July 13, 2026

No Cellphone, Deleted Messages, Conflicting Stories: What Really Happened To Nolan Wells?

No Cellphone, Deleted Messages, Conflicting Stories: What Really Happened To Nolan Wells?

There are several concerning and conflicting accounts about how a black, 18-year-old elite athlete who knew how to swim, wound up dead after attending a Fourth of July party surrounded by hundreds of partygoers. Nolan Wells family is demanding answers and awaiting results from independent autopsy, as new questions emerge in this case. Perhaps the most glaring: why would any teenager leave their phone, and their friends, to stay on a remote island with no way to communicate with anyone? We go over the latest developments and contradictory statements from witnesses who have an entire community asking for transparency.

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00:00:02
Speaker 1: Hey, that folks, it is Monday, July thirteenth. What happened to Nolan Wells? The mystery continues to deepen, and the more questions that get asked, the more this just doesn't make sense. And with that, welcome to this episode of Amy and TJ. Doesn't make sense that an eighteen year old, healthy, able to swim athlete at the height of his physical prowess in his life just all of a sudden can't swim, and all of a sudden just decides, as the only eighteen year old in the country to leave his phone behind ropes. The more questions a get this just doesn't make sense.

00:00:41
Speaker 2: It doesn't make sense. Add to that that he is surrounded by I believe around two hundred partygoers, many of whom he claimed or he thought were his friends. How did no one see anything? How does no one have any answers as to how Nolan Wells could have ended it up in the water dead? He was found days later, no obvious signs of physical trauma.

00:01:08
Speaker 1: What happened?

00:01:10
Speaker 2: How he was last seen at three pm in the middle of the day on the fourth of July.

00:01:15
Speaker 1: So all of these questions now are being asked, Folks, and has been going on now for a week since Nolan Wells died. But let's tell you where we are, because we got significant updates over the weekend, just in the last couple of days, hearing directly from Nolan Wells family and also hearing from the attorneys that are representing at the family at this point. But Robes where we are is waiting on autopsy results from the state Medical Examiner, but also independent autopsy results in Robes. That's going to be.

00:01:45
Speaker 2: Key, absolutely because we heard and this makes sense. Look, this is a state where there is a long and storied history of racial unrests and racist racial injustice. That's the word I was looking for.

00:02:03
Speaker 1: If you don't know, in history, Mississippi leads the country in lynchings during all that racial strife. This is the word. They make movies that write books about it. This is a famous place when it comes to racism. This is where Emmitt Till was killed. Okay, So in some context, well, if this continues, we've seen separated from it, and folks living in Idaho or wherever else thinks everything might be cool. In Mississippi, folks there live under this threat and there is a mistrust between certain minority communities and law enforcement that robes not that long ago, fifty sixty, seventy eighty years you go back, would turn a blind eye when something happened to a young black man that got mob justice, if you will. So that context, folks, they're not just hooting and hollering. Oh, there's history there that needs to be understood. And that's the context of what we're seeing with Nolan Wells, who was there surrounded by a bunch of white y on this trip. That is there all right, says what we're dealing with.

00:03:05
Speaker 2: Yeah, And the attorney Ben Crump, who's representing the family, pointed out, and we do have some videos from that day, Nolan Wells is notably, it seems, the only black person there among a bunch of white kids. They were all eighteen to twenty years old, similar age. They said there was as many as two hundred people. This is a very commonplace. It's called Horn Island off the coast of Mississippi, the Gulf Coast there where kids will pull up their boats and party. So that was the scene there. But yes, to your point, there are so many questions and conflicting stories about why Nolan wouldn't have returned back to the mainland with the friends he came on the boat with. Why one of those friends had his cell phone and his keys to his car, And a big question that Ben Krump and the family's asking, what teenager do you know? Especially if you were saying bye to your friends who decided to leave leave early without you, and you said I'll find my way back, why would you not insist that you have your phone with you? To me, that's the biggest glarious question.

00:04:11
Speaker 1: Bro insist kids do not go to the data bathroom, not without their cell phones. This is the most ridiculous and unbelievable part of the story. There is no way you're gonna get me to believe now you accidentally left it behind, left it in somebody's bag. A mistake can happen. I don't even think most kids do that, ropes he The only way to get back is leaving without you. You all go ahead and take my phone with you.

