A friend of Nolan Wells has refuted claims that a viral photograph depicts the teenager at a pool party following his disappearance. The 18-year-old vanished during a boat trip with friends to Horn Island, off the Mississippi Gulf Coast, on the afternoon of July 4. His body was discovered on the island two days later.
While authorities have stated that no foul play is immediately apparent, the family of the college football player is pursuing an independent investigation into the circumstances surrounding his death, which they feel "don't add up."
Online speculation suggested that Wells could be seen in a pool party photograph purportedly taken on the night of July 4, implying he might have been alive after going missing. However, Tracestin Shepherd, a close friend of Wells, has denied these rumors, asserting the photo was taken on June 27, the previous Saturday.
"Our friend group had been planning to go to this party way before June 27, before it took place," Shepherd told Rolling Stone. He added that he did not attend the gathering himself. According to the outlet, a second individual provided metadata from the photo and other group images from that night, corroborating Shepherd's account.
Shepherd described the spread of misinformation as "unbelievable" and "heartbreaking." The theory had also been amplified by Ben Crump, the attorney representing the Wells family.
Meanwhile, Wells' funeral is scheduled to take place on Monday at the Mississippi Coast Coliseum & Convention Center in Biloxi. The ceremony is reportedly being funded by actor Tyler Perry and will be officiated by Reverend Al Sharpton, who has been supporting the family's pursuit of answers.
Nolan Wells' mother, Christine Wonsley, has spoken about the emotional toll of planning her son's funeral. "Planning the funeral of our 18 year old does not feel real," she wrote on Facebook. "All the emotions are running together. I thank God for the moments of being able to watch videos and hear his laugh again. We miss you so much Nolan."
