Nolan Wellsâs body was found on Horn Islandâs northwestern tip, two days after he vanished on July 4
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NEED TO KNOW
- Nolan Wellsâ body was found on Horn Island, Miss., on July 6, two days after he traveled there by boat with friends to celebrate the Fourth of July
- The teenâs mother, Christine Wonsley, has been receiving hate mail amid her unanswered questions about the circumstances of his death
- âWhoever sent this to my home, may the good Lord have mercy on your soul,â she wrote on social media
Nolan Wellsâ mother has a message for the individual who sent her family hate mail following the death of her son.
Almost two weeks after the 18-year-old college studentâs body was found, following his vanishing on Horn Island during a Fourth of July celebration, Christine Wonsley has responded to mail from an anonymous sender.
âWhoever sent this to my home, may the good Lord have mercy on your soul,â Christine wrote on Facebook, alongside a photo of the hate mail. âBold enough to send this crap but not bold enough to list your return address,â she continued.
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The hate mail appeared to be an emotional photo of her at a press conference with her husband, Elmore Wonsley, as Rev. Al Sharpton and attorney Ben Crump placed their hands on her shoulders in support.
The sender illustrated on the photo arrows coming from Crump and Sharptonâs eyes that pointed toward Christine. Next to the arrows, the sender drew multiple dollar signs.
âThis is America where a grieving mother and father have to deal with this type of behavior because we asked a simple question of what happened to our son and accepted all the help we could get to find answers,â Christine wrote on Facebook. âPlease go touch some grass.â
Nolan, a community college student and football player, was reported missing on the evening of July 4 after he had taken a boat with some friends to Horn Island, which is off the coast of Mississippi, for a party.
The Jackson County sheriff and some of his friends said that he opted to stay behind on the island without his phone, reportedly after meeting a young woman.
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While the sheriff initially indicated they didnât see signs of foul play, Nolanâs parents suspect that something more nefarious could have happened. An official autopsy and independent autopsy are pending, including a toxicology report.
The medical examiner has declined to share more information with PEOPLE, saying they will not speculate in lieu of official findings.
âIf heâs drowning, nobody sees him drown? Nobody offers assistance? Nobody tries to help?â family attorney Ben Crump said last week.
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Emphasizing that they taught their son better than to engage in reckless behavior, Nolanâs parents have launched their own investigation into his disappearance and death.
âI know he wouldnât do that. I preached that to him every day ⊠Youâre lying to me,â Elmore told TheGrio of Nolanâs alleged decision to stay behind on the island instead of heading back with his friends.
In an effort to honor her son and tell his story, Christine shared an emotional video to social media on Thursday, July 16, thanking supporters for their âloveâ and âkindnessâ following Nolanâs death.
âRight now everything is so heavy. Everything is so heavy. Just been going through the motions. Iâm a health care provider so I talk about grief a lot,â she said in an Instagram video. âNow to be on the other side of this, itâs a lot. I lost my mom a few years ago and that was hard. This loss, this pain, this grief hits different. Itâs unsurmountable.â
âI feel like I canât breathe and I feel like there is an elephant just sitting on my chest, but I know this is the process,â she added. âI have a wonderful support system, I have my faith in God, which Iâve been leaning heavy into.â