Published July 23, 2026
In the first public appearance since Nolan Wells’ tragic death, his close friend Warren Hudson shared new details about the teen's final hours before he vanished from Horn Island, Mississippi, on July 4.
While talking on Brandon Tatum’s podcast, he recalled the scenes from the island as “covered” with thousands of revellers celebrating Independence Day.
“Everybody’s very, very excited for the Fourth of July down here. It’s a big thing, it’s a big deal,” he added.
The college footballer, aged 18, was last seen at about 3 p.m. on Horn Island, a barrier island off the Mississippi Gulf Coast. Two days after that, his body was found, and the investigation process concerning his death is still ongoing.
As per Hudson, there were three boatloads of people going to the island, and "miles" of boats could be seen around the place. He confirmed that most people in their party, including Wells, had been drinking alcohol, but that Wells seemed "perfectly fine" when they met him.
Hudson said the pair had spent the night before together at a friend’s house before joining the larger group. He also explained that they were very close and their friendship was “very tight-knit,” noting they became close in eighth grade.
A separate autopsy conducted recently showed that there was possibly a wound sustained at the back of his head by Wells. Dr Roger J. Mitchell, who performed the autopsy, stated that he cannot rule out murder but could not establish the cause of death.
The family of Wells asked in public why he had voluntarily separated himself from his friends. Hudson did not elaborate on how this separation happened, as he is planning another segment of the interview.