Mississippi teen Nolan Wells’ parents are desperately seeking the public’s help to find out what happened to their son. The 18-year-old from Ocean Springs, Mississippi, was found dead in the water on the northwest end of Horn Island on Monday morning, July 6.
Wells went missing on July 4 after taking a boat to the island with friends. The search for the teen was called off after a body was found by a park ranger on Monday, July 6.
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“Elmore Wonsley and I are desperately asking that if you have any information, videos, pictures regarding our son, Nolan Wells from July 4th please contact local authorities at 228-769-3063 but also contact my legal team at 1-800-691-7111. We need to know what happened to our baby. Please contact both with ANY INFORMATION!!” Christine Wonsley, Wells’ mother, wrote on Facebook.
In another post, Wonsley slammed individuals she alleged “joked” about Wells’ death.
“For those of you making light or joking about my son’s death I pray you never have to go through this pain. However if you are ever in this situation or similar, I pray people give you grace. I pray that people WILL NOT joke about you losing your loved one. I saw the comment of two people that I went to high school with and it was absolutely disgusting. I’ll pray for you. Losing my son is not a joke,” she wrote.
Latest update
A cause of death for Wells has not been revealed. Attorney Ben Crump, who has been hired by Wells’ family, said that the family is pursuing an independent autopsy.
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Jackson County Sheriff John Ledbetter said that an investigation remains active. TMZ reported that the sheriff’s office was investigating a video shared on social media that appeared to show people arguing on Horn Island on the holiday. The video shows a crowded beach, and it is unclear if it is related to the case.
Crump and his legal team are planning to conduct an independent review, and have committed to urging “the timely release of all records, witness accounts, and autopsy findings.”

