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Published 09:29 23 Jul 2026 GMT
During a boat excursion with friends to Horn Island, a barrier island off the Gulf Coast of Mississippi, 18-year-old Nolan Xavier Wells went missing, and a major search operation was launched on Independence Day.
His body was discovered just two days later on July 6, and while an initial post-mortem in Mississippi failed to determine the circumstances or cause of his death, an independent inquiry which took place in Washington revealed a tragic breakthrough in the case.
The new autopsy uncovered a previously missed 12-by-8-inch red discoloration to the back of his head, which could indicate trauma and bring investigators a step closer to uncovering Wells’ cause of death.
However, the autopsy performed by Dr. Roger Mitchell, a forensic pathologist and President of the National Medical Association, and the report that followed determined that the decomposition and a lack of associated injuries meant the cause and manner of death are still inconclusive.
In the report made by one of the most prestigious medical professionals in the country, Dr Mitchell outlined seven questions the autopsy failed to answer.
Among others, these include: what were the circumstances that led to Wells entering the water? What position was the body in when found? And, was there any water in the airway?
The pathologist also added that he still wants to know if there were any injuries to the front of the neck or throat that could provide evidence of a brain bleed. Dr Mitchell was not able to find these things out because Wells’ throat had been removed during the initial autopsy.
Also, as the college football player’s stomach and other organs were removed before the second autopsy, an examination of what the teen had consumed and a toxicology report were unable to be carried out.
Police are sticking to the line that nothing surrounding the circumstances of Wells’ death points towards foul play, and they believe Wells drowned after his friends left him on the isolated island.
However, Wells’ family are being supported by civil rights organisation, the NAACP, who, despite the unanswered questions, claim it can’t be ruled out that Wells’ death was an accident.
Civil rights attorney Ben Crump claimed that Wells’ body was found face down and fully clothed, although photographs from the day he went missing show him shirtless, wearing swimming trunks.
In a recent press conference, NAACP President Derrick Johnson said: “If it was truly an accident, then the families will have the necessary answers that any family deserves in this situation.”
After reviewing Wells’ preliminary autopsy results, Dr. Michael Baden, former Chief Medical Examiner of New York City, told The New York Post: “There’s nothing dependent on foul play”, but also noted that crucial details from a toxicology report have not yet been received by investigators.
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Published 14:31 22 Jul 2026 GMT
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Published 15:58 13 Jul 2026 GMT
The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) has concluded that the death of Nolan Wells, 18, may have been an accident.
An autopsy, which was paid for by a former NFL star, was found to be inconclusive.
The teenager was found dead on the northwestern tip of Horn Island, located south of Ocean Springs, Mississippi, just a couple of days after a Fourth of July boating trip with friends.
According to the independent autopsy, which was carried out in Washington, D.C., Wells' death is "undetermined, pending investigation," with the same results provided for his manner of death, as per the Daily Mail.
Investigators initially believed that Wells died after drowning.
The Mississippi State Medical Examiner's Office carried out its own autopsy, but results have not yet been made public.
NAACP president Derrick Johnson said: "If it truly was an accident, they have the resources available to help them navigate the situation."
The teenager's body was flown 800 miles to the Capital to undergo the independent autopsy, as the Wells family planned to hire experts to find messages from his phone before turning it over to authorities.
His father, Elmore Wonsley, said on Wednesday morning that they would "keep pushing and fighting" until they get "answers" on what really happened to their son.
The teenager had mysteriously disappeared on the group's travels, and while the rest of the group returned on Independence Day, Wells never did.
His mother reported him missing and asked for help on social media, prompting a search that ended with the discovery of his body days later.
Wells' family confirmed on Facebook that it was the college student's body and took legal action, appointing civil rights attorney Ben Crump, who has been involved in several high-profile cases, such as representing George Floyd's family.
He is set to represent the family as police investigate the 18-year-old's death.
