Snapchat Messages Deleted From Teen's Phone After His Death, Expert Says
A digital forensics expert testified that Snapchat messages were deleted from Nolan Wells' phone after he was last seen using it, before it was returned to his family.
An analysis of Nolan Wells' cellphone indicated that Snapchat messages sent between him and his friends were deleted from the device after he last used it, a digital forensics expert stated Thursday.
Andrew Garrett, the expert, told reporters that he could not determine the intent behind the deletions, but confirmed that data was removed from the phone between the time Wells last used it and when his parents received it. The Mississippi teen's phone was returned to his family after he was found dead on July 4th, hours after he and his friends had gone to an island. Wells' friends had returned to the mainland without him.
A grand jury recently determined that there was insufficient evidence to bring charges in the case. Civil rights attorney Benjamin Crump, who is representing the family, urged anyone with information about Wells' death to come forward.
Crump also shared that some messages obtained through the analysis indicated that Wells' friends expressed concerns about racism on the island and voiced apprehension about being left alone with two specific men, especially if they were intoxicated.
Civil rights activists have highlighted the Wells case due to the unexplained circumstances surrounding his death and the potential for racial dynamics to be involved. The Black teenager died over the Fourth of July weekend after a trip to Horn Island with a group of mostly white friends. His mother reported him missing when he did not return home with the others. His body was discovered in the water off the island several days later.
Colin Kaepernick, a former football player and author, funded an independent autopsy of Wells' body. This autopsy revealed bruising on the back of Wells' head, but the cause and manner of death remain undetermined.
Following the grand jury's decision not to recommend charges, Wells' mother, Christine Wonsley, questioned the conclusion of drowning, citing the trauma to her son's body and inconsistencies in the evidence presented.