Nolan Wells boat claim: Friend says he refused pleas to leave island
Warren Hudson says Nolan Wells was urged to board a boat before friends left Horn Island, where his body was later found offshore.
By Poppy Nakagawa · Culture Writer
3 min read
A new Nolan Wells boat claim is sharpening the timeline around his final hours on Horn Island: his best friend, Warren Hudson, says Wells was repeatedly urged to get aboard before the group left.
Hudson made the claim on The Officer Tatum Show, telling host Brandon Tatum that people with Wells pressed him more than once to leave the island by boat. Hudson said one friend was “panicking” and allegedly shouted, “Nolan, get the f*** on the boat.”
According to Hudson’s account, leaving Horn Island on a different boat than the one used to arrive was not unusual for the group. He also claimed Wells was not the only person in their party who left with someone else that day.
What happened to Nolan Wells on Horn Island?
Wells’ body was found in the water off Horn Island days after he disappeared over the Fourth of July weekend, TMZ reported. The island became the focus of the search after Wells went missing during the holiday outing.
The accounts of why Wells stayed behind have not lined up neatly. TMZ reported that his friends said he remained on the island to spend time with a girl, while that girl told police Wells had planned to return with his friends.
Hudson’s comments add another version of the moments before the group left Horn Island. His account places repeated requests for Wells to board a boat at the center of the story, while still saying it was common for people to switch boats on the way back to the mainland.
No cause or manner of death is stated in the reporting cited here. The available accounts center on who Wells was with, whether he intended to leave with his friends, and what happened after the group departed Horn Island.
Why is the Nolan Wells case still drawing scrutiny?
Wells’ family is carrying out an independent investigation into the teen’s death, according to TMZ. That step has kept attention on the case as relatives and others seek more answers about the final timeline.
The conflicting accounts matter because they describe different expectations for how Wells was supposed to leave the island. Friends reportedly said he stayed to hang out with a girl; the girl reportedly told police he planned to head back with his pals; Hudson now says Wells was told repeatedly to get on a boat before the group took off.
Hudson’s statement does not resolve those gaps. It does, however, put a fresh spotlight on the minutes before the group left Horn Island and on the question investigators and Wells’ family are still pressing: how a holiday trip ended with Wells missing, then found dead offshore days later.
This story draws on original reporting from TMZ.