Nationwide — Christine Wonsley, the mother of Nolan Wells, has pushed back against online criticism of her family as they continue to grieve his death. She spoke out Monday, August 31, after a photo of her sitting beside another man at a football game sparked comments about her marriage and questions about her husband, Elmore. She made it clear that Nolan’s father remains present in the lives of their children and urged people to stop making hurtful comments while the family deals with the loss.
In a Facebook post, she said anyone taking photos should also include Elmore because he is “ALWAYS present for his children.” She praised him for being a devoted father before addressing those who had criticized the family. “KEEP YOUR DEPLORABLE COMMENTS TO YOURSELVES,” she wrote. The response came as the family continues to face online scrutiny following Nolan’s death.
Christine has also been open about the pain her family is experiencing. In another post Monday, she said “grief has no time limit” and that everyone handles loss differently. She described waking up each morning with panic and overwhelming emotions as she thinks about what the family has lost and the future Nolan will never get to experience. Their home, she said, feels “definitely more melancholy” without him. Nolan had lived with his family for 18 years and was only away while attending school. Despite the pain, she said the family must keep moving forward.
The scrutiny has gone beyond social media. An anonymous professional misconduct complaint was filed against Wonsley with the Mississippi Board of Nursing. The board briefly opened an investigation before closing it later that same day.
According to BIN News, Elmore has also publicly shared how difficult it has been to cope with his son’s absence, particularly now that football season has started. On August 27, he wrote about sitting in the bleachers as his two youngest sons played. He said he kept thinking about Nolan and how he should have been there for his first junior college game of the season. He remembered his son as someone with “high character, integrity, and humble” qualities. He also recalled that trust was the focus of their final conversation.
Nolan was a standout football player at Ocean Springs High School before attending Southwest Mississippi Community College. He disappeared July 4 during a boating trip near Horn Island, Mississippi, and authorities found his body two days later. His family continues to seek answers about what happened. “We only want to know WHAT HAPPENED TO OUR SON NOLAN,” Wonsley wrote. A state autopsy has been completed, but officials have not released the findings publicly. No one has been charged in connection with Nolan’s death, and the investigation remains ongoing.