Hidden True Crime - Murder or Mistake? Breaking Down the Timeline in the Mysterious Death of Nolan Wells | FULL STORY

Episode Date: July 19, 2026

An 18-year-old football player leaves for a Fourth of July trip with friends... but never comes home. Two days later, Nolan Wells is found dead on a remote Mississippi barrier island, and what should have been a straightforward investigation quickly becomes a mystery filled with conflicting timelines, unanswered questions, and growing public scrutiny. In this episode, Lauren Matthias breaks down everything we know about the death of Nolan Wells—from GPS records, distress calls, and witness interviews to the viral argument video, the controversy surrounding Nolan's phone, and the family's decision to seek an independent autopsy. We'll separate verified facts from online rumors, examine the inconsistencies at the center of the investigation, and explore why Nolan's family refuses to accept an accidental drowning without more answers. Was this a tragic accident, or is there more to the story? SPONSORS: Article: Get $50 off your first purchase of $100 or more at Article by visiting https://www.article.com/discount/hidden and the discount will be automatically applied at checkout. Rula: Connect with quality therapists and mental health experts at https://www.rula.com/hidden patients typically pay $15 per session with insurance. About Hidden True Crime What started as a simple conversation at their dinner table became a captivating podcast. Join the dynamic duo of Dr. John Matthias, a criminal psychologist, and Lauren Matthias, an investigative journalist, as they delve into the psychological facets of unthinkable crimes every week. Their unique perspectives and in-depth analysis offer a fresh take on true crime storytelling. Thank you for your support through sponsorships, subscribing, listening, and becoming a Patreon member at⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Patreon.com/HiddenTrueCrime⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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Plus, it's included in your Netflix membership with zero extra costs. Go to the games tab and play FIFA World Cup launch edition now, only on Netflix. Nobody sees what happened to him, and he stays behind and doesn't ask for his phone. On Friday, July 3rd, 18-year-old Nolan Wells cooked dinner for his parents before leaving for a friend's house to spend the night. Nolan said, hey mom, I'm about to go. I love you. He gave her a hug and a kiss and he left. The next day, Nolan headed out for a 4th of July boating trip with friends. It was supposed to be one of those easy summer days, sun, water, music, a memory before life picked up again.

But by the end of the day, Nolan didn't come home. His friends did, but Nolan did not. Two days later, on July 6th, a National Park Service Ranger found a body near the northwest shore of Horn Island. It was Nolan. What should have been a simple holiday outing immediately unraveled into a mess of contradictions, timelines that continue to change, missing vital details, and a family, most importantly, who refuses to accept accidental drowning as the explanation for their son's death. And hidden true crime, we're listening.

We hear them. And we have done what we always do. We have gone deep, deep into investigating, looking at all of the available facts and evidence. And what we have found is, it's riveting and it is nothing that we expected. My name is Lauren Matthias, and this is hidden true crime. Authorities initially said they did not see signs of foul play, and that drowning seemed likely, but Nolan's family, they didn't buy it. They want to know why he was left behind, why his phone and his keys ended up back on shore without him,

why the timeline has kept changing again and again, and how a healthy, young athlete who knew how to swim, vanished on an island packed with hundreds of people. To understand why his family has pushed back so strongly, you have to understand who Nolan was. He wasn't aimless or reckless. He wasn't drifting through life like many teenagers might. Nolan, Nolan was born on October 24, 2002 and raised in Ocean Springs, Mississippi. Nolan, Xavier Wells, was a son. He was a brother. He was a teammate, a friend, and a young man with a lot of future plans. His family has described him as a kind soul and a born people person, someone who loved everyone. Out of all six siblings, everyone in the family agrees that Nolan had the best

sense of humor. Growing up, he was extremely athletic. Nolan played football. He played baseball, basketball, and he was really good at swimming, too, yeah, after having taken lessons at the YMCA. After high school, he played wide receiver at Southwest Mississippi Community College, and his coaches described him as humble, hardworking, and the kind of player every coach hopes to have. His high school principal, Dr. Jacob Dykes, said Nolan left a lasting impression on everyone around him. His family said he lifted people up. He encouraged He brought positivity wherever he went. He had goals. He had direction. He had people who really loved him and relied on him, which is part of why his family has struggled with the idea that he would just casually put himself in danger and the place where Nolan disappeared. Let's talk about that. That's just as important to this story. So Horn Island is a remote barrier island 10 miles off the Mississippi Gulf Coast. It's part of the Gulf Islands national. seashore. There are no houses. There are no stores. There's no staff. There's no drinking water.

