Amna Nawaz
@PBSNewsHour·5.3M subscribers·62.2K videos
Loved ones pay tribute at Nolan Wells' funeral
Posted
July 21, 2026
Views
10,616
Likes
444
Engagement
4.18%
July 21, 2026
10,616
444
4.18%
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1:11Now PlayingFamily, friends, and supporters paid tribute at a funeral in Mississippi Monday for Nolan Wells.
They also demanded answers about the death of Wells, a Black teenager who went missing after a July 4 boat trip with his white friends.
His mother, Christine Wonsley, remembered the 18-year-old as a gifted athlete and a role model to his younger siblings. Wonsley also recalled him as having a "gentle, calming spirit about him."
The Rev. Al Sharpton gave a eulogy in which he criticized what he called the "unanswered questions" in the teen's death. And he invoked the history of racist violence in Mississippi, which included the killings of Emmett Till and Medgar Evers.
"We can't have people in law enforcement saying there was no foul play before an investigation," Sharpton said.
He promised a $50,000 reward for new information about the case, an amount later matched by actor and producer Tyler Perry.
An investigation is ongoing.
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