Family of missing teen Nolan Wells seeks information as independent investigation proceeds

Nashville authorities said the investigation into the July 4 disappearance of 18-year-old Nolan Wells continues, with Jackson County Sheriff John Ledbetter noting that foul play was not initially suspected. The Wells family, dissatisfied with the local investigation, has launched its own inquiry and hired audio-engineering and oceanic-engineering specialists to examine a distress call made by the boat that took Wells to Horn Island and to assess how tides and weather may have affected the location where his body was recovered.

Family attorney Ben Crump told reporters that the full recording of the call has been secured and that experts are reviewing it. He also said the family hopes to provide additional information to Dr. Roger Mitchell, the independent medical examiner who performed a second autopsy but could not determine a cause of death because parts of the body, including the throat, were unavailable for examination.

The legal team, which includes attorneys Liza Park and Eric Hertz, said they receive more than 100 calls daily and are asking the public to share any relevant details. Hertz added that the team is negotiating with District Attorney Angel Myers McIlrath to jointly examine cellphone data.

Subpoenas have been issued to several social-media platforms for Wells’s account information, following letters to friends and local officials requesting preservation of records in anticipation of litigation.

The family also reported harassment directed at them and at individuals who assisted during the incident. Wells’s father, Elmore Wonsley, described the attacks as a “harassment campaign,” and a friend of Wells, Bart Edmiston Jr., said he received doxxing and death threats after helping tow the distressed vessel. The family said they will pursue legal remedies and have sent cease-and-desist letters to users spreading false accusations.