Nolan Wells case update: Friends return to Horn Island in major twist; why they went where 18-year-old's body was found
The Nolan Wells case continues to draw interest as questions remain about the circumstances of his death. Amid this, two of the 18-year-old’s friends went back to Horn Island, in Mississippi, where his body was found.
Wells, a Black teen, had gone out with his friends to Horn Island on July 4. He was reported missing the same day and his body was found two days later. Given that he was out with three white friends, race has become a talking point in the case, though the autopsy results have not clearly pointed to foul play as per reports.
Here’s all you need to know about Wells’ friends returning to Horn Island.
Nolan Wells’ friends return to Horn Island
Attorneys for Warren Hudson, Jax Pitalo, and Morgan Seymour said that two of Wells’ friends went to Horn Island off the Mississippi coast on Friday, as per reports.
The report noted that it’s possible that the two friends who went to the island were with Wells the day he died.
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It is not clear how Wells’ body ended up on the Horn Island shoreline two days after he went missing. The friends’ attorneys rushed to clarify that they had nothing to do with Wells’ death.
As per the independent autopsy conducted at the behest of Wells’ family, the cause of death was found to be undetermined. The Jackson County coroner also found no obvious signs of foul play. However, the Mississippi State Medical Examiner’s Office is yet to finish the official autopsy as they await toxicology results, which could take weeks.
There has been no arrests or people charged in the case.
Why Nolan Wells’ friends returned to Horn Island
Wells’ friends who were with him that day have been subjected to a lot of public speculation despite authorities not naming them suspects. As per the report the friends wanted to ‘investigate’ Horn Island for themselves.
The lawyers said the two friends wanted to learn the truth of what had happened to Nolan Wells.
Nolan Wells’ mother hit with misconduct case
Amid the family’s search for truth in the Nolan Wells case, mother Christine Wonsley had to battle a professional misconduct case. She shared an update on Facebook a few days back that the case had been closed.
She wrote “the professional misconduct case that was opened due to an anonymous complaint has been CLOSED by the MS Board of Nursing. Thank you to all of those who have constantly kept us in your prayers. This definitely has added more hurt to an already devastating time because I love my job and I love my patients.” Meanwhile, their attorney Ben Crump had called it ‘intimidation’.
“One month ago, Christine Wells Wonsley lost her son Nolan. Now, someone is trying to take her nursing license anonymously, without the courage to put a name on it. This is intimidation. This is a warning shot meant to silence a grieving mother who is simply asking what happened to her child. We will not let it stand. Christine served her patients for years without a single complaint to the board. The only thing that changed is that she started asking questions. No family should have to fight this battle while burying their child. We will keep demanding the facts until Christine knows how her son died,” he said.