Al Sharpton and Tyler Perry put up reward money in Nolan Wells case
Sharpton announced a $50,000 reward at the teen’s funeral, with Tyler Perry also offering money for tips, TMZ reported.
By Poppy Nakagawa · Culture Writer
3 min read
Al Sharpton used the funeral of 18-year-old Nolan Wells to announce a $50,000 reward for information that leads to an arrest and conviction in the teen’s death, TMZ reported.
Sharpton said Monday that he and the National Action Network were offering the money, and TMZ reported that Tyler Perry is also offering a reward. The announcement came as Wells’ family continues to challenge the official view of what happened after he vanished during a Fourth of July trip to Mississippi’s Horn Island.
According to TMZ, Sharpton told mourners that anyone with information should contact the office of civil rights attorney Ben Crump, who is representing Wells’ family. Sharpton said the reward money would be paid the same day if a tip produces an arrest and conviction.
Wells disappeared after taking a boat to Horn Island with friends, TMZ reported. The friends said he stayed behind without his phone. His body was found in the water two days later.
Authorities have said they believe Wells drowned and that investigators had not found evidence of a crime, according to TMZ. His family has continued to question that finding and is pursuing an independent investigation with Crump’s help.
Sharpton presses for answers
During his remarks, Sharpton said Wells had not been alone on the island and argued that someone knows more about what happened on the trip, TMZ reported.
The reward announcement adds another high-profile name to the case. TMZ previously reported that Colin Kaepernick agreed to pay for an independent autopsy, while Perry covered the funeral costs.
Sharpton also addressed criticism aimed at him and Crump. According to TMZ, Wells’ mother, Christine Wonsley, received a defaced photo showing dollar signs drawn around her while Sharpton and Crump stood nearby, appearing to accuse the men of profiting from the family’s grief.
Sharpton rejected that accusation at the funeral, saying, according to TMZ: “I didn’t come to make money, I came to give money.”
Family keeps questioning the case
Crump’s role in the case has kept national attention on the teen’s death, even as authorities have publicly described the case as a suspected drowning. TMZ reported that the family’s independent effort remains active.
The case has also drawn attention beyond the investigation itself. TMZ reported earlier that the FBI was looking into alleged threats connected to the Wells case. No additional details about the status of that inquiry were included in the latest report.
For now, Sharpton, the National Action Network and Perry are tying their money to a specific outcome: information that results in both an arrest and a conviction in Wells’ death.
This story draws on original reporting from TMZ.