Friend denies any deletion of content from missing teen Nolan Wells' phone

Warren Hudson, identified as Nolan Wells' close friend, told YouTuber The Officer Tatum that none of the group handling the phone after the July 4 boating incident on Horn Island, Mississippi, accessed or deleted any data from Wells' device. He said the phone remained untouched until it was moved from the boat to a truck and that none of the friends possessed Wells' password.

"There was no reason for us to get on Nolan’s phone, no one touched Nolan’s phone… If none of us had touched Nolan’s phone then y’know there’s no reason for anything to be deleted," Hudson said. He added that no one had any motive to remove content and denied any involvement in deleting material. When asked directly if he had deleted anything, Hudson responded, "No, of course not." Wells, 18, vanished after the boating trip and was found dead in the water two days later. His mother, Christine Wonsley, expressed concern after the family noticed the absence of photos and videos on Wells' two Snapchat accounts, describing the situation as "suspicious." Hudson previously told the New York Post that he considered Wells his "best friend" and explained that the phone was left on the boat because the group was waist-deep in water and could not carry it. The case remains under investigation, with an independent autopsy in Washington, D.C., listing the cause and manner of death as undetermined pending further review.