Mississippi teen Nolan Wells missing after July 4 drinking session on Horn Island
Investigators say Nolan Wells disappeared after a night of heavy alcohol consumption with friends on Horn Island and was later found dead, with authorities unable to determine the exact cause of death.
Investigators say Nolan Wells vanished after spending July 4 drinking heavily with friends on Horn Island, according to a public-records document obtained by ABC News. The Mississippi Department of Marine Resources, one of the first agencies to respond, released a brief profile of Wells – a Black male, 6'1" tall and weighing about 180 pounds – to aid the search.
The report noted that Wells' alcohol intake was described as "heavy" and that several friends traveled to the island with him on a vessel. When the friends left because their boat was taking on water, Wells remained on the island with an unidentified woman, according to the document.
Wells' body was discovered near Horn Island days after Independence Day. The Jackson County Sheriff's Office said the circumstances suggested drowning, but an independent autopsy later classified the cause of death as inconclusive. The findings of the initial autopsy and the toxicology report have not been released.