Five unanswered questions in Nolan Wells case after 18-year-old’s body found on island where he partied with friends

FIVE key questions remain unanswered in the death of college football player Nolan Xavier Wells after a Fourth of July celebration with friends ended in tragedy.

The 18-year-old was found ᴅᴇᴀᴅ near the remote island where he had been partying, but investigators have yet to reveal exactly how he died or what happened during his final hours.

Nolan’s mother, Christine Wonsley, separately contacted the sheriff’s office at around midnight leading into July 5.

His father, Elmore Wonsley, said he traveled to Horn Island at about 5am Sunday after someone offered to take him by boat.

Elmore said he searched the island for around an hour to 90 minutes before Jackson County officials arrived.

A huge search involving the Coast Guard, sheriff’s deputies, park officials and the United Cajun Navy was launched across Horn Island and the surrounding waters.

At about 8:45am on Monday, July 6, a park ranger found Nolan’s body in the water near the island’s northwest end.

Attorney Ben Crump has since questioned how Nolan’s body was discovered Monday after his father and authorities had searched the area the previous day.

Authorities have said they believe he likely drowned and have not announced evidence of foul play.

But Nolan’s parents have retained attorney Ben Crump and ordered an independent autopsy as they continue to question what happened.

“This is not how I wanted the world to meet my son, but here we are,” Christine said.

“Nolan is the kindest soul. He never met a stranger. He loved everybody. He didn’t care if you were black, white, purple, green. He just wanted everyone to be in peace with each other.”

“He was a special kid with a big heart. We’re going to miss him dearly.”

Here are the five major questions still hanging over the case.

What was Nolan’s cause of death?

An official cause and manner of death have not yet been released.

The Mississippi state medical examiner performed an autopsy on Tuesday, but the results, including toxicology findings, could take weeks.

Authorities have said Nolan is believed to have drowned, although investigators have not publicly explained what evidence led them to that conclusion.

Christine said the suggestion of an accidental drowning made both her and Nolan’s father uncomfortable.

“Although I do absolutely respect law enforcement, just the fact that the accidental drowning thing, it made both me and his father uncomfortable,” she said.

“Why are we so quick to rush to this? We just, at the end of the day, want answers.”

Crump said Nolan’s father described his son as an “elite athlete” who knew how to swim.

“He said that his son could swim,” Crump told ABC News.

“And so, they’re just not accepting that Nolan drowned accidentally.”

The family is having Nolan’s body flown more than 800 miles to Washington, DC, for an independent autopsy.

Crump said the examination could be completed within days but was delayed after weather disrupted the transportation of Nolan’s remains.

Was there an argument?

Questions have also emerged over whether Nolan was involved in an altercation before he disappeared.

A viral video allegedly filmed on Horn Island at 4:01pm appeared to show people gathered near the shoreline as voices could be heard arguing.

The person who posted the footage claimed it was recorded “immediately after the big fight that broke out up on the shore.”

However, the original poster said they did not know whether Nolan was among the people seen or heard in the clip.

The U.S. Sun has watched and listened to the footage but was unable to establish exactly what was being said or identify who was arguing on the beach.

Authorities initially said they were reviewing the clip but had not confirmed its authenticity or whether it was linked to Nolan.

Crump has since claimed another recording captured Nolan arguing over his cellphone.

The attorney said Nolan could allegedly be heard demanding: “Give me my freaking phone.”

Crump described the alleged altercation as “Nolan and somebody yelling at one another on the boat.”

The sheriff’s office has asked anyone who saw or heard an argument, disturbance or other unusual activity to come forward.

It remains unclear who Nolan was allegedly arguing with, what sparked the dispute or whether it played any role in his death.

What happened to his phone?

Nolan’s cellphone left Horn Island with his friends even though he did not, according to his family and their attorney.

His mother said she located the device through Life360 before friends retrieved it from one of Nolan’s pals.

Crump said the phone was not voluntarily delivered to the parents.

“It wasn’t like they said, we got Nolan’s phone. They went and tracked it,” he said.

The family also claims messages had been deleted before they received the device.

“They took his cellphone,” Crump told ABC News.

“That’s not adding up to them. The fact that then when the family gets the cellphone back … they’re saying they are trying to understand why there are deleted messages, and so it’s very concerning to them.”

It has not been revealed which messages were allegedly erased, when they disappeared or who may have deleted them.

Nolan’s best friend previously said he and Nolan had both left their phones on the boat that carried Nolan to the island.

But Crump’s claim that Nolan was later heard demanding his phone has raised further questions about when he last had possession of it.

Christine said she went through the phone, including Nolan’s Snapchat account, while trying to piece together his final hours.

“I would hope that any parent who, God forbid, would be in our situation, I would hope that you would do the same thing,” she said.

“I would hope that you would ask for any help and receive any help. We just want to know what happened.”

Crump said the cellphone will first be examined by the family’s independent investigators before it is handed to the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office.

Why did Nolan decide to stay?

Nolan’s friends have said he voluntarily remained on Horn Island and intended to return with another group.

Ledbetter said: “From what we understand, he chose to stay there.”

Cole also said Nolan “made a decision to stay on the island and return inland later with another group of friends.”

But Nolan’s parents say that account does not sound like their son.

“That I cannot answer,” Christine said when asked why Nolan would have stayed. “I can’t fathom why he would.”

His father, Elmore Wonsley, said Nolan had always been taught never to separate from the people he traveled with.

“We always taught him that if you go with a group you stay with a group,” he said.

“I’d tell him, you go with five you come back with five. Do not separate from the group.”

“I always say safety is in numbers, and he would say, ‘Yes, sir.’”

Elmore added: “So why he would split from his group, I don’t know.”

Christine said Nolan and his friends had visited Horn Island several times and that he would normally check in after reaching the mainland.

“But this time there was no call or text from him,” she said. “It was from his friend.”

Crump has also pointed to conflicting accounts of Nolan’s last known movements.

A woman who spoke to Nolan at around 3pm reportedly said he told her he was returning to the boat.

But his friends allegedly said Nolan told them he was staying with the woman.

“She’s saying he went and got on the boat. They saying he didn’t get on the boat. So which is it?” Crump said.

Why did all his friends leave?

The final unanswered question is why the group departed without making sure Nolan had a confirmed ride home.

Cole said the friends left because their vessel was taking on water and its bilge pump was experiencing problems.

Her son Warren reportedly last saw Nolan at around 3pm, about 90 minutes before the boat left.

The friends’ account is that Nolan chose to remain behind and planned to travel back with others.

But Horn Island is undeveloped, accessible only by boat and has no permanent staff, drinking water or facilities.

His disappearance was not reported until hours after the group left the island.

Nolan’s father said the holiday trip was meant to be his son’s last weekend of fun before he returned to Southwest Mississippi Community College on Monday to prepare for football training camp.