United Cajun Navy clarifies teen was found wearing only swim trunks

The leader of the volunteer disaster-relief group United Cajun Navy said the body of 18-year-old Nolan Wells was found wearing only swim trunks, not fully clothed as previously reported. The clarification came after civil-rights attorney Benjamin Crump cited the group’s statement that Wells was “fully clothed” during a press conference on Wednesday.

Todd Terrell, founder and president of United Cajun Navy, had earlier told the “Nancy Grace Show” that the teen was “face down, still fully clothed” on Horn Island. He later said he misspoke, explaining that a pilot from the group saw Wells in blue swim trunks, the same attire he had worn earlier in the day.

United Cajun Navy posted a video of a follow-up interview and a statement on Wednesday, noting that “Nolan was found face down wearing only swim trunks” and emphasizing the need for accurate reporting.

Wells disappeared on a Fourth of July boating trip to Horn Island, Mississippi, and his body was recovered two days later in the surrounding water. An independent autopsy listed the cause and manner of death as undetermined, noting a red discoloration on the back of his head that could suggest trauma but was inconclusive. Police have said there is no evidence of foul play and that drowning remains the likely cause.