Mississippi teenager Nolan Wells, 18, was found deceased on Horn Island on July 6, two days after he vanished during a Fourth of July outing with friends. Witnesses indicated that Wells had been drinking alcohol prior to his disappearance. According to a Mississippi Department of Marine Resources police report, Wells chose to remain on the island with an "unknown female" when his companions left.
The friends stated they departed because their boat was experiencing problems and taking on water, not because they abandoned Wells. They reported that Wells was with an unidentified female when they left the island, which is located approximately 10 miles off the Mississippi coast.
Wells was discovered by a National Park Service ranger in an area known for strong rip currents. He was found wearing only blue swim shorts. Investigators initially suspected drowning and did not believe foul play was involved. However, the official cause and date of death are pending the release of state autopsy results.
Amid the ongoing investigation, Wells' family and their civil rights attorney, Ben Crump, requested an independent autopsy. The results of this examination were inconclusive. Dr. Roger Mitchell, who performed the independent autopsy, noted that Wells' thyroid bone and trachea were not included with the body, preventing a definitive assessment of potential neck injuries. Mitchell also observed red discoloration on the back of Wells' head, which Crump highlighted as a point of concern. The pathologist could not examine the stomach contents or the body's condition at the time of retrieval from the water, leaving questions about whether Wells was conscious or forced into the water, and thus unable to rule out foul play.
Wells' parents, Christine and Elmore Wonsley, have called for a thorough investigation into their son's death. They expressed confusion as to why Nolan would have stayed on Horn Island after his friends had returned to the mainland, stating they had always advised him to stay with his group.