(JACKSON COUNTY, Miss.) — Authorities are asking for the public’s help as they investigate the mysterious death of Mississippi teen Nolan Xavier Wells.
Wells, 18, went missing on the 4th of July after going on a boat trip with friends to Horn Island, a barrier island about 10 miles from the Gulf Coast, officials said.
“[The friends] left [Horn Island] and went back without Nolan,” Jackson County Sheriff John Ledbetter said. “From what we understand, he chose to stay there.”
A body believed to be the teenager was recovered on Monday, officials said
Authorities said they believe Wells drowned and don’t suspect foul play, but the sheriff’s office stressed in a new statement Wednesday that investigators are “working diligently to determine exactly what occurred.”
The sheriff’s office said it urges anyone who was on or near the northwest tip of Horn Island on Saturday to come forward with photos or videos, “particularly those depicting alleged altercations or containing images of, or believed to include Nolan Wells.”
The sheriff’s office said it’s also looking for anyone who may have seen Wells or “observed or heard an argument, disturbance, or other unusual activity while on the island.”
“Even information that may seem insignificant could prove valuable to investigators,” the department said.
Wells’ mother, Christine Wonsley, wrote on social media on Wednesday, “Missing our Nolan so much every second of everyday. This has been the worst time in our lives.”
Civil rights attorney Ben Crump, who is representing the family, said Tuesday that his team will conduct an independent review to determine how Wells died.
“We will not rest until every fact about what happened to Nolan on Horn Island is brought into the light, and we call on investigators to pursue this case with the urgency and transparency this family deserves,” Crump said.
Authorities said anyone with information can call the sheriff’s department at 228-769-3065 during regular business hours or at 228-769-3063 after hours.
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