Nolan Wells boat video appears to show friends leaving Horn Island without him
New footage obtained by The Officer Tatum Show shows seven people on a towed boat, with Nolan Wells not visible onboard.
By Bianca Rossi · Entertainment Editor
3 min read
A new Nolan Wells boat video appears to show his friends being towed away from Horn Island without him on July 4, a detail that lines up with what two witnesses told law enforcement, according to TMZ.
The video and photos, obtained by The Officer Tatum Show, show seven people aboard the boat as it prepares to leave the barrier island. Wells is not visible in the footage, according to TMZ’s description of the material.
TMZ reported that sources with direct knowledge of the investigation said authorities have evidence Wells was still on Horn Island after the boat left. The footage adds a visual piece to a timeline that has become central to questions around Wells’ disappearance and death.
Was Nolan Wells on the boat when it left Horn Island?
Based on the footage described by TMZ, Wells does not appear to be on the boat when it was being towed from Horn Island. TMZ also reported that two witnesses told law enforcement Wells remained on the island after the boat headed back.
The group had called a private towing service after reporting that the boat was taking on water because of a failing bilge pump, according to TMZ. Audio of the call captured a panicked request for help.
TMZ said it enhanced audio from that call, and some listeners believe a voice can be heard saying, “Is he dead?” The outlet stressed that it is unclear whether those words were actually said, and reported that its sources say the people on the boat deny it.
In the newly surfaced footage, TMZ reported that a person at the helm appears to be using a phone.
What have Nolan Wells’ friends said?
Wells’ friends have said they urged him to get on the boat and leave with them, but that he chose to stay behind with a woman, according to TMZ. The woman’s sister has said she believed Wells was leaving on the boat and that his friends were not going to leave him behind.
The private towing service did not end up towing the boat, TMZ reported. Instead, another boat that was anchored at Horn Island towed Wells’ friends, and they later said they managed to get their boat running again and made it back to the mainland without him.
According to TMZ, the friends said they left Horn Island at 4:30 p.m. They also claim someone told them Wells was seen on the island at 6 p.m.
What is known about Nolan Wells’ death?
Wells was reported missing, and his body was found July 6 after it washed up on Horn Island near the area where he had last been seen alive, according to TMZ.
Mississippi authorities have said they suspect Wells drowned, TMZ reported. His family disputes that explanation and hired civil rights attorney Ben Crump.
The family also commissioned an independent autopsy. According to TMZ, that autopsy listed Wells’ cause and manner of death as “undetermined pending investigation.”
The state Medical Examiner’s Office conducted the initial autopsy, but TMZ reported that those results are still pending.
For now, the newly released footage appears to sharpen one part of the timeline: Wells is not shown among the seven people on the boat as it leaves Horn Island, while investigators continue to sort through what happened after the group departed.
This story draws on original reporting from TMZ.