00:04:37
Speaker 2: Absolutely no way is noble. That makes zero, zero sense. And look when you start to hear some of these other details about his phone. His mother, first of all, Christine and Elmore Wansley, they have been making the rounds and they are demanding answers, and they want to know what happened to their son. That is what every parent would want to know. And she actually used Life three sixty. We've talked a lot about this app to track herself his phone down, and yes, found it with one of his friends who returned from Horn Island without her son. And when she got the phone, she noticed a couple of things. First of all, he had two Snapchat accounts that he was very active on, and she said anytime he was out with friends having fun, he would always be posting videos. There were videos, there were messages. He used it all the time and it takes twenty four hours for those messages to disappear. If anyone who uses Snapchat knows this, She said, there were no pictures, no messages, they were all gone. She said that is absolutely impossible knowing how her son took pictures, documented things, posted things, so she believes they were deleted. And then she also says the device's location history differs from what some of the accounts are and so there are two things that are very suspicious. And Snapchat is working with the family, I believe, or with the investigators to try and see if they can recover anything. That could have been deleted within that twenty four hour period. And then yes, the keys to his car. We're at the home where he stayed with his friends from the boat.

00:06:06
Speaker 1: I look, an accident could have happened, put his stuff in somebody else's bag and they took off and missed. Okay, fine. I just don't know any kid who doesn't have the phone physically on them if they're out and hanging out somewhere, They just don't rold And especially this is an event, this is fourth of July. They document like crazy. It's party of time.

00:06:25
Speaker 2: Of course they're taking pictures. In fact, Ben prump I thought put it so well. He said, what teenager would leave their phone behind if they're going to stay on an island. What teenager wouldn't take their phone? It's not adding up at all, and they claim there is. Look police have been asking for the family has been asking for anyone who took videos or pictures on that day to please please please hand those over to police so they can try to piece together what may have happened leading up to his death. But there are reports that there may be a voice on a video of Wells arguing with someone to give him his phone back.

00:07:00
Speaker 1: Oh yeah, Crump flat out says it. And they have the audio out there that had to be enhanced. I do believe, but he says, yes, they have seen this and they believe it is him. And you hear somebody yelling out giving my f and phone. What that means, what that's about? Who knows, but he claims, yes, they do believe it is Nolan yelling that to someone. What that leads to, Look, the phone is central to this case.

00:07:22
Speaker 2: Absolutely, And then so look and here's the other issue. Okay, so I get that the corner the immediate autopsy, at least his look at the body said there was no signs of physical injury, there's no cause of death. They're awaiting toxicology results and test results from both autopsies. But to have the sheriff on July six, the day after Nolan Well's body was found, to just absolutely put out there no foul play is suspected, and they absolutely put out they thought this was an accidental drowning. That did not sit well with the family, as you might imagine. How could they possibly make that assessment that quickly?

00:07:58
Speaker 1: And that is that makes no sense. Well, let's go with obviously that's possible. Obviously it's possible. But Robes, you're putting together a whole bunch of things that don't go in line with that. First of all, a healthy eighteen year old college athlete who can swim, yes, two, surrounded by a couple hundred people, there is no way he's off by himself to the side and no one sees him. There is no indication of that. Robes. Those two things fly in the face of and look, I know things we had the other You keep reminding me where it was the spring breaker.

00:08:38
Speaker 2: That was Spain. It was the middle of the night. He wandered off by himself on a pier and he was heavily intoxic.

00:08:43
Speaker 1: Okay, I'm trying. Look, accidents do have. We were wondering what was happening there, and they had to wait for some results and figure out make sure it wasn't foul play. You gotta leave room for that, Robes. But you add those two things we're talking about with stories from people who were there that seemed to contradict each other.

