Police are investigating a video that reportedly captures a heated argument on Horn Island before Mississippi teenager Nolan Xavier Wells went missing and was later found deceased. Authorities said a body matching Wells' description was discovered Monday morning, two days after the 18-year-old football player vanished during a Fourth of July boat trip.
Wells was last seen around 3 p.m. on Saturday at the north end of Horn Island, a barrier island approximately 10 miles off the Mississippi Gulf Coast, according to the Jackson County Sheriff’s Department. Law enforcement is examining a video circulating online that appears to show several individuals engaged in an intense argument near the shoreline, a detail first reported by TMZ. This footage has fueled speculation about a potential connection to Wells' disappearance, though authorities have not confirmed its authenticity or if the individuals depicted are involved.
The Jackson County Sheriff, John Ledbetter, stated that Wells' friends had left the island without him, adding that Wells had chosen to remain behind. The Sheriff's Department issued a statement Tuesday seeking information from anyone who may have observed or heard an argument, disturbance, or any unusual activity on the island on the day Wells disappeared.
Wells, a wide receiver at Southwest Mississippi Community College, was described as 6-foot-1 and 180 pounds. Photos showed him shirtless in blue swim trunks and sunglasses, smiling with friends on a boat before he went missing.
The family of Nolan Wells expressed their anguish and called for answers. His grandfather, Christopher Wells Sr., wrote on Facebook that there were too many unanswered questions and questioned how a body could be found in an area that had already been searched. He stated that Nolan Xavier Wells deserved to enjoy life's opportunities and that his parents were preparing for the worst while hoping for a positive outcome.
Search efforts involved the United Cajun Navy, which conducted aerial reconnaissance, and were supported by the U.S. Coast Guard, the Mississippi Department of Marine Resources, and the Harrison County Sheriff’s Department. The search focused on the waters between Horn Island and Ship Island, extending south to the Chandelier Islands.