Private group chats from Nolan Wells’ cellphone reveal how members of the group he traveled with reacted when the 18-year-old went missing, questioned the circumstances surrounding his disappearance and discussed what to do as police began investigating his death.
What members of the group said in text messages, according to the new report
Wells’ family released a 292-page report that digital forensics firm Garrett Discovery compiled, analyzing his cellphone, which includes messages exchanged among the group after he disappeared during a Fourth of July gathering on Mississippi’s Horn Island, according to News Nation, Oxygen.com and CBS News.
In a group chat on July 5, one person recalled seeing Wells leave their boat with another person before they walked toward a different boat.
“He got off our boat with this other guy, and they started walking back to their boat,” the person wrote, according to CBS News.
As the search continued, members of the group questioned what happened to Wells and whether he planned to return to the mainland with someone else.
“There is def some sus s**t going on,” another wrote, according to News Nation, Oxygen.com and CBS News.
Another message questioned why Wells would leave his phone behind if he planned to catch a ride with someone else. The group also asked members to check their camera rolls for photos or videos that could help establish his whereabouts.
Wells’ body was recovered from the waters near Horn Island on July 6. After learning of his discovery, one person wrote, “Nolan was the most nice and caring guy we knew,” CBS News reported.
Messages about police questioning: ‘We have nothing to hide’
The group’s messages also showed members discussing how to handle potential police questioning. On July 6, one person advised the group to seek legal representation if called in, writing that asking for an attorney “doesn’t mean we’re guilty” and was a way to avoid being misled by “some potential bias cop,” according to News Nation and Oxygen.
As conversations continued, members urged one another not to speculate about Wells’ death. One person wrote, “Don’t speculate about s**t yall,” while others added, “Only facts,” and “just stick to what you know happened.”
At 12:45 p.m. that day, another person wrote, “We have nothing to hide,” Oxygen reported.
The group also discussed online accusations that they were covering up what happened.
Wells and a group traveled by boat to Mississippi’s Horn Island for a July 4 celebration. After his parents discovered he was missing, they started tracking his whereabouts and the police began investigating. Members of the group offered different accounts of where he was and why he allegedly stayed on the island.
They claimed he planned to stay with a girl he met earlier that day, or that they left early due to alleged boat trouble and that he said he’d catch another boat ride later. However, his parents have questioned those accounts, saying it would have been out of character for him to stay behind or to leave without his cellphone.
In September, Blavity reported that a Mississippi grand jury found insufficient evidence to bring criminal charges in Wells’ death.
Wells’ family continues to seek answers about the circumstances surrounding his death.