No shelters and definitely no cell service. It's just heat, sand, water, and whatever you brought with you. On a normal day, it's quiet. But on the 4th of July, it is packed, or at least it was this 4th of July. hundreds of people, some estimates say around 300, anchored boats offshore, drank, swam, and celebrated the holiday. Nolan was there with people he trusted friends he had known since freshman year. And one of them was Trace in Shepherd. Another was J. Vaughan Williams, one of Nolan's closest friends. And J. Vaughn was supposed to ride with Nolan. But the boat, which belonged to another friend named Wyatt Pyrin, it filled up before.

he could get on, so he ended up riding separately and arriving later. GPS records show that Nolan's group's boat had left its mainland dock at approximately 9.56 a.m., so almost 10 a.m., and reached Horn Island at 11.14 a.m. And when they arrived, they anchored offshore and waited through the water to reach the beach. According to tracing many people on the island were drinking, that included Nolan and others in their group. At some point, Nolan met a girl named Katie McCormick. While everyone agrees on this part, Nolan was alive on the island, hanging out with Katie, wearing blue swim trunks and glasses and no shirt.

And after that, the timeline, well, it begins to fall apart. One detail that exploded online was that Nolan left his phone on the boat. People questioned why. an 18-year-old, especially one who had just met someone new, would leave his phone behind, right? But locals, again, they said that this was common on Horn Island because phones get ruined or lost in the water. And again, no cell service. Still, the phone became symbolic because while the phone came home, Nolan did not. The sheriff said that Nolan was last seen around 3 p.m.

But Javon said he saw Nolan around 4 p.m. Javon said that. that Nolan greeted him immediately when he arrived. They hung out. And then Nolan went back to Katie. So the first question for me becomes, was Nolan last seen at 3 p.m., 4 p.m., or some other time entirely? Because investigators were still trying to stitch those hours together.

According to Nolan's friends, when they decided to leave, Nolan said he would get a ride back later. And they assumed that's what happened. But that assumption did not. last long because around 11 p.m. a friend of nolan's contacted the coast guard we don't know what was said during that 11 p.m. call with the coast guard and all the agency has said so far was that at that point they didn't require coast guard assistance which i think is really interesting but at 11 07 p.m. Nolan's mother christine wonsley received a call saying that nolan stayed behind with a girl named katie and that Katie was also missing.

Though nobody seemed to actually know who Katie even was, Christine said the explanation immediately left her confused because she was told that Nolan wanted to stay and hang out with Katie. Yet at the same time, nobody seemed to know who Katie was or where she had gone. And so for her, for Christine, that was the first moment the story cracked. And then around midnight, Christine made calls to local law enforcement. There was some jurisdiction confusion. at first, right? But after doing some back and forth between different agencies, the Jackson County Sheriff's

Office opened a report. And later that night, Nolan's parents met a deputy in a McDonald's parking lot and told them everything that they knew at the time. The search quickly began. Nolan's family contacted the United Cajun Navy who joined the effort. And Nolan's father, Elmore Wonsley, went to the island by boat with Nolan's. football coach to search for his son. At 1226 p.m. Coast Guard Sector Mobile said it received a request for assistance from the Jackson County Sheriff's Office for help. At 1231 p.m., the Sheriff's Office issued a press release saying it was searching for Nolan Xavier Wells, described as an 18-year-old black male approximately 6 foot 1 and weighing approximately 180 pounds. Weather slowed things down

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And then, on July 6th at 8.45 a.m., a ranger found a body on the stretch of shoreline search cruise had already passed through. Nolan's family was asked to come to the Lake Mars boat launch. where they were met by Sheriff Ledbetter and Coroner Bruce Lynde. And just after 11 a.m., the family was taken into the coroner's office to identify the body. At around 1 p.m., Nolan's mother posted on Facebook confirming that Nolan, her son, was the person that was found on Horn Island and that he was dead. Nolan's grandfather, Christopher Wells, Jr., he wrote, too many unanswered questions how can an island that was searched yesterday produce my grandson's body this morning

there's nothing right about this nolan zavier wells deserve the same things that people he knew and associated with will enjoy in life end quote too many unanswered questions that's exactly how it felt so brian tracier he's the vice president of the united kajun navy offered one explanation that Nolan's body may have moved with the current and washed ashore after search crews passed through. He said, quote, my belief is he just washed up within that time period because we were flying a long grid north and south. But Nolan's family, they wanted more than maybe. And I don't blame that. This is their son.

