Nolan Wells Investigation: Witnesses Tell Police Teen Was Drinking Heavily on Horn Island

Nolan Wells Witnesses Claim He Was Drinking Heavily Before Death Published July 28, 2026 5:57 AM PDT Nolan Wells was drinking heavily while partying with friends on Mississippi's Horn Island before his death, according to a new report. Citing preliminary information in a document from the Mississippi Department of Marine Resources, ABC News says witnesses told investigators the 18-year-old was drinking with his buddies on the island on the Fourth of July before going missing. The document contains an email giving a physical description of Nolan as Marine patrols scoured the waters to try to locate the teen. On July 6, Nolan's body was found washed up on the northwest shoreline of Horn Island ... near where he was last seen alive. The Medical Examiner's Office official autopsy results -- which include toxicology tests -- are still pending. However, Nolan's family appointed an independent coroner to examine Nolan's body, and preliminary results showed his death was "undetermined pending investigation." Mississippi authorities say they believe Nolan drowned, but representatives of Nolan's family -- namely civil rights attorney Ben Crump -- have implied that something more nefarious could be at play. Related articles Nolan Xavier Wells Ben Crump Current Events Alcohol Nolan Wells Death News