ATLANTA — The mother of the Mississippi teenager investigators say drowned during a boating trip with friends says she has come under attack for trying to get answers.
The parents of 18-year-old Nolan Wells spoke before a packed room of journalists in Atlanta for a convention.
It’s where Nolan’s mother, Christine Wonsley, said people have filed false misconduct allegations with the nursing board to try and get her license revoked.
“These attacks are not going to...It’s not going to break me,” she said.
Nolan’s mother told members of the National Association of Black Journalists she has come under attack for trying to find out what happened to her son.
“We have to find out what happened to Nolan. That is the only question we’ve ever asked. We’ve never blamed anyone,” Christine Wonsley said.
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Nolan went with friends on a July 4 weekend boating trip in Mississippi. Investigators say he drowned and there was no foul play.
But Nolan’s parents say those investigators rushed to judgment.
Nolan’s father says his son’s friends gave him so many inconsistent stories.
He said they said Nolan left with a girl.
He doesn’t believe that, saying he taught his son to never separate from friends he arrived with.
Elmore Wonsley said the friends initially couldn’t find his car keys and said they had his phone.
“You said he doesn’t have his phone. He doesn’t leave his phone,” he said.
Civil Rights Activist Reverend Al Sharpton said Mississippi’s history with race concerns him.
“Something about this don’t make sense given your history. And I’m gonna stay on this until we find out what happened,” Sharpton said.
Attorney Ben Crump says the family needs answers.
“Let’s get to the truth of what happened to Nolan Wells,” Crump said.
U.S. Rep. Lucy McBath says the Congressional Black Caucus has asked the Department of Justice to investigate the case.
Christine Wonsley told the journalists it’s important to keep this story in the news.
“Thank you for keeping our son’s story alive,” she said.
A district attorney in Mississippi is convening a grand jury to look into the case.
Nolan’s friends have said they had nothing to do with his death.
The parents are asking everyone to say a prayer in Nolan’s memory on Wednesday.
That would have been his 19th birthday.
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