Mississippi document notes heavy alcohol use before teen's death on Horn Island
A Mississippi Department of Marine Resources email listed 18-year-old Nolan Wells' alcohol intake as heavy while authorities searched for him on Horn Island; the cause of death remains undetermined pending autopsy results.
An email from the Mississippi Department of Marine Resources Marine Patrol, obtained by a news outlet, indicated that 18-year-old Nolan Wells had a "heavy" alcohol intake while he was missing on Horn Island over the Fourth of July weekend. The message, dated July 5, was sent to the U.S. Coast Guard and included Wells' physical description and last known location, but did not specify the source of the alcohol information.
Wells disappeared during a boating trip with friends, and a multi-agency search concluded on July 6 when his body was recovered off the Mississippi coast. The Jackson County District Attorney said investigators are following standard procedures and are awaiting the state medical examiner's autopsy and toxicology results before drawing conclusions.
A private autopsy commissioned by Wells' family earlier determined the cause and manner of death to be "undetermined pending investigation." During a July 22 news conference, civil-rights attorney Ben Crump noted a red discoloration on the back of Wells' head but said the independent pathologist could not yet determine a cause of death.
The district attorney has not indicated whether foul play is suspected, and officials have not commented further on the email or the ongoing investigation.