After the mysterious disappearance of a high school boy on a Mississippi island, the mother of one of his friends shared an update about the incident.
18-year-old Nolan Xavier Wells was last seen on Horn Island, located 10 miles off the coast of Mississippi.
Authorities are currently investigating to determine what happened after his friends left Horn Island without him.
Highlights
- 18-year-old Nolan Xavier Wells disappeared before his body was found in the water on the northwest end of Horn Island.
- Ashlee Cole, a judge in Jackson County, said her son was part of the group that made the Fourth of July boat trip with Nolan and other pals.
- She said her son was interviewed by investigators and had “cooperated fully” with them.
- “Nolan made a decision to stay on the island and return inland later,” Ashlee said.
After a high school boy's mysterious disappearance, the mother of one of his friends shared an update about the incident
Image credits: Christine Wonsley
The body of high school football Nolan Xavier Wells was found in the water on the northwest end of Horn Island on the morning of Monday, July 6.
Nolan had joined a group of friends for a Fourth of July boat trip, but he never returned home despite all his pals making it safely back.
Image credits: Christine Wonsley
Ashlee Cole, a judge in Jackson County, shared a message saying her son was friends with Nolan and was part of the group that went to the island.
Nolan decided to stay back on the island and make the trip back home with someone else, the judge said.
She also denied claims about her or her family members trying to “hamper” the “quest for answers” in Nolan’s tragic passing.
Ashlee Cole, a judge in Jackson County, said her son was part of the group that made the island trip
Image credits: Ashlee Cole
In her post, Ashlee revealed that her son was interviewed by investigators and had “cooperated fully” with them.
“He saw Nolan last at around 3 p.m. on July 4th,” the mother wrote on Facebook.
“They left around 4:30 pm when the boat was taking on water, and they had an issue with the bilge pump,” she continued.
“Nolan made a decision to stay on the island and return inland later with another group of friends,” she added.
Ashlee said she knew Nolan’s mother, Christine Wells-Wonsley, and had even graduated from the same high school as her.
Her family’s “thoughts and prayers are with Nolan’s family,” the judge added.
Ashlee said her son was interviewed by investigators and had “cooperated fully” with them
Image credits: Google Maps
At the moment, investigators do not suspect foul play in Nolan’s passing and suspect that he may have drowned.
However, they are looking into a video online that shows a group of visitors arguing on Horn Island, close to where the teenager’s remains were found.
“There’s no information that we have right now that would lead us to believe that a crime has occurred,” Jackson County Sheriff John Ledbetter said.
Image credits: ABCNews
Nolan was last seen “talking to a girl” on the island at around 3 p.m. Saturday, the Jackson County Sheriff’s Department said.
His mother Christine said she and his father had Nolan’s phone when he disappeared and couldn’t track him.
She reported him missing about two days before a U.S. park ranger found his body on Monday, July 6.
“Nolan Wells was a beloved son, teammate and friend who went out to celebrate the Fourth of July and never came home,” said the family's lawyer
Image credits: ABCNews
The family hired renowned civil rights and personal injury attorney Ben Crump in the wake of the teen’s passing.
“Nolan Wells was a beloved son, teammate, and friend who went out to celebrate the Fourth of July and never came home,” the lawyer said.
Ben said the family “deserves answers” and “the truth.”
Image credits: Christine Wonsley
“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 lawyer added.
Although investigators do not suspect foul play, the incident triggered discussions about his passing possibly being racially charged.
“Never be the ONLY black person on any trip,” read one comment online. “Stuff happens, and no one will know why”
Image credits: Christine Wonsley
“Never be the ONLY black person on any trip,” one person wrote online. “Stuff happens, and no one will know why.”
“One of the kid’s father is a judge and now all of Nolan’s ‘friends’ have lawyered up,” wrote another.
“I understand why this has opened up a bigger conversation around Black people being in predominantly white spaces and whether those spaces are always safe or welcoming for us,” Facebook user Judaea Morris said in a post.
“That conversation is valid. But I also think the conversation is bigger than just race,” she continued.
Judaea said she was often the “only Black girl in the room and felt completely safe, loved, and protected.”
What’s important, she believes, is teaching kids to know “how to recognize when somebody is genuinely for them and when they’re not.”
“Everybody knows Mississippi gonna do what Mississippi does,” one commented online
