Heartbreaking Reason: One key figure skipped Nolan Wells’ fun3ral because of one overwhelming fear
NOLAN WELLS’ self-described ‘best friend’ has revealed how pals begged the teen to get back on the boat while also doubling down on claims about deleted phone content.
The 18-year-old went missing during a Fourth of July boat trip to Horn Island and was found dead in the water two days later, sparking a criminal investigation and theories about what really happened on the trip.
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Warren Hudson, one of the teens on the boat, recalled the chaotic moments before he and the rest of the group pulled away from the island, leaving the football star behind.
One of his “panicking” friends yelled at Wells, “Nolan, get the F on the boat,” Hudson told YouTuber Brandon Tatum on The Officer Tatum Show.
“And Nolan said no I’m staying out here… I’m gonna ride in with somebody else.”
“My buddy asked Nolan multiple times to get on the boat: ‘Nolan, get on the boat, get on the boat, we’re leaving. If you’re coming, you gotta come now.’”
Nolan’s friends have previously claimed they were forced to leave after their boat developed problems with its bilge pump and that Nolan chose to remain on the island because he was talking to a girl.
Their conflicting accounts have fuelled concerns about what really happened from Nolan’s grieving family, whose attorney Ben Crump has repeatedly questioned the differing versions of events.
Suspicions were further raised regarding why his phone and keys were left onboard which later saw Nolan’s family claim that content had been wiped on it before it was handed back to them by the teenagers.
Hudson, who revealed he skipped his best friend’s funeral on Monday due to receiving death threats, doubled down on claims that they did not touch the phone in the YouTube interview.
“There was no reason for us to get on Nolan’s phone, no one touched Nolan’s phone,” Hudson said.
“No one even was in contact with his phone until it was moved from the boat to the truck, and none of us have access to Nolan’s password to get on his phone and delete anything.
“We had no reason to delete anything… There’s nothing to hide here.”
He added that no one had their phones on them because they were “waist-deep in water,” hence why Wells’ cell was left onboard.
Meanwhile, he spoke of his sadness at not attending the funeral which was held in Ocean Springs on Monday, saying he did not want to “take the attention away from Nolan and his family” with his presence.
He also revealed how he and his family have received “thousands of death threats” as people blame him and the others on the boat for what happened.
“I couldn’t bring myself to go because, you know, I got to put my own safety first,” he said.
“It breaks my heart that I can’t go. And it hurt me more than anything because obviously I want to say my last goodbyes to one of my best friends.”
Hundreds of people attended the hometown funeral where Nolan’s parents were seen breaking down in tears and mourners, including the teen’s high school football teammates, wore black and blue to represent their team.
Meanwhile, the investigation into his death continues after independent autopsy results could not determine the exact cause of death or even the date he died.
Preliminary findings found an unexplained red discolouration on the back of Nolan’s head, but Nolan’s lungs and airway had already been removed in the official autopsy and so could not be examined.
It is also noted that the body was already in an advanced state of decomposition when it was recovered, which could limit what pathologists can determine.
Foul play has not been ruled out and the investigation continues.
A $125,000 reward is available for information about his death.
