(NewsNation) — Attorney Eric Bland believes the family of Nolan Wells deserves answers amid an investigation into his death.

Bland, who represented the family of Stephen Smith, told NewsNation’s “Jesse Weber Live” they must try every avenue to gain further clarity.

“(Be) tenacious. Get the public involved. Don’t give up. Demand answers,” Bland said.

“Ask for cooperation between local law enforcement and, if there’s state law enforcement investigating. Demand answers from those who have been on the island. Make sure that they participate in an investigation. If they have nothing to hide, they should voluntarily come forward and say, hey, this is what I saw,” he added.

Wells, an 18-year-old football player, is dead after a Fourth of July boat trip to a remote Mississippi island. Investigators are still trying to piece together what happened to him.

The teenager was last seen on Horn Island on July 4 after his friends said he chose to stay behind on the island. His body was found days later, and his family, which is working with a civil rights attorney, is still looking for answers.

Wells, a wide receiver at Southwest Mississippi Community College, went to the island July 4 with a group of friends. Around 3 p.m., he allegedly told the group he’d get a ride back to the mainland with someone else. He was not seen alive again.

“Just because he was the only African-American on the island, shouldn’t in and of itself say, ‘Well, it was automatically a racial situation or a racial crime, or he died some way other than drowning.’ But it has to be looked at that way,” Bland said.

Investigators say they’re looking into reports of an alleged altercation on the island involving Wells before his disappearance. Meanwhile, one of the boys Wells was on the island with has spoken out, saying the video contains audio of a confrontation involving him, not Wells.

Wells’ body was found in the water near the island two days after he was reported missing. Investigators believe he may have drowned, but say they haven’t found evidence of foul play. Wells’ family disagrees and is conducting their own independent investigation, including a private autopsy, paid for by former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick.

“Parents deserve answers. That’s the number one thing. Let’s give the parents answers because they deserve peace. They deserve to be able to properly mourn the loss of their child,” Bland added.

NewsNation’s Josie Fischels contributed to this report.