By Daily Mail (U.S.) | Created at 2026-08-07 18:35:47 | Updated at 2026-08-07 19:28:24
1 hour ago
Three friends of Nolan Wells have revealed plans to launch their own investigation on the Mississippi island where the teenager was mysteriously found dead after a Fourth of July celebration.
Wells' self-proclaimed 'best friend' Warren Hudson, along with friends Jax Pitalo and Morgan Seymour, said they will travel to Horn Island on Friday to get a firsthand look at where the 18-year-old was last seen alive, according to TMZ.
In a joint statement to the outlet, the teens' attorneys, J Tyler Cox and Edward Andrew Paltzik, said they would escort them to inspect the barrier island, which sits about 10 miles off the Mississippi Gulf Coast.
They stressed that the trip is not intended to gather evidence, but rather to help them understand the 'layout and dynamics' of the area.
Paltzik, who has represented President Donald Trump in several high-profile media battles, said he 'needs to lay eyes on the island himself,' according to TMZ.
The three friends first turned to Cox, a Mississippi-based attorney, before bringing on Paltzik, a prominent defamation and media lawyer, to represent them as they seek answers following Wells' suspicious death.
Both attorneys said they are 'proud to stand with and fight for three innocent young men - Warren Hudson, Jax Pitalo and Morgan Seymour' – and insisted the trio had 'nothing whatsoever' to do with the football star's fate.
'Starting today, those who wish to continue trafficking in lies about these Good Ocean Springs People will be held accountable to the maximum extent of the law,' they said in a joint statement to The New York Post.
Three friends of Nolan Wells have revealed plans to launch their own investigation on the Mississippi island where the teenager was mysteriously found dead
Wells was last seen celebrating the Fourth of July on Horn Island, which sits about 10 miles off the Mississippi Gulf Coast
Wells' self-proclaimed 'best friend' Warren Hudson (pictured center), along with friends Jax Pitalo and Morgan Seymour, said they will travel to Horn Island to get a firsthand look at where Wells was last seen alive
Wells traveled by boat to Horn Island with a group of friends on July 4 but never made the 10-mile journey back. His body was recovered two days later
'We, on the other hand, will be focused solely on the truth, which is that these innocent young men had nothing whatsoever to do with the tragic death of Nolan Wells.'
Wells traveled by boat to Horn Island with a group of friends on July 4 but never made the 10-mile journey back to the mainland with them. His body was recovered two days later near the area where he was last seen.
The investigation has since drawn national attention, with unanswered questions surrounding the events fueling deeper conversations about the history of racial violence in Mississippi, as Wells was the only black person on the boat.
Some of his friends said he chose to stay behind after meeting a young woman, while the woman, later identified by the Daily Mail as 19-year-old Katie McCormack, said she believed Wells would return to the boat and leave with the group.
Wells’ parents have publicly challenged those accounts, arguing that their son would not have willingly separated from the group he traveled with.
Meanwhile, Cox and Paltzik doubled down on their clients’ innocence, warning those who have publicly accused the trio to be mindful of their claims, according to TMZ.
They revealed that they have begun combing through the mounting mainstream and social media coverage surrounding the case, searching for allegedly defamatory statements made against the three friends.
The attorneys vowed to go after anyone they believe crossed the line – 'big or small, national or local, libel or slander' – according to the outlet.
The teens' attorneys, J Tyler Cox and Edward Andrew Paltzik, said they would escort them to inspect the barrier island to understand the 'layout' of the area
The three friends first turned to Cox, a Mississippi-based attorney, before bringing on Paltzik, a prominent defamation and media lawyer, to represent them as they seek answers
Paltzik, who has represented President Donald Trump in several high-profile media battles, said he 'needs to lay eyes on the island himself'
Some of his friends said he chose to stay behind after meeting a young woman, identified as 19-year-old Katie McCormack. She assumed Wells would return to the boat and leave with his group
Wells, a student at Southwest Mississippi Community College, disappeared after celebrating the Fourth of July on Horn Island, with his body discovered along the island’s shoreline two days later.