Do you think there's a possibility that your son drowned accidentally? Honestly, because of the way the story. stories are just so inconsistent and how that day went. It's just, you know, we can't say for sure. And I don't, honestly, I don't know how to answer that. Early on, Sheriff Ledbetter said that investigators weren't seeing evidence of foul play. The initial theory was drowning. But they were waiting for autopsy and toxicology results.

And he urged everyone to be patient saying, quote, I think it's important. We don't put ourselves on a. timetable that we don't rush ourselves. But I do think it's important to be diligent in gathering all of the facts. That's what the family deserves, end quote. Amen, Sheriff. Number one, give the family space and time. They are still processing this tragic event.

And all of Nolan's close friends, I'll assure you that the Jackson County Sheriff's Office, we're looking at this whole case just like we would, any other case. and we're going to be as thorough as we can. He also addressed the flood of online rumors saying, quote, a lot of people are calling here to report what they saw or read on social media, and it is not firsthand knowledge. What we have to go on in an original investigation is original documentation and firsthand knowledge. So investigators, they specifically requested original photos and original videos from July 4th,

especially from the Northwest area where Nolan was. found because metadata could help establish a timeline, right? And one piece of footage became a major focus. A viral video showing an argument on Horn Island around the time Nolan disappeared. The clip reportedly taken around 401 p.m. shows a group gathered near the shoreline. Voices can be heard yelling. People online, they began enhancing the audio, slowing the footage, analyzing every second. Some claim they heard a young man shouting, give me my freaking phone. And then, what are you doing? Take a listen to this video. And because Nolan's phone returned to shore without him, many people jumped to the conclusion

that the voice belonged to Nolan. But did this footage capture Nolan's final moment? Did it prove that there had been an altercation that investigators were not acknowledging? Well, days later, Traceon Shepard came forward and said, no. He went on Good Morning America evening, even, yeah. And Tristan said, that's me yelling. Tristan said that the tension started while he and his girlfriend were arguing in waste deep water off the island. And according to him, a man who wasn't part of their greatest, group stepped into the middle of a disagreement, which only made things worse.

Tristan said, well, I told him he needed to mind his own business. Well, the situation escalated enough that his uncle reportedly told him to get back on their boat so they could leave the area. And even then, Tristan admitted that he still wanted to continue the confrontation while his friends stayed on the beach. He said that at that point, another adult on a nearby boat started filming, capturing the footage. Tristan added, quote, I wanted to fight and I felt like I hadn't had my fair share.

Interesting quote. His version of events was backed up by his girlfriend. It was backed up by his uncle and a family friend who all said that they witnessed the incident. That friend told Rolling Stone, quote, he wanted to get off the boat and go fight the dude who he got into it with. Nobody knows what Tristan was saying better than me because. he was screaming it in my face." End quote. Well, Javon Williams also commented on the video saying,

that altercation, it sounded just like my other friend who got into another altercation on the boat. As he was in that altercation, I was trying to calm him down. They were trying to get him out off the island, trying to get him back to land because he was just losing it. The parents on that boat were trying to get him out. He also said this on TMZ. Take a listen.

It probably was around, I want to say around like 100 people. Like everyone from Horn Island that everyone at Horn Island that live on the coast were there pretty much. Obviously it was older people. There was a lot of people there like honestly. But I seen Nolan whenever I got out there around, I got around out there around 11 o'clock. I had walked down to their boat. I had seen them. and out it was like a whole bunch of people i didn't expect it so i seen nolan as soon as i see nolan

he's like hey bro what you're doing like i love you dog i love you and then we were just hanging out you know chilling just having a good time and then so around i want to say around 340 4 o'clock altercation health like had happened between one of my other friends i don't want to say his name but he had got an altercation so i went and checked on him for about 20 minutes 20 to 15 minutes I came back, Nolan's boat and the people that he were with were gone. But the thing about the two boats that I said, they were two boats tied up. So therefore, I didn't know which boat Nolan exactly was on because they were both tied up. Well, Tristan later said that the friend Javon was referring to was him.

