Tragic Mississippi teen Nolan Wells was reportedly drinking heavily before vanishing on a Fourth of July trip—and according to witness accounts, he made the choice to stay behind on a remote island with an unknown woman when his friends took off.
Newly obtained documents from the Mississippi Department of Marine Resources reveal that the 18-year-old student-athlete had been consuming alcohol, despite being underage, before he went missing on Horn Island, about 10 miles off the coast.
His friends told investigators they left the island because their boat was taking on water—and claimed they didn’t abandon Wells. Instead, they said he voluntarily remained there with a female companion.
Wells was discovered dead by a National Park Service ranger on July 6, wearing only blue swim shorts, in an area known for dangerous rip currents. Authorities initially said they suspect drowning and found no signs of foul play.
But the case took a twist when the family and civil rights attorney Ben Crump requested an independent autopsy after state results were delayed. That report came back inconclusive.
The pathologist, Dr. Roger Mitchell of Howard University, noted he couldn’t rule out a possible neck injury because key parts of the body weren’t sent for examination. He also observed red discoloration at the back of Wells’ head.
“He could not directly view the stomach for contents or gastric gases,” Crump read from the report, adding that the doctor didn’t know if Wells was conscious when he entered the water or if he was forced.
Crump stressed that “intervening non-accidental factors” could not be ruled out, leaving the door open to possible foul play.
Wells’ parents, Christine and Elmore Wonsley, told ABC News they are baffled why their son stayed on the island when his friends left. “We always told him, if you go with a group, you stay with a group,” Elmore said. Christine added, “I just can’t fathom why he would.”
As the family waits for state autopsy results that could take weeks, the question remains: what really happened on that isolated strip of sand?
