The parents of Nolan Xavier Wells are publicly questioning the circumstances surrounding their son's death — and they are starting with his phone.
Christine Wonsley told Good Morning America anchor Michael Strahan on Friday (July 10) that Nolan's phone was picked up by a family friend after it was tracked via Life360.
"It wasn't like they said, 'we got his phone,'" the family's attorney, Ben Crump, noted.
Nolan's mother also said the phone's location history differed from what friends had been seeing through Snapchat, and that both of his Snapchat accounts were empty.
"When we finally got his phone, me and my sister went through the phone. We went in his Snapchat. He had two accounts. Absolutely nothing," she said. "It wasn't even 24 hours, which is how long videos and pictures stay in Snapchat, and I was just like that can’t be.”
Christine went on to explain that Nolan used the app consistently, “when he goes and he’s having fun, like he does videos.” She said this time, though, “there was absolutely nothing… even my sister was like… ‘that’s suspicious.’”
Crump also told GMA that a video exists of Nolan telling someone, "Give me my freaking phone. What are you freaking doing?"
"No young person leaves their cell phone," Crump said. "It's not adding up, and that is the problem when you think about the history of Mississippi."
Christine and Elmore Wonsley appeared on GMA Friday morning alongside Crump for their first public interview since their son's body was recovered July 6. They called for a full, transparent investigation.
"We just want honesty and transparency. We want a thorough investigation," Christine Wonsley said. "We want that same respect that would be given to anybody else, and that's it. We just want answers."
The parents also disputed the account that Nolan chose to stay behind on Horn Island while his friends returned to the mainland.
"We always taught him if you go with a group, you stay with the group," Elmore Wonsley said. "If you go with five, you come back with five. Do not separate from the group. He always said yes, sir. So he knew to stay with his group. So why would he split from his group? I don't know."
Former NFL quarterback and civil rights activist Colin Kaepernick has also stepped in. According to Crump, Kaepernick helped pay for Nolan’s independent autopsy. The teen's body was flown to Washington, D.C., for the autopsy. Crump said results could come as soon as Friday.
Jackson County Sheriff John Ledbetter also spoke to GMA Friday, saying nothing "yet" from the evidence collected indicates foul play, but that the investigation is ongoing.
"We are providing a thorough, professional, and accurate investigation. That's what we're going to continue to do, until we arrive at the answers that the family deserves," Ledbetter said.
He urged the public for patience as investigators review a "substantial amount" of tips and photo and video evidence.
The state medical examiner's autopsy was conducted Tuesday, but results — including toxicology — could take weeks.
Investigators previously told ABC News they suspect Wells drowned, though the investigation is continuing.
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