Nolan Wells, an 18-year-old college student, vanished after a Fourth of July boat trip with friends to a barrier island on the Gulf Coast, officials said. He was last seen on Horn Island, about 10 miles from the Gulf Coast.

The State Medical Examiner's office in Mississippi has completed the official autopsy, but the results have not yet been made public. A private autopsy commissioned by Wells' family preliminarily found the cause and manner of death to be "undetermined pending investigation," with the independent pathologist noting multiple limitations in the report, the family's attorney said last week.

The Jackson County District Attorney's office stated it will present the case to a grand jury once the local sheriff's department completes its investigation. Investigators are reviewing audio from a distressed phone call made by one of Wells' friends to a local towing company, reporting their boat was "sinking" and in need of assistance. The friends said Wells was not on the return trip. ABC News obtained the full recording, which includes the caller saying he wanted to "get this boat unsank and towed back," assuring the dispatcher that everyone on board was unhurt and that "nobody here is over the age of 21." The towing company, Sea Tow, said its services were ultimately not needed as the boat found other help.

A photograph of Nolan Xavier Wells was placed before a podium during a news conference at the 117th NAACP National Convention in Chicago on July 22, 2026.

Once the investigation is complete, the autopsy report and case materials will be presented to a grand jury to determine if a crime was involved in Wells' death.

Sources