Nolan Wells' family marks his 19th birthday with national day of prayer
"Please continue praying for us, especially today," Nolan Wells' mom said.
Nolan Wells' family is marking what would have been the Mississippi teenager's 19th birthday with a national day of prayer on Wednesday.
"Nolan was an incredible person, and his loss has definitely affected our family in ways we could have never imagined," Wells' mother, Christine Wonsley, said through tears at a virtual prayer vigil. "So I just ask that you please continue praying for us, especially today."
Wells' father, Elmore Wonsley, called the birthday an especially hard day for the family as he spoke about missing his son's voice and presence.
Multiple faith leaders spoke, offering support for the family and praying for clarity in Wells' death.
Rev. Al Sharpton was among the speakers, vowing to stand with the family until the circumstances surrounding Wells' death come to light.
"We are not accusing anybody of anything -- we are saying that this family has made it clear from the beginning, all they want is the truth," Sharpton said.
Wells will also be honored at a prayer rally Wednesday night.
The Mississippi teenager went missing after going on a Fourth of July boat trip with friends to Horn Island, just off the Gulf Coast, authorities said.
His body was recovered two days later and his cause of death remains unknown. Authorities said they suspect Wells drowned and Jackson County Sheriff John Ledbetter said there was no initial indication of a crime, but he stressed that investigators are "working diligently to determine exactly what occurred."
In a preliminary report from a private autopsy commissioned by Wells' family, his cause and manner of death were listed as "undetermined pending investigation," with the independent pathologist acknowledging multiple limitations in the report.
The results of the autopsy from the State Medical Examiner's office have not yet been made public and the investigation is ongoing.
Jackson County District Attorney Angel Myers McIlrath promised again on Tuesday that she will "present the Grand Jury with a thorough, complete, and fair investigation into the death of Nolan Wells."
The DA's office has said convening a grand jury does not mean there is any criminality and is standard procedure for most unnatural or suspicious deaths in the county.
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