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The Guardian - US
The Guardian - US
World
Adria R Walker

Nolan Wells went to an island with friends and never came home. His death has renewed debate over race and justice in Mississippi

two parents hold a framed photo of their son
Christine Wonsley and Elmore Wonsley, the parents of Nolan Wells, stand on a stage with a photo of their son as they appear at the National Urban League's conference to share updates on his death on 30 July 2026 in Nashville, Tennessee. Photograph: John Amis/AP

Almost a month after his body was found, mystery still shrouds what happened to Nolan Xavier Wells, an 18-year-old college student from Ocean Springs, Mississippi.

There are the facts: Wells was alive on the morning of 4 July when he and a group of friends took a boat out to Horn Island, a barrier island off the coast of Mississippi. Hundreds of people were on the island, enjoying a last hurrah before returning to work or school after the holiday weekend. Wells was due to report to Southwest Mississippi Community College the following Monday for football camp, but he never returned home with his friends that day. The last known photos of him were taken around 4pm that afternoon.

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