Mississippi boat GPS data shows movements after teen Nolan Wells went missing

Mississippi Department of Marine Resources GPS logs show that a boat left a dock at about 9:56 a.m. on July 4, arrived at Horn Island at 11:14 a.m., and later returned to the dock at 4:31 p.m. The vessel then traveled to Fort Bayou at 5:52 p.m., returned at 6:06 p.m., and later that evening moved to the Fort Bayou boat launch at 7:19 p.m. Afterward, the boat was taken over land, likely towed, to the owners' residence in Biloxi, according to the department's report.

The report notes that the boat's owner, his mother and another individual who were with Wells on the day have cooperated with investigators. The Mississippi Department of Marine Resources' documentation ends on July 5, when the Jackson County Sheriff's Office assumed lead investigative responsibility.

Eighteen-year-old Nolan Wells was last seen on Horn Island on July 4 after a holiday boat trip with friends. He did not return to the mainland with the group that afternoon, and his mother reported him missing later that night. A search involving the U.S. Coast Guard, state marine resources officials and the National Park Service located his body off the island on July 6. Dental records confirmed his identity, and a coroner-ordered autopsy was performed on July 7, with an independent examination later arranged in Washington, D.C.

"No, he wouldn't. Nolan always stays with the group," said his father, Elmore Wonsley, on a television interview.

Wells attended Ocean Springs High School and was a sophomore on Southwest Mississippi Community College's football team. His attorney's office indicated he was a competent swimmer.