And in the interview, Trayton also said again that Nolan stayed behind because he was wanting to spend more time with Katie. insisting there was no drama, there was no fight. It was a teenager interested in a girl that he was meeting on a holiday and a summer day of voting. He said Nolan planned to catch a ride back later, an investigator said multiple witnesses backed that up. But Nolan's family, they didn't believe it. They don't believe it. His father, Elmore, said, we always taught him that if you go with five, you come back,

with five. Safety is in numbers. He had too much at stake. He had a plan for his life. He knew what he wanted to do. He knew what he had to do come that following Monday, which was to get down to business so he can get his future started. So for someone to tell me that Nolan, my son decided to stay on the island to chase a girl, no one is going to get me to believe that. End quote. Wow. And because the story didn't line up in their eyes. Nolan's family brought in civil rights attorney Benjamin Crump. Crump's involvement brought even more scrutiny. He made it clear the family was not satisfied with waiting for the investigation to run its course. They wanted their own experts examining the evidence. Trump began pointing to inconsistencies starting with Katie. According to him,

Katie told investigators that Nolan said he was going back to meet up with his friends and get back on their boat. The friends reportedly told investigators the opposite that Nolan had told them he planned to stay behind with Katie. Crump said, quote, the fact that you have the young lady who said that Nolan said he was going to get back on the boat with the boys and then the boy said no, Nolan told them that he was going to stay with the girl. Which one is it? Somebody, someone must not be telling the truth. So who is it? For Nolan's family, this is not a minor discrepancy. It is central. Nolan, if he intended to get back on the butt with his friends, then when and how did they become

separated? But if he truly planned to stay behind, why would he willingly stay on a remote island without his cell phone? Teenagers do not leave their cell phones around. Crump repeatedly returned to that point asking what 18-year-old teenager says, hey, I'm going to stay behind on the island and doesn't ask for their cell phone. Teenagers love their phones. And, too, that's his means of communication. If something happens, you need your phone. There are hundreds of people on that island.

Nobody sees what happened to him. And he stays behind and doesn't ask for his phone. As a family continued looking for answers, they raised. Additional concern about Nolan's belongings. His car had been left parked at one of his friends' homes. His phone was no longer with him. And according to the family, neither his phone nor his car keys were voluntarily returned right away. They said that they had to track down the phone themselves using a monitoring app. Reverend Al Sharpton, who has been supporting the family, said they didn't voluntarily tell her they had his phone. They didn't voluntarily say they had the keys. So if they had not been tracked down, we don't know if they would have ever known where it was. Some of this doesn't make sense. End quote.

So when Christine finally got Nolan's phone, she noticed something immediately. No Snapchat activity. His mom knew something was up. His mom said, it isn't even 24 hours, which is. how long videos and pictures stay in Snapchat. I've seen Nolan wherever he snaps. When he goes and he's having fun, he does videos. There was absolutely nothing. And a mama knows, I believe her. The family also said the phone's location data did not match the timeline. And Crump later said the family believe messages may have been deleted before they recovered the phone. He said, quote, it is very

implausible that Nolan would have not wanted his cell phone with him if he was going to stay on the island. There are so many inconsistencies going on. Because the phone could contain valuable evidence, right, the family wanted independent experts to examine it before turning it over to investigators. Sheriff Ledbetter confirmed that detectives had requested the phone and Crum said that the family intended to cooperate, but first they wanted their own forensic experts to review. it. The DA later agreed to a joint forensic examination, allowing investigators and the family's experts to review the device together. Meanwhile, investigators continued interviewing everyone involved. Dr. John and I have talked about how people are actually usually kinder to themselves when it

comes to physical health than mental health. Like if your knee hurts, you might not think twice about seeing a doctor, but if you are struggling with anxiety, burnout, or going through a very difficult season. So many people convince themselves they should just push through it. That's one of the reasons that I appreciate Rula. They make it easier to find licensed therapists and mental health providers who accept insurance. They partner with more than 100 insurance plans and the average co-pay is actually about $15 per session. They also help you find a provider based on your goals, preferences, and background with appointments that can be available.

