Two friends of Nolan Wells returned to Horn Island with their attorneys more than a month after the 18-year-old was found dead in the water just off the Mississippi barrier island.
Warren Hudson and Jax Pitalo traveled back to the island on August 7th with attorneys J. Tyler Cox and Edward Andrew Paltzik, who said the visit was intended to help them understand the location where Wells disappeared and the conditions around it.
Hudson and Pitalo were among the friends who traveled with Wells to Horn Island on July 4th. Their attorneys have maintained that they had nothing to do with his death and say the young men have faced threats and accusations while the investigation continues.
No one has been arrested or charged in connection with Wells’ death. An independent autopsy commissioned by his family found both the cause and manner of death undetermined pending further investigation.
Two Friends Returned to the Island With Their Attorneys
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Hudson and Pitalo spent approximately three hours on Horn Island during the August 7th visit. Cox told TMZ that returning to the place where they had last seen Wells was emotional for both men.
“The trip was tough for Warren and Jax because that’s the last place they saw their best friend,” Cox said. The attorneys also represent Morgan Seymour, another friend connected to the July 4th outing. They said Seymour did not participate in the return trip because of school responsibilities.
The Attorneys Examined an Area They Call the ‘Washing Machine’
Cox said one purpose of the trip was to show Paltzik an area he referred to as the “washing machine,” where he said tides moving in different directions can create difficult water conditions. Paltzik told TMZ that the water appeared extremely murky during the August 7th visit and compared its appearance to “chocolate milk.”
He also said that, based on the tides, wind and temperature he observed, he considered the conditions unsuitable for swimming. Paltzik said he believed the conditions during the visit were similar to those on the day Wells disappeared, but authorities have not publicly established that the two days were identical.
Wells Was Found Dead Two Days After the July 4 Trip
Wells, an Ocean Springs teenager and college football player, traveled to Horn Island with friends on July 4th. According to WLOX’s timeline of the case, he was reported missing that night after he did not return to the mainland with the group.
A search involving multiple agencies followed. Wells’ body was found in the water just off Horn Island on the morning of July 6th. Jackson County Coroner Bruce Lynd Jr. initially said there were no obvious signs of foul play. That observation did not establish Wells’ cause or manner of death, both of which have remained under investigation.
The Family’s Independent Autopsy Did Not Determine How He Died
Wells’ family commissioned a separate autopsy by forensic pathologist Dr. Roger Mitchell. The preliminary independent findings, announced by civil rights attorney Ben Crump on July 22nd, classified both Wells’ cause and manner of death as “undetermined, pending investigation.”
The examination found no fractures or deep-tissue injuries. It did identify an area of red discoloration in tissue at the back of Wells’ head, but the finding was described as inconclusive and requiring further investigation. Mitchell also wrote that he could not rule out the possibility that non-accidental factors contributed to or caused Wells’ death based on the information available to him.
The condition of Wells’ body complicated the examination. The pathologist also could not independently examine certain structures that had already been retained during the state’s earlier autopsy, a practice Mitchell noted can be routine in forensic pathology.
The State Autopsy Is Being Withheld for Grand Jury Review
The Mississippi State Medical Examiner’s Office performed its autopsy on July 7th, one day after Wells’ body was discovered. The findings have not been publicly released. Jackson County District Attorney Angel Myers McIlrath said the report will remain withheld until it can be reviewed by a grand jury.
McIlrath said death investigations in the county, with limited exceptions, are routinely presented to a grand jury and that investigators must be allowed to examine evidence and interview witnesses without compromising that process.
Wells’ parents, represented by Crump, have also pursued their own investigation while seeking more information about what happened to their son.