GPS data traces boat that carried Nolan Wells to Horn Island, authorities say

GPS data from the Mississippi Department of Marine Resources tracks the boat that carried Nolan Xavier Wells to Horn Island on July 4. The trace begins with a departure from a dock at about 9:56 a.m. and an arrival at Horn Island at 11:14 a.m., then shows the boat leaving the island at 4:31 p.m. and returning to the original dock.

The GPS trace places the vessel in Fort Bayou around 5:52 p.m., back at the dock at 6:06 p.m., and later at the Fort Bayou boat launch at 7:19 p.m. From there, the boat traveled over land to the owners’ residence in Biloxi. The boat owner, his mother and one other person who was with Wells cooperated with investigators. It ends on July 5, after notification that the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office would take over as the lead agency.

Ben Crump’s office placed Wells on Horn Island at about 3 p.m., and Jackson County Sheriff John Ledbetter said Wells rode to the island with friends but did not return to the mainland with them that afternoon. His family said they do not believe he would have stayed behind by choice. Christine Wonsley and Elmore Wonsley, his parents, told CBS Mornings on July 10 that they want answers and transparency, while their lawyers said the case is clouded by conflicting stories.

His body was found July 6 off Horn Island, roughly 7 to 10 miles from Mississippi’s Gulf Coast and accessible only by boat. Jackson County coroner Bruce Lynd said dental records confirmed the body was Wells. An autopsy was performed July 7, but the results were not immediately released. The family later arranged an independent autopsy in Washington, D.C.

The search drew the U.S. Coast Guard, the Mississippi Department of Marine Resources and the National Park Service. Wells’ lawyers said about 200 people were on Horn Island that day, and the family has asked the public to submit video or photos from the island, especially near the northwest tip where his body was later recovered. He had graduated from Ocean Springs High School in 2025 and played wide receiver at Southwest Mississippi Community College.