• Nolan Wells traveled by boat with friends to Horn Island in Mississippi on July 4 and was found dead there two days later
• The case has drawn national interest and fueled widespread speculation as questions remain about what led to Wells’ death and how he spent his final hours on an island crowded with visitors during the July Fourth holiday
• Viral social media posts falsely claimed Wells is related to pioneering journalist and civil rights activist Ida B. Wells, prompting her great-granddaughter to speak out and set the record straight

The great-granddaughter of Ida B. Wells is debunking viral social media claims that Nolan Wells, the 18-year-old Mississippi college athlete whose mysterious death has captivated national attention, is related to the pioneering journalist and civil rights activist.

Wells traveled by boat with friends to Horn Island off Mississippi’s coast on July 4 but did not return with them. What happened before the group left the island has become a point of contention and many questions about Wells’ final hours remain unanswered.

Although Jackson County officials initially said they did not suspect foul play and believed Wells may have drowned, Wells’ parents have have argued officials rushed to judgement, especially given Mississippi’s history of racial injustice.

An investigation into Wells’ death, which has spurred widespread online speculation, remains ongoing — but Michelle Duster, 62, a great-granddaughter of Ida B. Wells, said she was drawn...

Read Full Story: https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiwgFBVV95cUxQRy1hOHpGVF82QThfbksyV1hz...