The investigation to determine what happened to Nolan Wells is heating up.
If you don’t know, the 18-year-old’s mom reported him missing on July 4 after he didn’t return home from a boat day with friends. The group went out to Horn Island, a popular spot in Mississippi with no shelters, facilities, or communications. His friends made it back home safely — but Nolan was nowhere to be found. They claimed the teen told them he was going to stay on the island with a girl. Nolan’s close friend, Tracestin Shepherd, told GMA:
“They met that day, and it was kind of – it’s kind of one of those things. … he really did like her, but that was the only time they ever hung out was at Horn Island on July 4.”
That girl, however, reportedly told police Nolan told her he was headed back with his friends. Hmm.
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Days later, on July 6, the young man’s body was found by a National Park Service agent. He was face down off the shoreline near the same spot he was last seen. Incredibly tragic. And it has sparked a fury online.
According to photos from the holiday trip, Nolan, a Black student, seemed to be hanging out with an all-white friend group, leading many to wonder if race played a part in his death. Meanwhile, others have noted the strong currents near the island can be very dangerous. Autopsy results are still in the works, but the Jackson County Coroner Bruce Lynd told CNN there were no immediate, obvious signs of foul play or trauma on the wide receiver’s body. They are awaiting toxicology results after the state medical examiner’s office examination.
The Wells family has also sent their son’s remains off for an independent autopsy, and this week, it was announced the cause and manner of death were “undetermined.” The family’s lawyer, Ben Crump, added that the doctor couldn’t rule out foul play, but there were gaps in the report due to missing body parts (due to parts removed during the first autopsy) and incomplete procedures
So, what happened?! Let’s break down what we know so far.
Separate From The Group
Another one of Nolan’s friends, Jayvon Williams, who also saw him on July 4 but traveled to and from the island in a different boat, told CNN it was unlike Nolan to separate from the group:
“I don’t think that Nolan would say, ‘Bro, I’m staying with this girl on the island. Y’all go ahead and go back. ’ … I’ve never known Nolan to stay back, watch friends leave. He’s always been a guy where, if he rode with you, he’s gonna come back with you.”
Cell Phone Audio
One key piece of evidence in the investigation is audio from a cell phone video in which many people think Nolan can be heard in an argument demanding his own phone back. That said, Shepherd believes it’s his voice “yelling.” Williams agreed:
“We were calming Tracestin down in that video where he said, ‘Give me my f-ing phone back.’ It sounds like him.”
But Nolan was not found with his phone. The late teen’s mom, Christine Wells-Wonsley, compared the location history of Nolan’s phone on Snapchat and Life360, and the data didn’t match. The phone was ultimately discovered with his friends and is set to undergo a joint inspection by investigators and independent experts as the Wells’ family fears it could’ve been tampered with.
The Latest
This brings us to the latest update in the case. The boat Nolan traveled in has been thoroughly searched.
According to the Mississippi Department of Marine Resources report obtained by TMZ on Thursday, the parents of Nolan’s friend allowed authorities to search their boat. On July 8, investigators sat with Jerry Adkerson and Jennifer Pyron, who are the grandfather and mother of one of Nolan’s pals. Jerry signed off on docs allowing the vehicle to be searched and for officers to take the GPS data. He also gave permission for investigators to take anything from the boat that they think might be important for the search, the Permission to Search document stated.
Cops also met with a man named Bart Edmiston Jr. and took data from his boat.
Furthermore, investigators went to the home of a woman named Laney, who they say was originally reported to be on the island with the friend group. It’s unclear how she’s related to the case or if investigators think she’s the girl Nolan was supposedly said to be with that day. She told investigators she was not on Horn Island but was on a different island with a different friend group on July 4.
There is obviously so much still to uncover in this deeply upsetting case. We sincerely hope Nolan’s loved ones will get the answers and justice they deserve. May he rest in peace.
[Image via GoFundMe]
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