Body Found Near Horn Island Linked to Missing Teen Nolan Wells

Discovery of a Body Near Horn Island

On Monday morning, authorities discovered a body close to Horn Island in Jackson County. The Jackson County Sheriff's Office reported that this location is near where 18-year-old Nolan Wells was last seen before his disappearance over the weekend. The Jackson County Coroner has arrived to assist in identifying the remains, according to a report from a news outlet.

Teen Disappears During Fourth of July Celebration

Nolan Wells went missing on July 4 while he was visiting Horn Island, a barrier island off the Gulf Coast of Mississippi. Since then, search teams have been actively looking for him. Friends and family affectionately call him "Nono." He was last seen on the island on Saturday.

The Jackson County Sheriff's Department is leading the search, collaborating with the Mississippi Department of Marine Resources, the U.S. Coast Guard, and the United Cajun Navy. Search crews have been scouring both land and water in their efforts to locate him.

According to the sheriff's office, Wells is a Black male, approximately 6 feet 1 inch tall and weighing around 180 pounds. At the time of his disappearance, he was wearing blue swim trunks and sunglasses. He was last spotted near the northwest tip of Horn Island on the afternoon of July 4, but investigators are still trying to determine the exact circumstances of his departure from the island and who he may have been with.

Family Remains Hopeful

Wells left his cell phone behind when he vanished, and it is currently with his parents, Christine and Elmore Wonsley. Christine has been actively using social media to provide updates and share photos during the search, including images of Wells smiling on a boat with friends shortly before he went missing.

She has expressed the emotional strain the last few days have placed on the family, stating that she and Wells' father have hardly slept while seeking answers. "We just pray our son is alive and safe," she shared.