Nolan Wells death: Katie McCormack's sister challenges boat account
Katie McCormack's sister told the Daily Mail she believed Nolan Wells was boarding his own boat before he was found dead off Horn Island.
By Georgia Hale · Staff Writer
3 min read
Katie McCormack’s sister is giving a different account of a key moment in the Nolan Wells death investigation, telling the Daily Mail that Katie believed the 18-year-old was preparing to leave Horn Island on the boat he had arrived on.
TMZ reported that Nolan’s friends have said he stayed behind on Horn Island with Katie McCormack when they left by boat. Warren Hudson, identified by TMZ as Nolan’s friend, has said the group was trying to get off the island in a hurry because their vessel was taking on water.
Hudson has claimed Nolan would not leave Katie behind and declined to return with the group to the Mississippi mainland, according to TMZ. Katie’s sister, Gracie, told the Daily Mail that Katie understood the situation differently.
What did Katie McCormack's sister say about Nolan Wells?
Gracie told the Daily Mail that Katie had spoken with Nolan and believed he was getting ready to board the boat he came to the island on. She also said Katie believed the friends urging Nolan to get aboard would not leave without him.
The Daily Mail reported that Katie, 19, had spent time with Nolan on Horn Island before he disappeared and was later found dead. TMZ reported that Katie’s sister’s comments put her account at odds with the version described by Hudson and Nolan’s friend group.
No official finding has been announced that settles what happened during those final moments on the island. TMZ reported that investigators are still working to reconstruct the sequence of events before Nolan’s death.
What happened to Nolan Wells on Horn Island?
Nolan did not return home from Horn Island, a barrier island off the Mississippi coast. TMZ reported that his body was found July 6 in shallow water near the area where he was last seen alive.
Horn Island is accessible only by water, which has made the boat accounts central to the public discussion of the case. Based on the reports from TMZ and the Daily Mail, the unresolved issue is whether Nolan knowingly remained on the island or believed another ride home was in motion.
TMZ has reported that Nolan’s family ordered an independent autopsy as questions continued around his death. Preliminary findings from that autopsy indicated he may have had a head injury, according to TMZ, but authorities have not released an official cause or manner of death.
The case has drawn attention as friends, family members and people connected to the island trip give accounts of what they say happened. For now, the public record contains competing descriptions of the departure from Horn Island, and investigators have not announced a final conclusion.
TMZ also reported that video tied to the case includes Hudson discussing claims that Nolan kept turning down a ride back. Katie’s sister’s comments to the Daily Mail add another account to the timeline as Nolan’s family waits for official answers.
This story draws on original reporting from TMZ.