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several of Nolan's friends retained attorneys and authorities said the friends and Katie were cooperating at a press conference on July 10th Nolan's mother said one of the things that troubled her the most was how quickly the possibility of accidental drowning entered the conversation just like that all of a sudden just accidental drowning she said I do absolutely respect law enforcement. She made that clear. I absolutely respect law enforcement is what she said, but she also said, quote, the accidental drowning thing, it made both me and his father uncomfortable. Why are we so quick to rush to this? End quote. She said the family, they want transparency,

not conflict, right? Transparency, give him transparency. Sheriff led better, said investigators were following every lead and waiting for autopsy and toxicology results. I am waiting for them too. He said, quote, we're working toward the same goal as the family. We want a thorough investigation. That's what we're going to continue to do until we arrive at the answers that the family deserves. And while detectives continued saying that they had not uncovered evidence pointing to

foul play, Nolan's family believes that there are too many inconsistened. consistencies to accept that conclusion without independent experts examining every single piece of evidence. And the controversy surrounding the phone and the argument video weren't the only things fueling speculation. Yeah, there's more. We're on the same time. Another image began circulating online. So in this image, it's a photograph showing Nolan with a group of people at what appears to be a pool party.

It had been posted on July 5th, the day after Nolan disappeared. Rumor spread that the photo proved that Nolan had made it back to the mainland alive. Yeah. Crump even reposted the image, writing, quote, Now listen, I don't know if these are facts or rumors because no official statements have been confirmed. We sometimes have to follow all clues until the truth is found. end quote. But the theory it spread quickly. Once online, you can't keep these things small. But it soon fell apart because Tristan told Rolling Stone that the photo, the photo had nothing to do with the 4th of July weekend.

It had been taken more than a week earlier on June 27th during a pool party. It had simply been uploaded on July 5th. Rolling Stone, they actually reviewed metadata and spoke with multiple people who attended the June gathering. They obtained additional photos from that night, all supporting the same conclusion. Tristan identified the people in the photos, including Nolan, and called the rumor unbelievable and heartbreaking. For Nolan's family, every false lead meant more emotional whiplash. Every rumor has raised hopes only to collapse every time that hope is given to them. So investigators, while they are working through more information,

the family, Nolan's family, has been becoming increasingly convinced that they cannot rely solely on the official investigation. At a July 10th press conference, Nolan's parents said they wanted to change the conversation. They didn't want the conversation to be at rumors any longer. They wanted it to be about the questions that they still believed have not been answered. Benjamin Crump stood beside Nolan's parents and announced that the family would be pursuing an independent autopsy in Washington, D.C., funded by former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick, who had quietly stepped in to help Nolan's family.

Crum said the family wanted a second examination performed by a pathologist of their choosing, someone who could look at Nolan's injuries and toxicology results without the constraints of the official investigation. Tyler Perry had also reached out offering to cover Nolan's funeral expenses so the family could focus on grieving rather than worrying about the financial burden of laying their beloved 18-year-old son to rest to their son with an entire future ahead of him. It's been really touching to see the support and love Nolan's parents have been receiving. Support has been pouring in from across the country from people who have never met Nolan and never met him but felt compelled by sort of these unanswered questions and these grieving parents and the mystery surrounding his death. A GoFundMe was created to help with funeral and memorial costs and it has already raised hundreds of thousands of dollars, which really reflects how deeply Nolan's story has resonated with strangers. who saw themselves or saw their children or saw their communities or villages in this tragedy.

And of course, Nolan's loved ones, they are struggling immensely. Along with several photos of the two having fun and growing up together, J. Vaughn and Nolan, Jvonne Williams posted, quote, oh boy, where do I even start? Nolan, you were truly a blessing in my life, man, from the day I met you since we were kids. We just clicked. You always took me under your wing and showed me what a true friendship and brotherhood should be. I'm missing you more than anything, man. You never failed to pick me up if I was feeling down.

