Nolan Wells’ death in South MS strikes a national chord. A full recap of events
Sun Herald journalists have been covering the tragic story of Nolan Wells’ death since the Ocean Springs teen was reported missing after celebrating Independence Day on Horn Island.
Below is a recap of events in the aftermath of Nolan’s death and the fallout that continues today, with links to coverage included.
Saturday, July 4
At approximately 11 p.m. on July 4, 2026, the Coast Guard was notified of a missing person near Horn Island. The initial notification did not require Coast Guard assistance, according to Petty Officer Cheyenne Basurto. Based on call records, Basurto said, it is believed that a friend of Wells contacted the Coast Guard.
Around midnight, Nolan Wells’ mother contacted the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office to report him missing.
Sunday, July 5
SEARCH FOR NOLAN WELLS ENTERS SECOND DAY: After hours of searching, 18-year-old Nolan Wells, who was last seen Saturday around 3 p.m. on Horn Island, remains missing.
The search, which is taking place by land and air Sunday, will continue, according to Jackson County Sheriff John Ledbetter. “We are searching by water and air, and with helicopters and airplanes,” Ledbetter said. “We have covered the entire island several times and will continue to search with what we have now until dark.”
Ledbetter said the search will not end once the sun goes down.
Monday, July 6
WELLS’ BODY RECOVERED: A body was found Monday morning during the search for Nolan Wells, an 18-year-old who did not return home after spending Saturday on Horn Island celebrating Independence Day.
Jackson County Sheriff John Ledbetter said search crews recovered the body in the water around 8:40 a.m Monday around the western tip of the Horn Island, where he was last seen.
Jackson County Coroner Bruce Lynd confirmed late Monday morning that the body found matched the description of Wells, but he said positive identification is pending an examination at the state medical examiner’s office.
FRIENDS, FAMILY SHOCKED BY TRAGEDY: Friends streamed to the waterside at the Lake Mars Boat Launch, where they consoled the family of 18-year-old Nolan Xavier Wells of Ocean Springs after a body matching his description was found off the western tip of Horn Island, where he was last seen on a crowded beach on July Fourth.
Wells’ mother and father, Christine and Elmore Wonsley, were too distraught to speak as they spent a second morning by the waterside awaiting word from rescuers who were bringing a body to shore. Those close to them offered comfort and hugs.
Nolan Wells’ closest friends from childhood remembered the kind, easy-going young man who was supposed to head back to Southwest Mississippi Community College in Summit on Monday to practice for the upcoming football season. They couldn’t believe he was gone.
Tuesday, July 7
SHERIFF ADDRESSES THE INVESTIGATION: Jackson County Sheriff John Ledbetter said Tuesday that the investigation into the death of 18-year-old Nolan Xavier Wells is continuing, but investigators are limiting the information released for now.
“This is still a very active investigation,” he said, and investigators are still in the process of collecting evidence and interviewing witnesses.
“A lot of people are calling here to report what they saw or read on social media, and it’s not firsthand knowledge,” Ledbetter said.
Jackson County Coroner Bruce Lynd said the State Medical Examiner’s Office identified the body using dental records.
CIVIL RIGHTS LAWYER REPRESENTING FAMILY: High-profile civil rights and personal injury attorney Ben Crump is representing the family of Nolan Xavier Wells, 18, of Ocean Springs, whose death over the Fourth of July is under investigation.
“Attorney Crump and the legal team will conduct an independent review of the circumstances of Nolan’s death and will press for the timely release of all records, witness accounts, and autopsy findings,” says a news release from Ben Crump Law. The firm lists an address in Tallahassee, Florida, but is licensed to practice law in multiple states.
Crump has handled multiple cases in Mississippi, including the case of a 15-year-old shot by Gulfport police in 2022. Crump has represented other families of Black people killed by police across the U.S., including Breonna Taylor, Trayvon Martin, George Floyd and others.
