Attorney Ben Crump, who has been hired by Nolan Wells’ family, is under fire for allegedly spreading “unverified information” about the case. Journalist Sarah Field slammed Crump after he reposted a viral pool party photo without verifying the information.
Crump posted a photo that claims to show the teen at a land-based pool party in Jackson County on July 5, a day before he was found dead. He stressed that he was posting it even though he wasn’t sure “if these are facts or rumors.”
The photo sparked wild speculation on social media, with some people saying it was proof that Wells was alive on the mainland that night, possibly past the last time he was seen alive on Horn Island. However, it was later revealed that it was an old photo being circulated with misleading claims.
‘This is exactly how false narratives are created’
Field slammed Crump for “helping spread unverified information.”
“This is getting ridiculous. Ben Crump is an ATTORNEY. Yet here he is, acting like a teenager with a social media account chasing clicks. He knows – or at least should know – the difference between evidence and internet gossip. Yet here he is amplifying a post that literally admits, “I don’t know if these are facts or rumors.” He is helping spread unverified information,” she wrote on X.
“This is exactly how false narratives are created. Someone posts a rumor. A high-profile figure repeats it. Millions of people (who think Crump has any credibility) assume it has been vetted simply because of who shared it. Before long, complete strangers are being tried and convicted on social media over information that may have nothing to do with the case. That’s not how investigations work. That’s not how responsible journalism works. And frankly, it’s not how attorneys should conduct themselves, either,” she added.
Fields stressed that anyone who really cares about finding out what happened to Wells should “stop treating every viral rumor like it’s a clue” and “wait for tangible evidence and facts.”
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“Because once misinformation spreads across the internet, you don’t just delete it and pretend the damage never happened. It follows innocent people long after the facts finally catch up. Trust me, I know,” she concluded.
What we know about the photo
The photo shows a group of youngsters in a pool, with a boy marked with red to indicate he is Wells. His face is not clearly visible in the photo.
Tracetin Shepherd, Wells’ friend, told Rolling Stone the photo was taken on Saturday, June 27, in Pass Christian. He also told ABC that it was posted as part of a summer photo dump. The original poster of the photo deleted it when lies about the picture began to surface.
Rolling Stone reporters who got the metadata confirmed that the photo was taken at 11:58 pm on June 27.
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Recently, an unverified account claimed a story about the pool party photo that described a brutal murder. The post described events that took place after Wells was reported missing, and the story did not match previously reported facts about the case, according to the Clarion Ledger.
Now the photo has been verified to not be from July 5. Screenshots, however, continue to spread on social media, with some calling it a “breakthrough.”
The Ocean Springs, Mississippi, teen was reportedly found dead in the water on the northwest end of Horn Island on Monday morning, July 6. Wells went missing on July 4 after taking a boat to the island with friends. The search for the teen was called off after a body was found by a park ranger on Monday, July 6.
