Rev. Al Sharpton is daring three of Nolan Wells’ friends to follow through on their attorneys’ threat to sue him for defamation.
Attorneys Edward Andrew Paltzik and J. Tyler Cox are representing Warren Hudson, Jax Pitalo, and Morgan Seymour.
The attorneys notified Sharpton of their plans to sue in a letter filed Friday, giving him time to “retract and delete every false and defamatory statement about them,” according to the Sun Herald.
Defamation Claims
In the letter, the attorneys allege that Sharpton defamed the trio during an interview with TMZ on July 14.
During that interview, Sharpton questioned why Wells went missing without his phone and pointed to potential wrongdoing, saying there were “too many unanswered questions.”
“One, he’s missing without a cell phone,” Sharpton said. “Two, you lie about whether or not you had the cell phone and the (Nolan’s) keys. And three, everything is erased from the cell phone. That’s too many unanswered questions for us not to say that something is amiss here.”
Wells went missing after spending July 4 with friends on Horn Island in Mississippi. Authorities found his body two days later in the same place he went missing.
The attorneys’ letter highlighted statements Sharpton made at the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) convention, as well as during an Aug. 19 virtual prayer vigil hosted by the National Action Network on what would have been Wells’ 19th birthday.
The attorneys claim in those remarks Sharpton was referring to Hudson, Pitalo and Seymour.
“You falsely accused these three completely innocent young men of extremely serious wrongdoing that constitutes multiple felonies under Mississippi law, including, but not limited to: Murder, hindering prosecution in the first degree and tampering with physical evidence,” the letter said.
Sharpton Responds
Sharpton said he would have his lawyers contact the attorneys so they could serve him with the lawsuit.
“I did not know their names, so I did not defame them, we have a right and a duty to raise questions that were raised to me by Nolan’s parents,” Sharpton said in a statement.
Sharpton said he welcomes a lawsuit because it could force everyone who was with Wells before his death to answer questions under oath and allow for “depositions, discovery and a full examination of the facts.”
He said he joined Wells’ parents, Christine and Elmore Wonsley, in seeking the truth about their son’s death and demanding a transparent, accountable investigation.
“If a lawsuit is a catalyst for the truth, then it is welcomed and it will not deter NAN or me from continuing to stand with the family in their pursuit of justice,” Sharpton wrote.
The Jackson County Sheriff’s Office continues to investigate Wells’ death and will present its findings to a grand jury, which will determine whether criminal charges are warranted.
