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JACKSON COUNTY, Mississippi (WAPT) — A friend of 18-year-old Nolan Wells, who disappeared on Horn Island, has spoken out for the first time, addressing speculation and sharing his account of the events surrounding Wells’ disappearance.
“I just know I’ve lost my best friend,” said Tracestin Shepherd, who was with Wells the day he disappeared.
Shepherd declined to appear on camera, citing threats he and others on the boat have received.
“We did no wrong here. We all cared and loved Nolan, and nobody wanted to see Nolan die,” Shepherd said.
Shepherd also addressed a viral video that has fueled online speculation. While Wells’ parents believed the video showed their son involved in a confrontation, Shepherd said it was not Wells but himself in the footage.
“That’s the video I’m referring to, and that’s me yelling,” Shepherd said.
Shepherd said that he returned to the mainland later that afternoon, while Wells stayed behind on Horn Island with a girl he had met that day.
“He really did like her, but that was the only time they ever hung out, at Horn Island on July 4,” Shepherd said.
Investigators believe Wells drowned and have found no immediate signs of foul play. However, Wells’ parents continue to question that conclusion.
Speaking to ABC’s “Good Morning America,” Wells’ mother, Christine Wonsley, said they tracked Nolan’s cellphone after he disappeared and believe it returned to the mainland.
“It was showing everywhere the phone had been. I was like, ‘Well, it’s showing he’s back on land,'” Wonsley said.
The Jackson County Sheriff’s Office stated that the family has not yet turned the phone over to investigators, though their attorney has said they plan to do so.
As the investigation continues, Shepherd expressed his hope that people will remember the friend he lost.
“I think everybody needs to let the investigation continue and let the facts come out,” Shepherd said.
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