Nolan Wells’ family says phone is ready for forensic examination, challenges delays
TheGrio...
The family’s attorneys say they have made Nolan’s phone available for examination by both sides’ forensic experts, with the possibility of FBI involvement.
The family of 18-year-old Nolan Xavier Wells says it is ready to make his cellphone immediately available for a joint forensic examination as questions continue to surround the circumstances of his death.
In an Aug. 17 letter to Jackson County District Attorney Angel Myers McIlrath, attorney Ahmad R. Smith, one of the attorneys that represents Wells’ family along with Benjamin Crump, asked the district attorney’s office to select any time between Tuesday, Aug. 18, and Friday, Aug. 21, for the examination. The family requested at least 12 hours’ notice so its forensic experts can be present.
The examination was previously agreed upon by the parties during a July 15 meeting, according to the family’s legal team. At that time, attorneys said the plan called for a coordinated examination involving experts for both sides, with possible FBI participation. The Digital Forensics Lab at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College had also been identified as a potential location.
The dispute over the phone intensified last week after the district attorney’s office reportedly directed the family to deliver the device by 9 a.m. Aug. 14, giving them less than 48 hours to comply. The family’s attorneys said Nolan’s parents were out of state at the time and that the parties had not finalized a forensic protocol covering issues including chain of custody, preservation of extracted data, access to the information and the phone’s return.
In Monday’s letter, Smith said the family remains willing to cooperate and asked the district attorney’s office to confirm whether the examination would still occur at the previously selected community college location.
“The family and their legal team are actively conducting an independent investigation and remain cooperative with your office to complete a thorough investigation,” Smith wrote.
The phone could be significant to the investigation because Wells’ family has previously raised questions about what information may be contained on the device. The family recovered the phone after Wells disappeared during a July Fourth trip to Horn Island with friends. His body was found in the water near the island on July 6.
Authorities have not announced a final cause or manner of death, and the investigation remains ongoing. The family continues to seek answers about what happened to Wells in the hours before his death.