As Search Ends, Nolan Wells’ Family Is Still Waiting For Answers

What should have been a fun-filled holiday weekend for college student Nolan Xavier Wells turned into a massive search for the 18-year-old.

Local news outlet WLOX in Biloxi, Mississippi, reported Monday afternoon that the Jackson County Sheriff’s Department confirmed that a body matching the description of Wells had been found by the U.S. Parks Service. The body was discovered around 8:45 a.m. on the west end of Horn Island.

Wells was last seen on July 4 on the island, where he was hanging out with a group of friends. The friends returned home, but no one has come forward with any information about what happened to him. Wells, a general business major and football player for Southwest Mississippi Community College, was wearing blue swim trunks, no shirt, and sunglasses. 

County Coroner Bruce Lynd Jr. said DNA testing is being done with the family, WLOX reported. The search for Wells has been called off, according to the United Cajun Navy, a grassroots rapid response organization who also has been assisting local law enforcement agencies.

Capital B reached out to the sheriff’s department and Jackson County Coroner’s Office, but did not hear back by publication.

Christopher Wells, Sr., Nolan’s grandfather, wrote on Facebook that Wells’ parents, Christine and Elmore Wonsley, prayed for a positive outcome, but are now preparing for the worst now that his grandson’s body may have been found.

“It’s time for answers, but be mindful they need space and need to grieve. There has been enough finger pointing, let law enforcement do their job,” he said.

In a post, Christine Wonsley thanked everyone for the support, love, and resources over the past few days.

“His father, our family, friends and I are absolutely devastated. My heartbroken for my sweet son who was always willing to cheer and uplift others,” she wrote. “Nolan was a special soul, God took his time creating our son.”

There has been no official reports or additional information from those who were present about what happened. In the two days since Wells has been missing, local authorities say it’s been an “all boots on the ground” search as his terrified parents search for answers.

Also assisting in the search were the Department of Marine Resources, the Gulf Islands National Seashore, and the United States Coast Guard. 

Horn Island is a barrier island off the Mississippi coast south of Ocean Springs, where Wells is from, and is only accessible by private boat, according to the National Parks Service.

Wells’s disappearance — and his being the only Black person in the group — have social media buzzing with debates about why his race matters.  

“I see too many people, particularly Black people, already criticizing Nolan for going to this island as the only Black person with his White friends,” Ibram X. Kendi, author and historian, wrote on Instagram. “Implying, if not saying, he should have known better. Implying, if not saying, whatever happened to him is partially, if not totally, his fault. Which is exactly the outcome of internalized racist ideas: anything that happens to us is our fault. Not the persons who did this to us. Not the racist structure that regularly allows it.”

Early Monday, online conversations grew, as blogs and Black content creators wondered what happened to the college freshman. Many questioned why, as the only Black person, Wells was left behind and the lack of details that have emerged, which heightens concerns rooted in the history of racial violence between Black and white people. Some have speculated that foul play may be involved, although it has not been confirmed by authorities.

“How is this able to just keep happening?” one person commented. “What happened to this poor baby?”

The case also has some likening it to the mystery of how Tamla Horsford died in 2018. The mother of five was found in a backyard after attending an overnight house party in Forsyth County, Georgia. She was the only Black person in the group. For years, the family has sought answers about what happened. 

This story will be updated.

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