‘We were in emergency’: Friend who was with Nolan Wells on Horn Island offers account of why Wells didn’t return on boat he traveled on

Warren Hudson was among several individuals who traveled to Horn Island with the late teen on July 4.

In the days following Nolan Wells’ memorial service, those who were on Horn Island with him are starting to share their version of events as to why the 18-year-old chose to stay on the island and was without his phone the day he disappeared.

Warren Hudson, who considered himself a friend of Wells, was one of several individuals who traveled to Horn Island with him on July 4. Speaking with conservative podcast host Brandon Tatum, Hudson said the group was “in emergency” as to why Wells did not return on the boat that initially traveled to the island.

“We were in emergency,” he told Tatum as the pair visited Horn Island, citing a bilge pump issue. “The boat, we’re trying to save the boat. It’s not like we didn’t ask Nolan or we just left Nolan. Nolan decided to stay on the island with the girl that he was with. And the girl is a witness to that, too.”

The girl in question has reportedly spoken to Wells’ mother, Christine Wonsley, but clarified that her interaction with her son was more of a “hey and bye” type situation. She has not spoken publicly.

Hudson’s remarks are similar to those of another individual who was with Wells that day, Tracestin Shepherd. Both Hudson and Shepherd said that Wells wanted to stay behind with the girl, though Wells’ family questioned Shepherd’s account and his characterization of how close he was to Nolan.

In his recollection of the day’s events, Hudson says the group grew around them and that people were drinking, including Wells.

“Everyone just got on the water,” Hudson told Tatum. “Then eventually, next thing you know, it’s our group and then next thing you know there’s 50 other people around us. And then it just grew and grew as the day came on.”

“Everybody’s drinking. I mean, it’s Fourth of July. Everyone’s just trying to enjoy themselves,” Hudson continued, “and it’s a big party, basically.”

Hudson was the friend who called the Wells’ family to tell them their son was missing. He also told Tatum that the water at Horn Island could change in depth rapidly from waist deep to neck deep, noting a “very, very bad current” that was in the area, as other local officials have stated.

One of the main points of contention has been why Wells didn’t have his phone on him or nearby after the group reached Horn Island. Hudson informed Tatum that it was common for people to leave their phones on the boat in order to protect them from the ocean.

“I never saw someone in the water that day sitting with their phone in their hand scrolling on anything or even taking pictures in the water,” he said.

The depiction of Wells staying behind is one his father, Elmore Wonsley, vehemently disagrees with. In two separate interviews, one with TheGrio and another with “Good Morning America,” earlier this month, Wonsley stated that he always taught Nolan to stay with a group when traveling and that he “preached it” to Nolan “everyday.”

“We always taught him that if you go with a group, you stay with a group,” Wonsley said. “If you go with five, you come back with five. Do not separate from the group. Because I always said, ‘Safety is in numbers.'”

Following the results of an independent autopsy, the cause of death remains inconclusive for the 18-year-old, Dr. Roger Mitchell, who performed it, “could not rule out foul play.” The formal autopsy conducted by the state of Mississippi is currently being withheld until a grand jury reviews it.

“Nolan’s case is being handled the same way with the same care and the same commitment to the truth that we handle all death investigations,” Jackson County District Attorney Angel Myers McIlrath said in a statement. “I understand the public’s urgency to know what happened to Nolan, but we are not taking time for time’s sake, we are taking the time required to complete the work this investigation demands.”