The parents of Nolan Wells say they have received anonymous hate mail as they prepare to lay their son to rest, adding another painful chapter to a case that has drawn national attention.

Wells, an 18-year-old wide receiver at Southwest Mississippi Community College, disappeared during a Fourth of July trip with friends to Horn Island, a barrier island about 10 miles off the Mississippi Gulf Coast. His body was found on July 6 in waters near the island’s northwestern tip.

According to investigators, Wells’ friends said he chose to stay behind on the island and planned to get a ride back with another group. However, his phone and keys were later found on the boat his friends had used, and his family has continued to question that account.

His mother, Christine Wonsley, shared a photo of the hate mail on Facebook after it was delivered to the family’s home. The envelope was postmarked in Denver on July 15.

Inside was a defaced Associated Press photograph taken during a July 10 news conference at the National Action Network headquarters in New York. The image showed Wonsley standing with civil rights leader Al Sharpton and family attorney Ben Crump. The anonymous sender drew arrows and dollar signs around Sharpton and Crump while placing Wonsley in the center of the altered photo.

In her Facebook post, Wonsley condemned the sender and defended her family’s decision to seek legal and public support.

“Whoever sent this to my home, may the good Lord have mercy on your soul.”

She added that the person was “bold enough to send this crap but not bold enough to list your return address” and said it was heartbreaking that a grieving family had to endure such treatment simply for asking what happened to their son.

A funeral for Wells is scheduled for Monday at Center Pointe Church in Ocean Springs. Visitation will be held from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. local time, followed by the service. Sharpton is expected to deliver the eulogy, while Crump will give what the family’s legal team described as a “Call to Justice.”

The family’s GoFundMe campaign has raised more than $735,000, including a $100,000 donation from Byron Allen.

Meanwhile, the investigation remains active. The FBI has confirmed that its Jackson Field Office is assisting the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office with parts of the investigation and is also examining reported interstate threats connected to the case.

Authorities initially said they did not suspect foul play, but official autopsy results have not yet been released as toxicology testing is still pending.

Crump and Wells’ family have challenged the sheriff’s timeline and say witness statements contain inconsistencies. Crump recently revealed that his team obtained video footage that he believes shows a confrontation shortly before Wells disappeared. He said a voice in the recording can be heard saying, “Give me my freaking phone. What are you freaking doing?”

However, Tracestin Shepherd, a friend who was on the island that day, told Rolling Stone that he was the person yelling in the video and that Wells was not visible in the footage.

Crump has also pointed out that Wells appeared to be one of the few Black individuals among roughly 200 people gathered on the island during the holiday celebration. He said the family’s experiences have led them to question every aspect of the case, including witness accounts and the handling of the investigation.

During the July 10 news conference in New York, Crump announced that Colin Kaepernick’s Know Your Rights Camp would fund an independent autopsy for Wells. He also said filmmaker Tyler Perry had offered to cover the family’s funeral expenses.

Following a recent meeting between the family’s legal team and Angel Myers McIlrath, officials confirmed that the completed death investigation will be presented to a grand jury for review. A grand jury will decide whether there is enough evidence to support possible criminal charges.

New questions have also emerged from emergency radio audio recorded on July 4. The recording captures a distress call made around 4 p.m. by the operator of the boat carrying Wells’ friends, reporting a bilge pump failure near Horn Island. The call came about an hour after Wells was reportedly last seen and before the boat returned to the mainland.

The audio does not explain what happened to Wells, but it provides one of the clearest documented snapshots of the chaotic hours surrounding his disappearance.