By Daily Mail (U.S.) | Created at 2026-07-28 06:24:18 | Updated at 2026-07-28 07:26:55
1 hour ago
A beloved student-athlete who vanished during a Fourth of July boating trip had allegedly been drinking heavily before he disappeared.
Investigators were told 18-year-old Nolan Wells spent hours drinking with friends on Mississippi's Horn Island before disappearing, according to a preliminary report document obtained by ABC News.
Wells had been last seen around 3pm near the northwest tip of Horn Island off the coast of Mississippi, and his lifeless body was discovered two days later on July 6.
The document, sent by the Marine Patrol on July 5 as crews searched for Wells, included his basic information and physical description to help locate him after he disappeared.
Wells' official cause of death remains pending as authorities await autopsy and toxicology results.
Authorities suspect Wells drowned, but a private autopsy requested by his family listed his cause and manner of death as 'undetermined pending investigation.'
Well's mother, Christine Wonsley, confirmed her son's death in a Facebook post.
Wells was a beloved student athlete footballer who had played for his high school's team and recently began playing for Southwest Mississippi Community College's team
Wells's body was found by a park ranger at 8.45am on Monday after a two-day search conducted my multiple agencies
'My heart [is] broken for my sweet son who was always willing to cheer and uplift others,' she wrote. 'Nolan was a special soul, God took his time creating our son.'
Wonsley reported her son missing and an enormous multi-agency search followed for the next two days.
Jackson County Sheriff John Ledbetter said investigators found no initial evidence of foul play but are 'working diligently to determine exactly what occurred.'
Questions have loomed over the events leading up to his tragic death as his family has launched a desperate search for answers, hiring famous civil rights attorney Ben Crump to advocate for full transparency in their son's death investigation.
Sheriff Ledbetter said the sheriff's office welcomes the family's independent investigation.
A Mississippi Department of Marine Resources report obtained by the outlet said several friends who traveled to the island with Wells told authorities he was with an unknown woman when they left and 'chose to remain at the island.'
Wells is pictured in his football gear with his mother, Christine Wonsley. She said she is 'heartbroken' and that 'Nolan was a special soul'
Nolan Xavier Wells, 18, is pictured boating with friends near Horn Island, located off the coast of Mississippi, on July 4 just hours before he went missing
A funeral for Wells was held on July 20. His mother, Christine Wonsley, center, with her husband, Elmore, second from left, attorney Crump, left, and Reverend Al Sharpton, right, are pictured above
The friends have denied abandoning Wells, saying they had to return to shore after their boat began to flood with water.
Wells was a budding college footballer who played for Southwest Mississippi Community College's team. He had previously played for Ocean Springs High School's team.
Jake Bramlett, Ocean Springs's head football coach, said in a statement to WLOX: 'We are devastated by Nolan’s passing. He was the kind of son, teammate, friend and student that every coach hopes to have in a program.
