18岁黑人少年诺兰·韦尔斯（Nolan Wells）在密西西比州霍恩岛失踪身亡，其家族律师已聘请音频工程师对失踪当天的船舶求救电话进行专业审查[1]。失踪发生在7月4日，当时船上约有7人，求救电话中的声音称"我们的舱底泵停止工作了。我们正在下沉。你们能过来吗？"[1]
由于信息有限，网络舆论指控了韦尔斯船上的白人朋友，导致这些被指控者遭受死亡威胁和人肉搜索[1]。民权律师本·克伦普（Ben Crump）代表韦尔斯家族向检察机关要求引入外部权威对相关电话证据进行审查，克伦普表示"我们不是想诋毁任何人，我们想要的是真相"[1]。韦尔斯的母亲克里斯汀·翁斯利（Christine Wonsley）也表示"我们不会停止，直到获得答案"[1]。
韦尔斯家族委托的独立尸检结论为死因不确定，官方尸检报告仍保密，待陪审团审查[1]。
An 18-year-old Black teenager, Nolan Wells, went missing and died near Horn Island in Mississippi on July 4, in a case that has drawn significant public attention [1]. Civil rights attorney Ben Crump, representing Wells' family, announced that the family has hired audio engineers to review a distress call recording from the day of his disappearance [1]. The call captured someone stating, "Our bilge pump stopped working. We're sinking. Can y'all please come?" [1] Approximately seven people were aboard the vessel at the time [1].
Crump stated that the family is seeking the truth without attempting to cast aspersions on anyone, emphasizing the need for external expert review of the telephone evidence [1]. Wells' mother, Christine Wonsley, declared, "We will not rest until we get answers" [1]. An independent autopsy commissioned by the family concluded the cause of death was undetermined [1], while official autopsy results have been kept confidential pending review by a grand jury [1]. The case has generated significant online speculation, leading to unfounded accusations against Wells' white companions and resulting in death threats and doxxing incidents targeting the accused individuals [1].