Nolan Wells’ mother is seeking extensive records from six social media and location-tracking platforms as her family continues investigating the 18-year-old’s unexplained death.
Christine Wells-Wonsley filed subpoenas directed at the companies behind Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, Snapchat, TikTok and Life360, according to court documents obtained by TMZ.
The requests follow weeks of questions about why Wells did not have his phone when his friends left Mississippi’s Horn Island on July 4 and whether digital records could help clarify his final hours.
The subpoenas do not establish that anyone accessed the phone, deleted information or committed a crime.
The Subpoenas Seek Messages, Login Records and Location Data
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Wells-Wonsley is seeking current and previous usernames, email addresses, phone numbers and display names associated with her son’s accounts. The subpoenas also request IP addresses linked to logins, password resets and other account activity, along with related metadata.
Additional requested material reportedly includes posts, stories, direct messages, chats, photographs, videos, text files, friend-list histories and GPS information. The family is also seeking data that could identify people who communicated with Wells and IP addresses associated with activity involving his accounts.
TMZ reported that Wells-Wonsley used Life360 while searching for her son and compared its location history with information available through Snapchat. She believed the records did not match, adding another reason for the family to seek information directly from both companies.
His Parents Have Questioned the Phone’s Limited Content
Wells traveled by boat with friends to a large Fourth of July gathering on Horn Island, a barrier island off Mississippi’s Gulf Coast. He did not return to the mainland with the group that afternoon. His phone and car keys did, according to The Associated Press.
Wells’ mother became concerned after receiving a call from one of his friends at approximately 11 p.m. She attempted to locate her son and then reported him missing. A park ranger found Wells’ body near the northwestern end of the island on July 6.
His parents have said the recovered phone contained less material from the party than they expected, particularly because Wells frequently used Snapchat. They have questioned why he would remain on the island without the device and whether its contents could provide a clearer timeline.
The family previously agreed to a joint forensic inspection involving its experts and the Jackson County prosecutor’s office. Attorney Ben Crump said both sides would be able to review the phone extraction at the same time.
A Friend Denied Accessing or Deleting Anything
Warren Hudson, one of the friends who attended the gathering with Wells, has publicly denied that he or other members of the group accessed the phone. Hudson said in an interview with commentator Brandon Tatum that multiple partygoers left their devices on boats to protect them from the water.
Wells was not the only person separated from a phone, he said. “There were a lot of people that left phones on the boat,” Hudson said, according to People. Hudson said the phones were later moved from the boat into a truck.
When the mother of Wells’ friend Jayvon Williams arrived and requested Wells’ device, Hudson said someone in the group handed it over without resistance. He maintained that he did not know Wells’ password and had no reason to search the phone. “I didn’t even touch Nolan’s phone,” Hudson said. Asked whether anyone had deleted material, he responded, “Absolutely not.”
Friends Say Wells Chose to Remain on the Island
Hudson and other witnesses have said Wells stayed behind after meeting a young woman at the gathering. Hudson said the group’s boat was experiencing problems with its bilge pump and that Wells declined to leave with them while they dealt with the emergency.
Wells’ parents have challenged that explanation as inconsistent with how they raised their son. His father, Elmore Wonsley, said Wells had always been taught that anyone arriving with a group should return with that same group.
The family has also questioned why Wells would voluntarily remain without his phone, car keys or an established plan for reaching the mainland. The young woman reportedly told Wells’ mother that her interaction with him was brief. What happened after Wells was last publicly seen on the afternoon of July 4 remains unclear.
The Independent Autopsy Did Not Determine How Wells Died
Authorities initially said drowning appeared possible and reported no immediate indication of foul play. Wells’ family and legal team have argued that no conclusion should be reached until conflicting accounts, digital evidence and medical findings have been fully examined.
An independent autopsy commissioned by the family found no fractures or deep-tissue injuries but classified both the cause and manner of death as undetermined pending further investigation. The pathologist identified a red discoloration on the back of Wells’ skull as inconclusive and said it warranted additional examination.
Decomposition and the removal of organs during the first autopsy limited the independent pathologist’s ability to evaluate possible drowning or neck injuries. The Mississippi medical examiner had not publicly released the official autopsy or toxicology results when the subpoenas were reported.
Jackson County District Attorney Angel Myers McIlrath has said the completed investigation will be presented to a grand jury. She described that step as standard practice for deaths in the county other than natural deaths and noncriminal traffic accidents and said evidence would remain confidential to protect the integrity of the proceedings.