Nolan Xavier Wells vanished during a Fourth of July boat trip with friends, authorities and family members said.
OCEAN SPRINGS, MS — A body found near Horn Island has been identified by family members as Nolan Xavier Wells, an 18-year-old Mississippi teen who disappeared during a Fourth of July boat trip with friends, authorities said.
The discovery ended a two-day search across part of the Mississippi Gulf Coast and opened a new stage in the case. Jackson County officials said the body matched Wells’ description, while the county coroner said DNA testing would be used for official confirmation. The cause and manner of death had not been released as of Tuesday.
Wells, of Ocean Springs, was last seen Saturday, July 4, on Horn Island, a barrier island south of the Mississippi coast. Authorities said he had traveled there by boat with friends for the holiday. His mother, Christine Wonsley, later reported him missing after he did not return home. Family members said Wells had been separated from his phone, making location tracking unavailable during the search. Jackson County Sheriff John Ledbetter said searchers found a body Monday morning in the water near the northwestern end of the island. Wonsley confirmed in a social media post that the body was her son’s. “I am absolutely devastated,” she wrote, describing Wells as loved by his family and community.
Officials said a park ranger found the body around 8:45 a.m. Monday. Search teams had focused on the western and northwestern parts of Horn Island, where Wells was believed to have last been seen. Agencies involved in the search included the Jackson County Sheriff’s Department, the U.S. Coast Guard and volunteer search groups. The United Cajun Navy also assisted after the family and community asked for help finding Wells. Authorities had described Wells as about 6 feet 1 inch tall and 180 pounds. He was last reported wearing blue swim trunks, sunglasses and no shirt. Investigators have not said whether foul play is suspected, and officials have not released a final timeline of Wells’ movements before he disappeared.
Horn Island is part of the Gulf Islands National Seashore, a chain of barrier islands and coastal areas managed by the National Park Service. The island is reachable only by boat and is known for long beaches, marshes, dunes and remote stretches without roads or regular services. That setting made the search more difficult during a busy holiday weekend, when boats and visitors were spread along the island and nearby waters. Wells had recently graduated from Ocean Springs High School and was a football player preparing to continue at Southwest Mississippi Community College. School officials and former teammates remembered him as a young athlete with a wide circle of friends and plans for the fall.
The legal and investigative work continued Tuesday. Jackson County Coroner Bruce Lynd said DNA testing would be used to confirm the identity, though he said there was no clear reason to believe the body was not Wells. An autopsy was scheduled at the Mississippi State Medical Examiner’s Office Coast Lab. The family has retained civil rights attorney Ben Crump, who said the family wants a full account of what happened before Wells died. No arrests had been announced, and no charges had been filed. Investigators were expected to review witness statements, photos, videos and any other records from people who were on or near Horn Island on July 4.
The case drew wide attention online as family members, classmates and strangers shared Wells’ photo during the search. Some posts raised questions about who was with him, when he was last seen and why he did not return with the group. Officials have not confirmed many of those public claims. Ledbetter said the investigation remained active. Wonsley thanked people who helped search and support the family, while also saying the family still had questions. Friends and relatives described Wells as kind, respectful and excited for college. His death brought grief to Ocean Springs, where his name had been shared for days in missing-person posts before the search turned into a recovery.
As of Tuesday, July 7, officials had not released a cause of death. The next major step is the medical examiner’s review and formal confirmation through testing, followed by any additional findings from the Jackson County investigation.
Author note: Last updated July 7, 2026.