The independent autopsy was arranged by Crump and the late teenager's family, but it was funded by former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick.
Crump spoke out about the second autopsy, claiming it had "several limitations" in the way of determining how Wells died.
One of these barriers was the decomposition of his body, and how the coroner who conducted the autopsy did not receive all of Wells' organs or body parts from the Mississippi medical examiner.
However, he said that the DC-based coroner discovered red discoloration on the back of his head, adding of the autopsy report: "Based on the examination of the body, he cannot rule out foul play."
Crump highlighted that investigators found Wells' body faced down and fully clothed, despite photos showing Wells shirtless with swimming shorts.
"My legal team and I, we stand for truth, no matter who it implicates or who it exonerates. We stand for justice no matter who it convicts or it acquits.
"We stand for transparency because we have eyes that can see and we don't need government officials to narrate it for us," he stated.
Published 16:32 08 Jul 2026 GMT
The family of a teenage boy who was found dead on an island in Mississippi has taken legal action just days after his body was discovered.
Nolan Xavier Wells was just 18 when he went on a Fourth of July boat trip with his friends to Horn Island, a barrier island around 10 miles off the state's Gulf Coast.
The teenager mysteriously disappeared on the group's travels, and while the rest of the group returned on Independence Day, Wells never did.
His mother reported him missing and asked for help on social media, prompting a search that ended with the discovery of his body on Monday.
Wells' family confirmed on Facebook that it was the college student's body, and they have now taken action, appointing civil rights attorney Ben Crump.
Crump released a statement on Tuesday, explaining that the family is searching for answers about events leading to his death.
He stated: "We will not rest until every fact about what happened to Nolan on Horn Island is brought into the light, and we call on investigators to pursue this case with the urgency and transparency this family deserves."
The civil rights attorney was also recently retained by the family of a Mississippi family whose one-year-old was killed when police fired into a moving car.
After Wells' body was found on Monday, an autopsy was set to be completed the following day.
Jackson County Sheriff John Ledbetter said that the teenager's friends were cooperating with the investigation.
"From the people we've talked to, it sounds like he chose to stay on the island with the assumption that he was going to ride back to the mainland with someone else," Ledbetter told The Associated Press.
In a social media post, his mother, Christine Wonsley, said the family is seeking videos and other documentation from the island.
"My heart is broken for our sweet son who was always willing to cheer and uplift others," she said. "Nolan was a special soul, God took his time creating our son."
"His father, our family, friends and I are absolutely devastated," she penned. "Nolan was a special soul, God took his time creating our son. I ask that you all please give me and my family privacy as we grieve. Thank you all again. God bless."
Officials have not released a cause of death, and investigators have not publicly confirmed what happened to Wells after he was last seen.
The 18-year-old had recently completed his first year at Southwest Mississippi Community College and would have celebrated his 19th birthday next month.
He was expected to return to campus on Monday to begin preparations for the upcoming football season.
Published 13:02 08 Jul 2026 GMT
A chilling conspiracy theory has spread across social media following the tragic death of 18-year-old Nolan Xavier Well.
Wells, an 18-year-old boy from Mississippi, disappeared after traveling to Horn Island, a barrier island around 10 miles off the state's Gulf Coast, with a group of friends on July 4, The Guardian reported.
While the rest of the group returned home that evening, Wells never made it back, leading his mother to report him missing and plead for help on social media.
Her appeal led to a massive two-day search that sparked national attention before coming to a heartbreaking end on Monday (July 6), when a body was found on the island.
The following day, Wells' mother, Christine Wonsley, confirmed on Facebook that the body was her son's.
"His father, our family, friends and I are absolutely devastated," she penned. "Nolan was a special soul, God took his time creating our son. I ask that you all please give me and my family privacy as we grieve. Thank you all again. God bless."
Following the discovery of Wells' body, an alarming video allegedly filmed on Horn Island on the Fourth of July began circulating online.
