Messages Uncover Friends' Reactions to Nolan Wells' Disappearance

WHO:

[10:03 AM EDT] - CBS News - Nolan Wells, a Mississippi teen; Elmore Wonsley, Wells' father; Jackson County's district attorney; Jessica Levinson, legal analyst.

WHAT:

[10:03 AM EDT] - CBS News - Nolan Wells disappeared after a boat outing with friends during the Fourth of July holiday.

[10:03 AM EDT] - CBS News - A nearly 300-page report analyzing Wells' phone was uploaded on the Justice for Nolan Wells website.

[10:03 AM EDT] - CBS News - Wells' body was recovered in the waters off Horn Island two days after his disappearance.

[10:03 AM EDT] - CBS News - A Mississippi grand jury found no criminal wrongdoing in Wells' death.

WHERE:

[10:03 AM EDT] - CBS News - The Gulf Coast, specifically off Horn Island, Mississippi.

WHEN:

[10:03 AM EDT] - CBS News - Wells went missing in early July; he was last seen on July 5.

[10:03 AM EDT] - CBS News - Wells' body was recovered two days after he went missing.

WHY:

[10:03 AM EDT] - CBS News - Friends speculated about the circumstances of Wells' disappearance, discussing possibilities such as him being drugged.

HOW:

[10:03 AM EDT] - CBS News - Friends communicated through group chats on Wells' cellphone, discussing his last known whereabouts and expressing concern for his safety.

(UPDATED October 15, 2026 15:03 UTC)

Nolan Wells, a Mississippi teen, disappeared during a boat outing with friends over the Fourth of July holiday, and his body was recovered in the waters off Horn Island just two days later. A nearly 300-page report analyzing his phone has been uploaded to the Justice for Nolan Wells website, as friends have speculated about the circumstances of his disappearance, including concerns that he may have been drugged. In a recent development, a Mississippi grand jury has found no criminal wrongdoing in Wells' death.