Body Found On Horn Island Confirmed To Be Of Missing18-year-old Nolan Wells [VIDEO]

18 year old, Nolan Xavier Wells, was last seen July 4 on the island, where he was hanging out with a group of friends, that he traveled there with, but everyone else reportedly made it back to the mainland without him. Wells’ phone was found on the boat he and his friends had been on earlier that day, and returned to his family.

On July 4th, 2026, Nolan Xavier Wells was reported missing after going on a weekend trip with friends on Horn Island, Mississippi. The Ocean Springs native was last seen shirtless, wearing blue swim trunks and black sunglasses, on a boat on the island with friends. The friends who were on the trip with him or their families have released formal statements in response to the allegations of their involvement. However, they have collectively said that they’re not sure where he went after being the ones to notify the police of him being missing. 

Sadly today Ocean Springs School District has confirmed that the body found on Horn Island was that of 18-year-old Nolan Wells.  According to the Jackson County Coroner’s Office, a body fitting the description of Nolan Wells was found on the northwest end of Horn Island.  The body appeared to have washed up on shore around 8:45 a.m.

According to OSSD, Wells was a 2025 graduate of Ocean Springs High School who played multiple sports, including football. Considering that the missing person report happened in the Deep South and Wells’ friend group was a group of White boys, many believe that there was foul play involved after the boys left the island without Wells.

See video below