Why Nolan Wells' Ride Home Left Without Him

An eighteen-year-old college athlete named Nolan Wells took a boat to Horn Island on the Fourth of July with friends from Ocean Springs, Mississippi. Every one of those friends made it back to the mainland. He was found in the water off the island two mornings later by a National Park Service ranger.

The mail on this case has almost nothing to do with the forensic questions dominating national coverage. It's about a decision. Somebody started an engine. Somebody untied a line. Somebody looked at an empty seat and went home anyway.

Tony Brueski reads those messages and works through what makes them so hard to shake — starting with what Horn Island actually is. Not a resort island. Not a town. An undeveloped barrier island roughly ten miles offshore with no shelter, no fresh water, and no dependable way to reach anybody. Beautiful in daylight. Completely unforgiving after dark.

The questions in this mailbag come down to what the friends have said and what they've avoided saying. Whether anyone thought he was on a different boat, and whether anyone checked. How a person survives a night out there with nothing.

Per the Jackson County Sheriff's Office, a friend contacted the Coast Guard late that night and Nolan's mother, Christine Wonsley, contacted the sheriff's office shortly afterward. Officials have said they believe he drowned and do not suspect foul play, while also saying the work of determining exactly what happened continues.

Cause and manner of death have not been released. Ben Crump is investigating independently for the family. The district attorney has said a grand jury will see it.

Everything in this case starts on that island.

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Disclaimer:

This publication contains commentary and opinion based on publicly available information. All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Nothing published here should be taken as a statement of fact, health or legal advice.

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