HIS 19TH BIRTHDAY IS THIS WEDNESDAY — NOLAN WELLS’ FAMILY IS STILL WAITING FOR ANSWERS

This Wednesday should have been a celebration.

Instead, Nolan Wells’ parents will mark what would have been their son’s 19th birthday without him.

The 18-year-old college student disappeared after a July 4 boating trip to Horn Island, Mississippi, and his body was found two days later.

More than a month later, his family says they still do not have the answers they need.

 “ALL WE WANT TO KNOW IS WHAT HAPPENED”

Nolan’s parents, Christine Wells-Wonsley and Elmore Wonsley, recently appeared before journalists at the National Association of Black Journalists convention in Atlanta.

Their message was painfully simple:

They want to know what happened to their son.

The family has questioned the circumstances surrounding Nolan’s disappearance and has called for greater transparency in the investigation. Civil-rights attorney Ben Crump and Rev. Al Sharpton have joined the family in demanding answers.

WHY ARE QUESTIONS STILL UNANSWERED?

Authorities initially considered drowning and have not publicly established foul play.

But Nolan’s family continues to question several aspects of the timeline, including why he remained on the island while his friends left and why his cellphone was reportedly left behind on the boat.

That phone has still not undergone the forensic examination the family believes could help clarify Nolan’s final hours, amid a dispute between the family and prosecutors over how the examination should be conducted.THE INVESTIGATION IS NOT OVER

The Jackson County District Attorney has indicated that evidence will be presented to a grand jury.

The official investigation has not publicly concluded that Nolan was the victim of a homicide, and his cause of death remains an unresolved issue in the public record.

At the same time, members of the Congressional Black Caucus have called for the Department of Justice to review the case, adding another layer of scrutiny.

A BIRTHDAY THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN DIFFERENT

Nolan was remembered as a promising young student-athlete with his future ahead of him.

Instead of planning his 19th birthday, his parents are asking investigators, officials and the public to keep asking questions.

They have called for people to remember Nolan on August 19, the birthday he will never get to celebrate himself.

HE SHOULD HAVE BEEN TURNING 19.

HIS FAMILY IS STILL WAITING FOR ANSWERS.

HIS PHONE HAS YET TO BE FORENSICALLY EXAMINED.

AND THE INVESTIGATION REMAINS UNDER SCRUTINY.

The biggest unanswered question remains the one Nolan’s parents have repeated from the beginning:

What happened to their son during his final hours on Horn Island?

Independent commentary based on current reporting. Questions raised by Nolan’s family are not presented as proof of foul play, and the investigation remains ongoing.