00:09:00
Speaker 2: Yes, So to that point, specifically, let's get into this because the Sheriff's department had put out this accidental drowning belief statement because they said they spoke to everyone or the boys who were with them on the boat, and they claimed that he absolutely said he wanted to stay back. He was talking with the girl. He wanted to stay back because their boat had taken on water. They had to leave early, unexpectedly early because something was wrong with the boat, and they had to get the boat back to the mainland around three pm or so, and they claimed that he said, Hey, I want to stay back and talk with this girl. However, that young woman, according to attorney Ben Crump, told him and told police that she said that he was leaving on the boat with his friends, that he planned on leaving and he was. So that completely contradicts the sheriff's statement that claims that he told his friends he was staying. So the girl he was staying for saying no, he told me he was going back on the boat and he was going back inland. So which is it?

00:10:02
Speaker 1: Classic robes? All right? Which is it? You gotta get to the bottom of that question, right, And why would they It's possible Robes somebody's mistaken. The mistake was made, and he said he could have said the same thing to both who in God's name, who knows. But that's the point, Robes is, there are so many questions, why immediately did somebody come out the sheriff accidental drowning. We don't have any other questions to ask, Robes. No to a black family with an eighteen year old boy with these questions, who were surrounded by folks that don't look like him in this situation, and then have the Mississippi sheriff and law enforcement down there say, eh, nothing to see here. Please let let the family. You gotta give them space to ask some questions. And no one is suggesting Robes that whatever happened to him was in some way racially motivated. Nobody is saying that, but you damn sure better believe there is a racial component at least into the investigation now.

00:11:08
Speaker 2: Row absolutely, and for that reason alone, there needs to be even an extra effort. I would argue for transparency to make sure that everyone feels comfortable that the truth is what we're hearing, and the truth is how we're going forward, not though we think it should be. Possibly we're not sure. No, we need to know. And look, I thought this was interesting. The United Cajun Navy, the VP of that group, and they were a part of the search that ultimately found Nolan Well's body. The spokesperson said that there were photos of the boys drinking beer. Yes, and we've seen that there were Obviously, these kids are on this island drinking beer, we get that. But he gave a statement to People magazine saying Nolan's blood alcohol level was not at an intoxicated level. So, I mean, I think that would be the other thought, like, well, maybe maybe he got wasted and he slipped on with all those people no one noticed. But look, I also go back to Ben Crump's This is a direct quote from him. He said, if he's drowning in the middle of the day, nobody sees him drown nobody offers assistance, nobody tries to help. I mean, obviously he stands out. And he said that obviously because he was the only black person in any of the videos. And that is just really a hard thing to imagine. I understand, even with drinking and partying and music and maybe some there were some fights that were breaking out, I believe among a couple of groups over a girlfriend. Blah blah blah. I still don't believe that a six foot two black guy is just gonna just slip under the water and no one sees him drown That's I mean, look, is it possible. I guess not likely, is what we're saying. But it doesn't seem likely. All right. When we come back, we are going to tell you there's some big celebrity support surrounding Nolan Wells family who is offering the family's assistance, but also just wanted to talk a little bit about who Nolan w was is and his unbelievable his mom. What a powerful message she is sent out despite all this uncertainty, despite all this concern and trauma, she has a message for everyone that we all need to hear. And welcome back everyone to this episode of Amy and TJ, where we are going over the latest details in this deepening mystery surrounding eighteen year old college football player Nolan Wells, who died during a Fourth of July party and no one knows how, No one knows why, and his family wants some answers. They are willing to accept accidental drowning. They are willing to accept any scenario. It's just there are so many concerning suspicious parts of this story, including the fact that their eighteen year old son, didn't have his cell phone, didn't have his keys, and conflicting reports about whether or not he actually wanted to stay on that island. His family made it very clear that they have said this, and I've said this to my daughters. I know you said it to yours. No matter what, you go and you stay with the people you arrived at a place with. You don't stay behind. You stick with your group no matter what you do. Not go off or stay anywhere on your own. And they said he was very much that kind of kid.

00:14:27
Speaker 1: Well, this doesn't make sense. He took a boat ride. This is eighten eight ten miles off the coast of Mississippi. What was it? Just what Ocean Springs is where they left? Yea, is it not Blossie.

00:14:39
Speaker 2: Well it's around it's around Gulfport, go Fort Fort, Mississippi.

