Judge and mother of friend gives July 4 Horn Island account

The body of 18-year-old Nolan Xavier Wells was found in the waters off Horn Island, Mississippi, on July 6, two days after he disappeared during a Fourth of July outing with friends. As authorities investigate the death, a new account from the mother of one of those friends has added to the questions surrounding the teenager's final hours.

Wells, a football player from Ocean Springs, traveled to the barrier island with a group of friends on July 4, departing from a private dock in the Ocean Springs area. According to authorities, he was last seen near the north end of the island around 3 p.m. that day, reportedly talking with a girl. His friends left the island without him later that afternoon. When he did not return home, his mother, Christine Wonsley, reported him missing shortly after midnight.

A multi-agency search involving the Coast Guard, National Park Service, and volunteer groups commenced. A U.S. Park Service ranger discovered a body near the northwestern tip of Horn Island on the morning of July 6. Wonsley publicly confirmed it was her son later that day, and dental records formally identified Wells on July 7.

The Jackson County Sheriff's Department is leading the...