The clip appears to show several people involved in a heated confrontation near the shoreline, while boats are lined up along the beach.
A crowd can also be seen gathering and looking toward one area of the island.
Some online users have claimed the video shows Wells or captures a fight linked to his disappearance.
However, police have not confirmed those claims, and investigators have not said whether the footage has any connection to the case.
Officials are continuing to ask anyone who was on Horn Island on July 4 to come forward with any photos, videos, or information that could assist the investigation.
The person who uploaded the video to Facebook claimed it was recorded at 4:01PM on the north side of the west tip of Horn Island.
"We were parked right next to the boat Nolan was allegedly on," the post read. "Hope this helps in any way."
"This was immediately after the big fight that broke out up on the shore," they added, per the outlet.
The individual said that they were unsure whether Wells could be seen in the footage, but encouraged anyone able to slow the video down to examine it more closely.
Jackson County Sheriff John Ledbetter confirmed to TMZ that investigators are aware of the circulating footage.
Officials have not released a cause of death, and investigators have not publicly confirmed what happened to Wells after he was last seen.
The 18-year-old had recently completed his first year at Southwest Mississippi Community College and would have celebrated his 19th birthday next month.
He had been expected to return to campus on Monday to begin preparations for the upcoming football season.
Before college, Wells played football at Ocean Springs High School, where those who knew him remembered him for much more than his athletic ability.
"We are devastated by Nolan's passing," Ocean Springs head football coach Jake Bramlett said. "He was the kind of son, teammate, friend and student that every coach hopes to have in a program."
"Nolan was so much more than an outstanding football player. He carried himself with humility, treated others with respect, worked hard, and led by example.
"His character spoke louder than his accomplishments, and he was loved deeply by his teammates and coaches. Our football family is grieving alongside Nolan’s parents, family, friends, classmates, teammates, and all who loved him," he added.
Southwest Mississippi Community College President Dr. J. Steven Bishop also paid tribute to the freshman.
"The entire Southwest family is heartbroken as we mourn the tragic loss of Nolan Wells," Bishop told WLOX. "We remember Nolan as a well-respected young man who was very popular among friends, faculty, and staff... We loved Nolan, and he will be greatly missed in many ways."
The investigation into Wells' death remains ongoing.
Published 13:09 09 Jul 2026 GMT
One of the many people involved in the search mission for a young football star who disappeared during Fourth of July celebrations has revealed some of the tragic details about the rescue operation.
During a boat excursion with friends to Horn Island, a barrier island off the Gulf Coast of Mississippi, Nolan Xavier Wells went missing, and a major search operation was launched on Independence Day.
After he failed to return home that evening, Nolan’s mother, Christine Wonsley, reported her son as missing to the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office and pleaded for people on social media to share any information or pictures they had of the trip with her.
On Facebook, the distraught mother wrote: “We have so many questions. Our hearts are breaking; we keep waiting for Nolan to walk through that door with his beautiful smile and a joke of course.”
Hours after Nolan was reported missing, Wonsley contacted United Cajun Navy volunteer Josh Gill and asked for the organisation's help with the search.
The heroic volunteer told the U.S. Sun: “When I got notification of him missing from the family and then from the mother, we had surface vessels, that’s boats that were in the area starting to search.
“We also had two drones that were in the air, as well as boots on the ground on the island doing a manual walk to look for Nolan there.”
According to Gill, the island where the promising 18-year-old football star who was due to play at Southwest Mississippi Community College in the fall went missing is a very popular destination for boaters, fishermen, and recreational boaters.
While there were thousands of people around and the sea was fairly calm, the northwest of the island where Nolan was reportedly last seen sometimes had “increased tidal” activity.
Gill said: "There is a pretty heavy tidal surge and tidal movement on that portion of the island where they were at. It’s a pass between two islands. So, there’s increased tidal influence there, along with wind and wave action.
