President Donald Trump said that he might have federal investigators look into the death of Mississippi teenager Nolan Wells, who disappeared during a July 4 boat trip with friends.
Wells, 18, was found dead July 6 on the northwest end of the isolated Horn Island, days after he was reported missing. State and private autopsies listed Wells' cause and manner of death as undetermined, and a grand jury unanimously declined to indict anyone for a crime in connection with his death.
The case dredged up fears that Black Americans aren't safe among groups of predominantly White people and that their deaths won't be investigated properly. Wells' family hired civil rights attorney Ben Crump to lead an independent investigation, citing a lack of confidence
in law enforcement officials in a state with a history of extreme racial violence.
Reporters asked the president at the White House on Oct. 7 whether he planned to have the FBI conduct its own investigation.
"Well, we're looking at that. Yes, we are," he replied, according to a Reuters report.
Calls for federal investigation into Wells' death grow
Trump's response comes after the Congressional Black Caucus wrote a letter to U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche and FBI Director Kash Patel calling for a deeper look into the case in August. The NAACP and the Rev. Al Sharpton supported the demand.
On Oct. 5, Wells' parents, Christine and Elmore Wonsley, renewed the calls for a federal investigation into his death. U.S. Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.), U.S. Rep. Frederica Wilson (D-Fla.), Stop AAPI Hate and the National Asian Pacific American Women's Forum also spoke out and echoed demands for a federal investigation.
The Department of Justice said in a statement to People magazine on Oct. 6 that federal officials assisted with the initial investigation and agreed with the determination made by local authorities. The FBI did not immediately respond to a request for comment from USA TODAY about whether they will investigate Wells' death further.
Crump, who has previously called for the DOJ to investigate, welcomed Trump's comments.
“Sunday will mark 100 days since we have been looking into the death of Nolan Wells, so when President Trump responds to news reporters that ‘we’re looking into it,’ we believe that carries more weight than the response given by the FBI," Crump said in a statement. "Our team stands ready to work with the federal government to ensure Nolan's death is investigated to the fullest extent.”
What the grand jury investigation into Nolan Wells' death found
The grand jury concluded in its report released in September that Wells chose to remain on Horn Island to socialize, which was not uncommon for people to do on holidays. There was no evidence he got into any physical altercation or argument on July 4, the grand jury said.
The report said that "drowning is a diagnosis of exclusion," meaning other causes must be ruled out. Bruising found on his head was not a fatal injury and there was no evidence of any fatal injury, the grand jury said.
"The Grand Jury finds that the position of, the condition of, time of discovery, and location of Mr. Wells' body is consistent with drowning," the report said.
Jackson County District Attorney Angel Myers McIlrath dismissed speculation that race played a role in Wells' death and accused Crump's team of allowing false narratives about the case to spread
"The narrative that three White boys and a Black boy went to an island, and only three White friends returned, spread like wildfire," she said. "This was false."
The Wonsleys and their attorney have pushed back on the notion that Wells accidentally drowned and demanded further investigation. Crump has said it remains unclear why Wells remained on the island instead of going back with his friends, how he ended up in the water and what caused the bruising on the back of his head.
"Jackson County District Attorney Angel Myers McIlrath will have you accept that Nolan Wells' death can be summarized in three words: We'll never know," Crump said. "But Nolan's family offers three other words: We'll never stop."
Contributing: Reuters
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Trump says FBI may look into Nolan Wells' death
