A newly surfaced video may show Nolan Wells on Horn Island roughly two hours before the boat carrying his friends returned to the Mississippi mainland without him.
The footage was recorded at 2:23 p.m. on July 4, according to metadata reviewed by TMZ. It shows a young Black man standing on the rear deck of a boat during the crowded Independence Day gathering.
The man’s face is not visible, so the video does not confirm that he was Wells. The person who recorded it nevertheless believed the clothing resembled what the 18-year-old had worn earlier that day and provided a copy to the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office.
Investigators are reviewing the clip as Wells’ family continues seeking a complete timeline of his final hours. His body was recovered near Horn Island on July 6, but authorities have not publicly announced an official cause of death.
The Video Was Recorded at 2:23 P.M.
The footage pans across boats and partygoers gathered in and around the water. The unidentified man appears to bend over on the back deck of one vessel, possibly reaching for a drink, while several adults and other attendees stand nearby.
TMZ reported that he was wearing swimming trunks similar in color to those seen on Wells in a photograph taken earlier on July 4. Clothing alone, however, is not enough to establish his identity.
If investigators confirm the identification, TMZ reported that the clip could become the latest known image of Wells before he disappeared. Authorities had previously said he was last seen on the island at approximately 3 p.m.
The Person Who Recorded It Gave Police a Copy
The person who captured the video reportedly contacted the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office after deciding the man might be Wells. TMZ said the individual brought the footage to investigators the previous week and left a copy with a detective assigned to the case.
A law-enforcement source confirmed to the outlet that investigators were aware of the recording. The sheriff’s office had not issued a public statement about what, if anything, detectives had determined from it.
The original file’s metadata could help investigators establish when and where the footage was recorded. Detectives may also be able to compare the person’s clothing, physical appearance and location with photographs, witness accounts and other recordings from the gathering.
The Boat Left Horn Island at 4:31 P.M.
GPS data obtained by CBS News shows that the boat carrying Wells to Horn Island left its dock at 9:56 a.m. and reached the island at 11:14 a.m.
The vessel departed Horn Island at 4:31 p.m., slightly more than two hours after the new video was recorded. Wells was not aboard when it returned to the mainland.
His friends have said that he chose to remain on the island after meeting a young woman and expected to leave with another group. The boat was experiencing problems with its bilge pump, and records indicate its operator contacted authorities for assistance around 4 p.m.
Wells’ parents, Christine and Elmore Wonsley, have challenged the claim that their son willingly separated from his group. They have said leaving without his phone and keys would have been out of character, particularly because they taught him to return with the same people he traveled with.
The Video Does Not Explain What Happened Afterward
Even if the man is confirmed as Wells, the footage would establish only that he was visible near a boat at 2:23 p.m. It would not determine when he separated from his friends, whether he intended to remain on the island or how he entered the water.
Wells’ mother reported him missing later on July 4 after hearing from one of his friends. Multiple agencies began searching the following day, and his body was recovered from the water near the island’s northwestern end on July 6.
Authorities have said drowning is among the possibilities under investigation and previously reported finding no obvious homicidal trauma. The official autopsy, toxicology testing and a separate examination commissioned by the family had not been publicly released.
The Family Continues to Seek Videos and Witnesses
The Wells family retained civil rights attorney Ben Crump and launched a parallel investigation. The family and the Jackson County District Attorney’s Office have also agreed to conduct a joint inspection of Wells’ recovered cellphone.
At Wells’ July 20 funeral in Ocean Springs, the Rev. Al Sharpton offered $50,000 for information leading to an arrest and conviction. Tyler Perry immediately matched the pledge, raising the combined reward to $100,000.