By Daily Mail (U.S.) | Created at 2026-07-20 21:02:06 | Updated at 2026-08-05 04:19:01
2 weeks ago
Al Sharpton and Tyler Perry offered a $100,000 reward for information leading to an arrest in connection with Nolan Wells' death during a funeral for the football player.
Wells, 18, was found dead on the northwestern tip of Horn Island, just south of Ocean Springs, Mississippi, two days after a Fourth of July boating trip with friends.
He allegedly stayed behind on the island while his friends returned to the mainland on a boat, according to authorities. His body was found after his mother filed a missing person report on July 5.
Jackson County Sheriff John Ledbetter said authorities do not suspect foul play and believe that Wells had chosen to stay on the island.
Authorities initially believed that he died from drowning, although no cause of death has officially been released.
Wells' family has raised questions about his death and has demanded a thorough and urgent investigation.
During a fiery eulogy at Wells' funeral in a Mississippi church on Monday, Sharpton promised a total of $100,000 reward for any new information about the circumstances around Wells' death.
'I'm so inspired by who's accused us of that, that I want to put up a reward of $50,000 for anybody who could give the information that will lead to an arrest and a conviction in the case of what happened,' Sharpton said, referring to critics who have accused the Wells family and their team of using his death for financial gain.
Al Sharpton and Tyler Perry offered a $100,000 reward for information leading to an arrest during a funeral for the football player
Wells, 18, was found dead on the northwestern tip of Horn Island, just south of Ocean Springs, Mississippi , two days after a Fourth of July boating trip with friends
'He was not on that island by himself. Somebody saw something and knows something. So I didn't come to make money. I came to give money. Stand up and tell the truth. Whatever it is, good or bad.
'We're not gonna prejudge it, but we cannot end it until we know all the facts. So all you got to do is reach out to Attorney Crump's office, and National Action Network can do that if it leads to an arrest and conviction. And I will, I guarantee you, you'll have it before the sun goes down.
Quickly after Sharpton made his announcement, he received a message from Perry matching his donation.
'You know that Tyler Perry said he would pay for the funeral. He must be watching because he said I'm gonna match you and put up $50,000 more. So we're putting up $100,000 for anybody that'll come forward,' Sharpton said.
'We just want the truth. That's all. We just want the truth, and we want to thank Tyler Perry.'
The teen's mother, Christine Wonsley, said of her son, 'He had a way of making people feel seen, welcomed and valued. He could lift your confidence with just a few words and make you feel like you belong.'
Audio revealed last week that Wells' friends were heard calmly asking 911 operators for assistance after their boat began taking on water shortly before the teenager apparently drowned.
'Hey, we're at the west tip of Horn, and our bilge pump stopped working,' a male voice is heard saying.' We're sinking, can y'all please come.'
The Wells family hired civil rights attorney Ben Crump, who has been involved in multiple high-profile cases, including representing George Floyd's family, as police investigate how the teen died.
Jackson County Sheriff John Ledbetter said authorities do not suspect foul play and believe that Wells had chosen to stay on the island
An attorney for Nolan Wells' family shared a photo of the football player allegedly at a pool party before he died
Crump reshared an Instagram post suggesting Wells may have made it back to the island and attended a pool party before he died, declaring it as evidence that the current timeline surrounding his death may be flawed.
'The streets are talking! Now listen, I don't know if these are facts or rumors because no official statements have been confirmed,' the repost from an account called Shannel Tarot TV said.
The post continued: 'We sometimes have to follow all clues until the truth is found. Here is what was discovered on social media last night.
'Social media allegations claim a photo exists of Nolan at a land-based pool party in Jackson County before 1am on July 5.'
The post included an image of a group of young people in a swimming pool, with a black boy in the background whose face is not visible, circled in red.
The photo has not been verified, and the Daily Mail contacted Crump and the Jackson County Sheriff's Office for more information.
