I deliberately move beyond the term of…’ghastly’

when considering this …crime.

Personally, I find myself reaching much farther…

than the …’tragic’…chime.

Rather I descend to a tier where that so deep…

riveting, committed thing call…’trust’…

was literally spat upon and ripped to shreds…

A place where the nauseating rancid order of…betrayal…

laced so hypocritically with…'friendship’…

became Nolan Xavier Wells…last conscious bed.

This young Black man’s background was…a plus

being the product of a ‘mixed’ heritage sealing

Whereby he absolutely harbored…no fruits…

that were covered with racism’s…rotten peeling.

Biloxi, Mississippi, County of Jackson…

is where Nolan, in fact, was born and raised

where his…friendships…were planted and grown

Thus, he was ‘surrounded’ not with strangers

but with those with whom he was familiar…

even, he thought…were well known.

He was enjoying himself, on a care-free holiday weekend…

he and his…’friends’

‘Partying’ and, yes, as young pre-adults often do…drinking

him having no idea the last hours of his life were…blinking.

There was absolutely no reason to be cautious or withdrawn

no cause for ‘carefulness’ to be adorned…

As he felt at ease with his ‘buddies’, having spent a ‘dream night’

with a girl of…his choosing…’til dawn.

Photos reveal this young athlete’s ‘relaxed’ demeanor

so, I reason, even if there was a disagreement or ‘bend’…

Nolan, a promising athlete, didn’t feel the need to, perhaps…

‘watch his back’ for an ‘attack’ from…his friends.

There are now many speculations and opinions…

about what could have happened to ‘suddenly’ change

the congenial atmosphere…

Indeed, unanswered questions about Nolan’s, obvious…killing

which continue to wrench a father’s broken heart and pull…

from her mournful, crushed soul…a mother’s unconsolable tears.

Let me say; not even for a moment do I perceive…

that…whatever happened…was treacherously planned

But, in the heat of a discourse, fueled with alcohol…

an evil act was carried out, rather than choosing it…to disband.

It can happen, as I am reminded of Eden…

in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye

Cain, full of…wrathful jealousy…rose up and decided

his brother, Abel…should die.

And there followed the denying and lying

the same then as now…

Ah, but Raphah…as He did then, saw…

that…innocent blood…stained a ‘guilty’ brow.

Yet, also…there’s a ‘glaring’ that can’t be overlooked;

if Nolan had been Caucasian and his perpetrator Black…

The offender would presently be sitting in jail, anticipating…

a dire sentencing, one which ultimately would never retract.

However, it is the other way around…

with the one responsible for a death… protected…

The vigorous ‘cover-up’…seemingly…sound…

with the individual remaining...undetected.

But, our All-Knowing God…always, always has the final say…

and with this in mind…I do pray;

That Nolan’s murderer one day, will…

alone, with only the Creator and him there

Beg for and find…the healing of God’s pardon

which ‘shielding’ cannot…the ‘torment’ repair.

I pray that the rays of Jehovah light

will overshadow and lead to ‘sincere repentance’…

Prodding…conscience and insight…which leads them

to that humbling place of a…remorseful stance.

I pray as the hands of the one who took Nolan’s life

clasp in an honest sorrowful plea…

That, through the gifts of Mercy and Grace…

‘forgiveness’ sought on bended knee…will be received.

And I do pray…

that Nolan is resting…in a perfect peace…

somewhere in the boundaries of heaven’s glen

within the safe presence of Jesus…

his faithful, eternal…friend.

PROV 18:24, GEN 4:8-10, ROM 12:19

©jmsbell-9/12/2026