You always put a smile on my face or made me laugh. You were someone that everyone would want to be around. You were such a blessing. I'll cherish your memories forever. I'm extremely grateful to have met someone like you. Our friendship is irreplaceable. I love you so much, man. It hurts so bad knowing I won't be able to speak to you every day.

But this isn't a goodbye, brother. This is simply just see you later. I love you, man. Get your rest. I'll do anything to hear your laugh one last time. End quote. Since this story broke, Chance Re Court Judge Ashley Cole,

whose son was among the group of friends on the island with Nolan that very day has also come forward to dispel some rumors. Judge Cole made a public Facebook post saying she wanted to clarify what she described as misinformation and provide what she knew about the situation. So she started by expressing sympathy for Nolan's family, saying, our family along with the community, grades the loss of Nolan Wells. Our thoughts and prayers are with Nolan's. family. Our son Warren loved Nolan dearly." Cole goes on to say that her son had known Nolan for years and that her family was also mourning Nolan's death. She also addressed rumors involving her decision to temporarily

deactivate her Facebook account because some people online questioned why she had removed her profile right after Nolan went missing and thought that that timing was kind of sketchy and suspicious. But Judge Cole explained that the reason she claimed she deleted it is because of the intense attention surrounding the case and because she wanted to protect her children's privacy. Understandable. She wrote my husband and I have six children and we protect their privacy. We do not believe it is appropriate for our minor children's photographs to be circulated throughout the internet presenting potential threats to their safety, end quote. She also, addressed her position as a judge and denied that she or her family had attempted to influence or

interfere with the investigation. Cole said neither she nor her husband were on Horn Island at any point on July 4th and denied that anyone in her family had tried to prevent law enforcement from doing their job. But the part of her statement that became most important to the timeline involved the boat, Yeah. According to Judge Cole, the boat carrying Nolan's friends began having problems and started taking on water. She said the group was forced to leave because of concerns about the boat's condition. Well, according to her statement, Nolan chose to stay behind because he was spending time with Katie and plan to return later with another group of friends. So now, now there is at least two versions of events about why this group decided to leap. First, it was because there was a fight. And the parents wanted to get traced in off the island because, as Javon put it, he was losing it. But now it's because the boat was taking on water.

So yeah, a lot of discrepancies here. And those are all pretty big events. that you think everyone would be on board with right away and be able to share right away without any confusion. So why the discrepancies? That's what gets me the most. But I did just see some new reports that they do at least corroborate that something was actually wrong with the boat. According to new GPS data obtained through a records request, the group's boat left the island at 431 And then not long after, the group placed a distress call asking for towing assistance. And in the audio obtained from the call, the person driving the boat says, quote,

Hey, we're at the west tip of horn and our pump stopped working. We're sinking. Can you all please come? I want to get this boat unsink and towed back. And then a dispatcher asks, and is everybody on board in good health? otherwise. The caller replies, yeah, yeah, everybody's on board. We're sinking. Can you all please come? And is everybody on board and good health otherwise?

Yeah, yeah, everybody's off the way. The boat was towed for approximately three miles and then began traveling at a normal speed, again, less than an hour later. It returned to the location from which it had originally departed at 544 p.m. and later traveled into Fort Bayou before returning to the boat launch at 7.19 p.m. It then traveled over land, apparently while being towed by a vehicle, to the home of its owners.

And so that information does prove that there were problems with the boat, and it does at least help narrow down the timeline of when the group left the island. But while Judge Cole and everyone else has reiterated the Katie's story and that Nolan planned to return later with another group,

which is it? His parents have continued to say that he would never separate from his friends, especially knowing the dangers of being on the water. They again pointed out that he had football workouts the following week. It had plans. And through all of this, the rumors, the false leads, the conflicting statements, I mean so many conflicting statements, Nolan's family keeps coming back to the same questions. Why did Nolan leave his phone behind? Why? We don't have that answer. Why? Why? Why? Why? Why did his friends return with his belongings but without Nolan? Why?

Why? And if Nolan truly planned to return later, who? Who was he supposed to return with? Those questions became even more complicated because of who? Katie, because of Katie's account. So what does Katie have to say about this, right? I want to know what Katie has to say. Well, Katie, Katie says that Nolan told her he was going back to get on the boat with his friends, right?

