authorities) did apparently jump the gun at the get go and say no foul play suspected,” she said. “Well, I suspect foul play.”
Grace added that she is “not saying this is a homicide,” but said there are “a lot of disturbing circumstances” surrounding Wells’ death, including the discoloration found on the back of his head.
Accurso and Grace are the latest high-profile figures to speak out about the case. Actor Tyler Perry paid for Wells’ funeral, former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick covered the cost of the family’s independent autopsy, and the Rev. Al Sharpton spoke at the funeral and offered a reward for information leading to an arrest.
Former CNN anchor Don Lemon also interviewed civil rights attorney Ben Crump, who represents Wells’ family, while director Spike Lee attended the teen’s funeral in Ocean Springs.
The investigation into Wells’ death remains ongoing. Jackson County Sheriff John Ledbetter and District Attorney Angel Myers-McIlrath promised a thorough and fair investigation into Wells’ death, though Ledbetter said earlier in July no evidence showing foul play had yet been discovered.
Last week, an independent autopsy commissioned by Crump’s law firm concluded that Wells’ cause of death remains undetermined. Crump said the autopsy conducted by the Jackson County Coroner’s Office shortly after Wells’ body was recovered on Horn Island on July 6 could provide additional answers.
Myers-McIlrath said last week findings in the investigation would not be released until after a grand jury review.