Authorities said they believe Wells died by drowning, with Jackson County Sheriff John Ledbetter saying there was no initial evidence of foul play.
Although an official autopsy has been completed, the findings have not yet been released. The report will now be presented to a grand jury, which is standard practice in the county for deaths not caused by natural causes.
An independent autopsy commissioned by the family listed Wells' manner and cause of death as undetermined pending further investigation, while finding no evidence of fractures or deep tissue injuries.
However, a 'red discoloration' found on the back of Wells' skull warrants further investigation, according to forensic pathologist Dr Roger Mitchell.
In the weeks following their son’s death, Wells’ parents, Christine and Elmore Wonsley, have used the media to demand answers – a public push that has been met with fierce backlash, including racist attacks.
Last month, Wonsley's legal team issued subpoenas to multiple social media and tech companies in a bid to obtain records from her son's accounts, according to court records obtained by ABC News.
The filings, submitted in Mississippi State Chancery Court, seek records from Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp – all owned by Meta – along with Snapchat, TikTok and the GPS location-tracking and family safety app Life360.
Wells' parents argued that their son would not have willingly separated from the group he traveled with
The investigation has drawn national attention, with unanswered questions surrounding the events fueling deeper conversations about the history of racial violence in the state
His mother Christine Wonsley revealed that, after recovering Wells' phone from one of his friends, the family discovered some text messages and Snapchat messages had been deleted
They look for messages, photos and videos exchanged through Wells' accounts, along with GPS location data and timestamps that could shed light on the final moments before his death.
According to court documents, each company has 21 days from receiving the subpoenas to provide the requested documents, electronically stored information, records and other materials to Wonsley's legal team for review.
The move came after an interview with Good Morning America on July 10, where Wonsley revealed that, after recovering Wells' phone from one of his friends, the family discovered some text messages and Snapchat messages had been deleted.
'When we finally got his phone, me and my sister went through the phone. We went in his Snapchat. He had two accounts. Absolutely nothing,' Wonsley said, according to the outlet.
The investigation remains ongoing, but several people have already been arrested as part of a federal crackdown over allegations they threatened witnesses in the aftermath of Wells' death.
Earlier this week, Edward James Porter of Berwyn, Illinois, became the third person charged with allegedly threatening witnesses and their families, according to a federal criminal complaint obtained by TMZ.
He is accused of using phone calls and text messages to threaten two witnesses involved in the investigation, and allegedly told one witness during a Friday phone call that he would 'come kill' them.
The documents also alleged that he made a second call to another witness, issuing similar threats and claiming he would kill everyone inside the home – including any police officers who responded.
Wells’ parents, Christine and Elmore Wonsley, have used the media to demand answers - a public push that has been met with fierce backlash, including racist attacks
A 'red discoloration' found on the back of Wells' skull warrants further investigation, according to forensic pathologist Dr Roger Mitchell
Last month, Wonsley's legal team issued subpoenas to multiple social media and tech companies in a bid to obtain records from his accounts
Wells’ parents remain committed to uncovering what really happened to their son
Federal authorities claimed that he planned to dismember the witness's body and stuff the remains into a suitcase, according to the outlet.
Meanwhile, Wells’ parents remain committed to uncovering what really happened to their son. Earlier this week, Wonsley shared a lengthy statement on her Facebook page.
'If ADVOCATING for our deceased child to have a fair, honest and transparent investigation while asking local authorities to treat this case as if it were their own makes you feel some type of way, please UNFRIEND and BLOCK me because this is MY SOCIAL MEDIA PAGE,' the grieving mother wrote.
'We are not asking for special treatment. We just want the TRUTH!' she added. 'His father and I WILL NOT STOP SEARCHING FOR THE TRUTH!