But the friends, again, say that Nolan told them he was staying with Katie. Both versions cannot be true. Or, I mean, I guess they could both be true. And then where did Nolan go? Did he fib to both of them? I doubt it. either Nolan intended to stay behind or he intended to leave with the group, right? Is there another plan here?

I don't know. Someone's account, though, is wrong. And at this point, the investigation is far from over. Autopsy results, again, they are still pending. Toxicology testing. That has not been completed yet. Witness interviews are ongoing. Digital evidence is still being reviewed.

And the case is reportedly going. to go before a grand jury where the evidence will be examined under O. We've just had an opportunity to meet with district attorney Angel McAgraph and some members of her team. We had a very respectful meeting. The thing I assume some of you may know, the thing to announce, she shared with the family that there will be a grand. grand jury that she will turn this case over to once they have collected all the information and finished their investigation. We also agreed that we will have a mutual inspection of the cell phone with our experts

and their experts. Attorney Eric Hertz is helping leave the investigation team with former law enforcement experts who are going to help us with the cell phone download. So everybody will be able to see at the same time what the cell phone has. We also talked about trying to make sure we doubt every eye and cross every T. I know that we're getting about 50 calls a date to 100 calls a date from people who were there on Horn Island, people who are familiar with individuals that were there on Horn Island. And so we continue to be steadfast and trying to get to the truth of why Nolan Wells is dead.

This is actually a common step in Mississippi. Actually, when someone dies under suspicious or sort of unexplained circumstances, the grand jury will review the facts and decide whether there's enough evidence to bring any criminal charges. During Tristan's appearance on Good Morning America, he said he wanted people to understand one thing. He said, we didn't know wrong here, and we don't understand how we're getting so much hate behind us. We all cared and loved Nolan, and nobody wanted to see Nolan die. Nobody wanted to see his life be taken so short, end quote. He described the past several days as devastating, not only because he had lost one of his closest friends, but because he believed social media had turned the surviving friends into suspects before investigators had ever reached any

conclusions. He said, I'm tired of speculation, of not being able to talk. It's time for somebody to start speaking up. I'm not just hurting because of Nolan. I'm also hurting because I call my friends and you can hear it in their voice that they are terrified of what these people will do to them. It's gone completely way too far, end quote. Yeah. So when I look at everything that we know so far, which means the timeline or the lack of timeline, it's still a confusing timeline. Was it three or was it four? The boat was allegedly sinking at 430, right? The conflicting statements, Katie versus his friends. The number of unanswered questions keeps amounting without any answers, unanswered questions.

So it's easy to understand why many of us have landed in very different places about what we believe happened to Nolan Wells on Horn Island. And honestly, I don't know what happened. I don't know what happened, but I support Nolan's family. I support their desire to have these unanswered questions answered. I support their confusion and request to be part of the investigation. I also feel for anyone that is innocent in this matter, any of Nolan's friends that are innocent, I hope they're doing okay with any online attacks and being called witnesses.

It's just, this is just heartbreaking. Some people think this could have been a tragic accident. It could have been. Again, I'm interested in the toxicology report, right? He was an athlete, but they were drinking, they were celebrating. It was the 4th of July. You know, it becomes more likely when you mix drinking, swimming, and crowds. And I mean people either not having their phones on them or simply not paying attention

to the time can definitely make narrowing down a solid timeline a little bit more difficult. But some of us believe something more nefarious may have happened, something that someone might be trying to cover up, which is why we're talking about Nolan Wells. And then, though, there are the people who think that the truth is, kind of not in either extreme. Like it might be somewhere between sort of a situation where like little decisions sort of snowballed into something bigger. But I will say this though, while I absolutely believe that Nolan's friend should not be facing threats or bullying while the investigation is still ongoing. I also don't think anyone should stop.

asking questions. That doesn't mean attacking anyone online. But I think it means to remain open and wondering and realizing that there's still an investigation and there's still so much to learn. Nolan's family, again, we are listening. Nolan's family, they do, they deserve answers to their questions. They deserve clarity. They deserve transparency. Mostly they deserve to know what happened to their beloved son, who they continually say he had plans, he had a future of head of him, he was talented, he was handsome, he was athletic. If this is not turn out to be an accident, the Nolan absolutely deserves justice. As his mother Christine put it, quote, we just want to know what happened

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