Nolan Wells’ Friend Dismantles Claims That White Friends Caused Disappearance

Interesting ben crump, death, mississippi, race admin July 17, 2026 0 Comments

Nolan Wells’ Friend Dismantles Claims That White Friends Caused Disappearance

One of the friends who was last with Nolan Xavier Wells before he disappeared and was later found dead is pushing back against online allegations that he and the rest of the group were responsible for the disappearance.

Wells, an 18-year-old football player living in Mississippi, was found dead following 4th of July celebrations on Horn Island. The Jackson County Sheriff’s Department has been investigating the cause of death and has asked for the public to share any photos or videos from the day. (RELATED: Teen Goes Missing On July 4 — Commenters Blame His White Friends)

This request led to a viral video showing an altercation on the day the teen went missing. Attorney Ben Crump, who represents Wells’ parents, alleged Friday that Wells appears in the video and is getting into an altercation with other men on the island, reported ABC News. According to Crump, the footage, recorded from a boat offshore, captures Wells asking for his phone to be returned.

However, a longtime friend of Wells, Tracestin Shepherd, explained to ABC News that the footage actually shows him yelling and said that Wells is not in the video.

“That’s me yelling. … there was no talk about a phone in that video,” Shepherd told the outlet. “Nolan wasn’t on the island.”

Shepherd said the altercation was between him and another man whom he did not know, alleging the stranger initiated the fight. He told ABC News that he and his group of friends, including Wells, had been drinking since late that morning after boats carrying their friends arrived at the island for what was intended to be a final celebration of the holiday weekend. Wells, according to Shepherd, was either on the boat or swimming and not present on the island at the time of the altercation.

Later in the day, Shepherd said the group was told their boat needed to return to shore because of an electrical issue. According to Shepherd, Wells decided to stay behind after meeting a girl on the island, saying he planned to catch a ride back on another friend’s boat.

Wells did not make it off the island and his body was discovered in the water along the shore of the island on July 6. ABC News reported that the autopsy results are still pending but Jackson County Sheriff John Ledbetter believes the cause of death is drowning.

However, Wells’ phone made it off the island with his friends and was returned to his parents, whose attorney is now using it as evidence to prove the “suspicious” behavior of Shepherd and other friends.

Shepherd’s uncle explained to the outlet that leaving a phone on the boat is common and that Wells’ phone was sitting on the dash “with probably 15 other phones.”

According to ABC, Crump has refused to turn over the phone to investigators until the family completes its own investigation.

Shepherd took the opportunity to speak with ABC to clarify the day’s events and stop the spread of misinformation. He said he was upset by Crump’s insinuation that race was a contributing factor to Wells’ death, saying that he and his friends have become targets since the allegations.

“They’re trying to spin a narrative that’s not there,” he told the outlet. “He’s wrong.” (RELATED: DUKE: Tragic Death Turns Into ‘CSI: Wypipo’ For Online Race Detectives)

Shepherd expressed his displeasure with how Crump is handling the case, alleging that he is taking advantage of Wells’ grieving parents to spin the story.

“I understand [Wells’] parents are grieving and I really think he’s taken a little bit of advantage of that. And I don’t like that. I really don’t because they’re vulnerable,” Shepherd said.

Sheriff Ledbetter told ABC News that investigators are following every lead and urged anyone with photographs, videos or other information from the July 4 gathering to continue coming forward. He also highlighted the importance of diligence and explained that nothing will be rushed.

Shepherd noted that he wants everyone to relax and just mourn the loss of Wells, urging people to let the investigation play out and avoid jumping to conclusions.

“We all cared and loved Nolan, and nobody wanted to see Nolan die. Nobody wanted his life taken so short,” he told the outlet. “He had everything going for him.”