Witnesses report that Nolan Wells, an 18-year-old from Mississippi, had been drinking heavily prior to his disappearance during a Fourth of July outing with friends. After his friends left the island, he decided to stay behind with an “unknown woman.” This information was relayed in a document sent out by the Mississippi Department of Marine Resources the day after he went missing from Horn Island, which is about ten miles offshore.
Even though Wells was underage, witnesses acknowledged to investigators that he had been drinking. The police report, obtained from the Mississippi Department of Marine Resources, details his physical description to help with the search.
Friends indicated that he had chosen to remain on Horn Island because he was with a female companion. They insisted that they had not abandoned him but had faced issues with their boat that required them to return to the mainland for supplies.
The young athlete was found deceased by a National Park Service ranger a day later, on July 6, in an area known for strong rip currents, and he was only wearing a blue swimsuit. Authorities suspect that he drowned, but they do not believe there was foul play involved.
However, the exact cause and time of death are still uncertain, as autopsy results from Mississippi are pending. In light of ongoing questions, his family and civil rights attorney Ben Crump sought an independent autopsy, but the findings were deemed inconclusive.
Dr. Roger Mitchell, who performed the original autopsy, mentioned that he couldn’t dismiss the possibility of neck injury because some relevant body parts, like the thyroid bone and trachea, were not provided for examination. He noted a worrying red discoloration on the back of Wells’ head, which Crump emphasized was significant.
Dr. Mitchell pointed out that he had no access to the stomach contents or gas levels in Wells’ body. Additionally, it remained unclear whether Wells had been conscious when he entered the water or if he had been pushed in.
Crump highlighted the importance of this information in determining the cause of death, stating, “The pathologist can’t rule out that some non-random factor contributed to Nolan Wells’ death. Thus, criminal activity remains a possibility.”
Officials cautioned that the state autopsy results could take weeks to be finalized.
Wells’ parents, Christine and Elmore Wonsley, expressed their desire for a thorough investigation into their son’s death, voicing their confusion as to why he stayed behind on the island when his friends had left. “We always told him to stay in groups,” Elmore noted. Christine added that they were at a loss to explain his decision to remain on Horn Island. “I can’t, I don’t understand why he would do that,” she remarked.