00:14:42
Speaker 1: About seventeen miles from Gulf Court, So it's that area. But you're still you got to take a boat ropes, you got to get on a boat on the mainland and haul ten.

00:14:51
Speaker 2: Miles to an uninhabited island. So he's going to just decide hope he gets a ride back. Yeah, that doesn't make any sense.

00:15:00
Speaker 1: Can't even call for help if he needs.

00:15:02
Speaker 2: It, that doesn't have his phone.

00:15:03
Speaker 1: Come on.

00:15:04
Speaker 2: So look, this is now obviously this exactly It was exactly a week ago on this Monday that his body was recovered. But now the family is getting so much needed support and bringing attention to this story and demanding answered. Colin Kaepernick helped fund the independent autopsy where we were waiting those results. By the way, Ben Krump, the attorney, says we should be getting those results. He said very soon.

00:15:28
Speaker 1: We don't have right the state hasn't released they're waiting on toxicology. They did an autopsy, yep, but they're waiting on the Is that how it usually goes?

00:15:36
Speaker 2: I never know. It always takes longer than I think it does. But yes, I'm sure they're making sure that there is I do. I do appreciate the fact that the family was able to get an independent autopsy. So that's going to be key to part of this or at least understanding this story. Tyler Perry stepped up as covering the funeral expenses for this young man, and we saw Spike Lee l Shop Sharpton at this Family Friday news conference at folks just are putting their celebrity power towards this family, just to keep the spotlight there, to make sure that they get the answers they deserve. And just about this young man, wide receiver Southwest Mississippi Community College. His coach, his football coach said this Wells was a guy that never had a bad day.

00:16:21
Speaker 1: Never.

00:16:21
Speaker 2: He was very sociable with everyone. He didn't meet a stranger. His family describes him as a peacemaker with a big heart, and they tell the story the last time they saw him Friday night before he left, baked came over to his parents' house and baked them as salmon dinner. That's just the kind of kid. He was hugged. His mother told her he loved him. It could make me cry right now, but they had that last beautiful moment with him. But they said that sums up who this young man was.

00:16:46
Speaker 1: Mama had a hard day, decided to cook dinner. That was cool. But then he took off to go stay with a friend that night and they never saw the kid again. Rops. It doesn't make sense. It doesn't make sense why the phone was at It was the mom who looked up life three sixteen saw it was at a friend's house, yes, and she will.

00:17:02
Speaker 2: She reported him missing that night when he didn't come home, she starts trying to find him and reports him missing at eleven PM. But his mom's message because yes, there is a lot of distrust, there's a lot of anger and a lot of suspicion growing. And obviously we talked about Mississippi's past and you don't need to know the details to I think most people get Mississippi's racial injustice pass. But she said this to everyone, please be peaceful. Nolan was not someone who likes fights, physical fights. He didn't even really like arguments. Don't go out there trying to be tough. Think about what Nolan would want, and he wouldn't want that type of behavior.

00:17:41
Speaker 1: Yeah, and we say that to everybody. Thank you for the message to his mom and going with she's going through what she's going through, still has a message out there and trying to help out when she is the one that needs most help. It seems ropes right now, but it's it has. Some stuff is going online, you know the way these fights go in the back and forth, and then race is involved. But if you can all and be careful what you see online, there's a lot of stuff flying around, rumors. Look at this is a picture of this, and I got a video of this. Don't believe everything you're seeing right now, and just be careful if you want to engage in this conversation with how you go about it, because this is history, Robe, This is racial history that bubbles up and it has presented itself in a very modern way. Now, this is not a kid whistling at somebody at a grocery store on a dirt road. This is a kid with a cell phone in life three sixty who got on a boat. This is just modern day Robes And we want to leave room for this being an awful, awful accident, but please respect why a black family is just not going to accept that without getting a few.

00:18:48
Speaker 2: Answers first, absolutely, and every single mother and father out there knows that at the very least, you deserve to know how and why your child died, and that's all this family wants to know. And we will continue to follow the developments in this story as more information comes out, and we certainly hope there will be in the coming days. And with that, everyone, we always appreciate you listening to us. I'm Aye Robock alongside TJ. Holmes, we'll talk to you soon.