“Conditions can change rapidly there. It’s not exceptionally deep, which calls for the ability for conditions to change quickly.”
Nolan was last seen on the island at around 3PM on Saturday after his friends went back to the mainland, leaving him behind.
Sadly, the rescue operation came to a halt on Monday morning when a National Park Service member found a body that resembled Nolan.
While an autopsy is needed to determine the identity of the body, Wonsley confirmed the body was her son’s on social media in a heartbreaking statement thanking the emergency services.
She tragically also wrote: “His father, our family, friends and I are absolutely devastated.
“My heart is broken for our sweet son who was always willing to cheer and uplift others. Nolan was a special soul, God took his time creating our son.”
Nolan Wells’ friend has spoken publicly to dispute claims surrounding a viral beach fight video, insisting the footage has been widely misinterpreted and that many of the assumptions circulating online are wrong.
The clip, which spread across social media after the 18-year-old football player disappeared, quickly became the focus of online speculation.
Many viewers claimed they could hear Wells arguing moments before his death, while others believed he was visible on the beach because one of the young men in the footage appeared to be wearing blue swim trunks similar to the pair Wells had been wearing that day.
However, Tracestin Shepherd says that's not what happened.
Speaking to Rolling Stone, Shepherd claimed Wells does not appear in the video at all, adding that the voice many people have attributed to Wells actually belongs to him.
According to Shepherd, the confrontation on July 4 began after he and his girlfriend started arguing while standing waist-deep in the water off Horn Island, Mississippi.
He said another man, who wasn't part of their group, interrupted the argument, causing tensions to escalate.
"I told him he needed to mind his own business," Shepherd recalled.
The disagreement allegedly turned physical, prompting Shepherd's uncle to order him back onto the family's boat so they could leave the area.
Despite that, Shepherd admitted he wanted to continue the fight while friends remained on the beach.
"At that point, another adult on a nearby boat started filming" the footage that would later go viral after Wells disappeared.
Addressing the clip directly, Shepherd said: "In that video, you hear somebody yelling – that is me."
He added: "It's me yelling – my exact wording is, 'Get me off this f****** boat.' I wanted to fight, and I'd felt like I hadn't had my fair share."
His account was reportedly supported by his girlfriend, his uncle and a family friend who all witnessed the incident.
One unnamed family friend told Rolling Stone: "He want[ed] to get off the boat and go fight the dude who he got into it with."
The friend added: "Nobody knows what Tracestin was saying better than me because he was screaming it in my face."
As online theories continued to spread, many social media users claimed the person seen standing on the shoreline was Wells because of the blue swim trunks.
Shepherd strongly rejected that suggestion, arguing the individual identified online was too short to be his six-foot-two friend, and maintaining that Wells was actually out of frame in the water when the video was recorded.
He said he has since provided investigators with a full account of the day's events and has also spoken directly with Wells' family.
The footage has also been referenced by civil rights attorney Ben Crump, who is representing the Wells family.
After sharing the clip online, Crump said during a press conference: "This video, you can hear an argument going where Nolan is saying, 'Give me my freaking phone, what are you freaking doing?'"
However, another friend of Wells, Jayvon Williams, also disputed that interpretation while speaking to TMZ.
"That altercation, it sounds just like my other friend who got into another altercation on the boat," Williams said.
He continued: "As he was in that altercation, I was trying to calm him down, they were trying to get him out, off the island, trying to get him back to land because he was just losing it. The parents on that boat were trying to get him out."
Shepherd later confirmed he was the friend Williams was referring to, saying: "Those were not Nolan's words, they were mine."
He added: "I get that everybody wants justice for Nolan. Everybody wants to know exactly what happened. Will we ever know?"
Wells' body was discovered on July 6 in the same Horn Island area where the group had gathered to celebrate Independence Day.
The Jackson County Sheriff's Office is continuing to investigate his death, while Crump has called for an independent investigation and has commissioned a separate autopsy.
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