FOOTBALL FAMILY SAYS WELLS WAS ‘A TRUE LEADER’: The tragic passing of 18-year-old Nolan Wells has left the Ocean Springs and South Mississippi community in a state of shock and mourning.
Wells was a standout football player at Ocean Springs High School and Southwest Mississippi Community College before his disappearance from Horn Island during the July 4 weekend just days ahead of he was due to report back to school for practice.
Though he would not make it, speaking to the friends, teammates and coaches who spent hours with Wells in the hallways, weight rooms and under the Mississippi sun, it’s clear Wells remains in the hearts of everyone he was around.
“Nolan was a remarkable and unique individual,” Greyhounds football coach Jake Bramlett said. “He always had a unique way of expressing himself that put everyone around him in a better mood no matter the situation. Our Ocean Springs football family and community are heartbroken. All I can ask is you pray for his family and brothers as they go through this tragedy and look to remember the light that Nolan brought to all of our lives.”
Wednesday, July 8
SCAM ARTISTS ATTEMPT TO PROFIT OFF WELLS’ DEATH: Fake GoFundMe accounts are surfacing online following the death of 18-year-old Nolan Wells, and Wells’ mother, Christine Wonsley, has taken to social media to warn against scammers.
Allayah Denis, a friend of Wells’ family, created an official GoFundMe campaign on Monday. The campaign was created to raise funds for Wells’ funeral and memorial expenses and has raised more than half of its $210,000 goal. According to the campaign, remaining funds will “help support the family as they navigate the difficult days ahead.”
Multiple different GoFundMe accounts are also active online. Wonsley said in a Facebook post that she’s aware of the fake accounts, and that she authorized only Denis to create a donation campaign. GoFundMe classifies using images or names of individuals without permission as fraud. According to a GoFundMe spokesperson, funds are held by payment processors until recipient information is verified.
JUDGE ADDRESSES RUMORS REGARDING FAMILY: Chancery Judge Ashlee Cole wrote a public post on social media to “dispel some rumors with facts” surrounding the investigation into the death of Nolan Xavier Wells.
Cole’s statement comes after Wells 18, accompanied her son and two other young men on a July 4 trip to Horn Island, where he disappeared. A National Park Service ranger found Wells’ body in the water off the western tip of Northwest Horn Island two days later.
Cole said she deleted the account because of what she described as “the very heightened emotional state of social media right now” and out of concern for the safety and privacy of her children.
“My husband and I have six children, and we covet their privacy,” she wrote. “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.”
BEN CRUMP SPEAKS ABOUT INVESTIGATION: Nationally known civil rights and personal injury attorney Ben Crump provided an update on the independent investigation his law firm is conducting into the death of Nolan Xavier Wells, an 18-year-old who was found dead after a July 4 trip to Horn Island with three friends.
Crump made the remarks in an interview with independent journalist and former CNN anchor Don Lemon.
During the interview, Crump said Wells’ parents are frustrated because investigators have not told them whether they believe foul play was involved in their son’s death.
“They’re not telling the family anything about whether it was foul play or not,” Crump said. He said the family’s primary concern is ensuring investigators conduct a thorough investigation.
Thursday, July 9
AL SHARPTON WILL SPEAK WITH CRUMP, FAMILY: Rev. Al Sharpton plans to join the family of deceased 18-year-old Nolan Xavier Wells of Ocean Springs and their attorney, Ben Crump, at a news conference at noon Friday at the New House of Justice in Harlem, a news release from Crump’s office says.
At the news conference, the news release said, “They will call for a full and transparent investigation, and the timely release of all investigative records and findings, and will demand the answers his family deserves about how their son was left behind on a remote island and never made it home.”
Sharpton’s National Action NetworkNAN is supporting the family, the news release says. “A young man left his home to celebrate the Fourth of July with friends, and he never came back,” Sharpton said in the news release. “His mother deserves answers, and his family deserves the truth.”
This story was originally published July 9, 2026 at 11:48 AM.
