Nolan Wells: New Video Shows Possible Last Image Prior To Death, Funeral Eulogies Call For Justice

Last updated: July 21, 2026 2:44 pm

By Ifeanyi Eze

4 Min Read

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Newly obtained video may show Nolan Wells on a boat hours before his disappearance.
Nolan’s family and civil rights leaders demand a full investigation and answers about his death.
Emotional funeral service highlights the family’s grief and their plea for transparency.

A young man in a black suit and tie standing on a grassy shore overlooking a body of water. — Source: GoFundMe / GoFundMe

Just when it seemed the mystery surrounding Nolan Wells couldn’t get any more disturbing and frustrating, another piece of the puzzle has surfaced.

According to TMZ, newly obtained video recorded on Horn Island on July 4 could contain what may be the last known footage of the 18-year-old before he disappeared. The clip, which is metadata timestamped at 2:23 p.m., shows a Black man standing on the back of a boat wearing swim trunks that reportedly match the ones Nolan was seen wearing in the now-famous photo taken earlier that day. While the man’s face isn’t visible, the person who captured the video believed it could be Nolan and turned the footage over to the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office.

Law enforcement confirmed that investigators are aware of the clip. If it is Nolan, the footage would have been recorded roughly two hours before GPS data showed the boat carrying his friends left Horn Island around 4:30 p.m. without him.

National interest in this case spiked when Nolan’s body was discovered near the island after he vanished during the holiday weekend. His grieving family continues to question what happened to their beloved boy in his final hours, but this week, they had to say their final goodbyes at an emotional funeral service with some powerful messages.

NewsOne reports that Nolan’s mother, Christine Wonsley, spoke through her tears to honor the life of her son.

“As much as our hearts are broken, we find peace in knowing that our son is resting in the arms of the Lord,” she said.

“Your absence has left an emptiness that can never truly be filled. A piece of our hearts is missing,” she added.

Rev. Al Sharpton delivered Nolan’s eulogy and made direct calls for justice and full accountability for any and all involved in his death.

“It could be the healing or the poking of the wound that’s going to be decided by what we do,” he told mourners before demanding, “We want a full and thorough investigation. We want answers.”

Ubiquitous civil rights attorney Ben Crump also spoke at the funeral and echoed Rev. Sharpton’s sentiments out justice while also speaking to the desperation felt by Nolan’s parents.

As she said, any parent, any parent would want the answers as to what happened to their child. They went on the boat, the boat came back, and Nolan washed up on the shore two days later, dead. Wouldn’t you want answers? Wouldn’t you want transparency? Wouldn’t you want the truth? Wouldn’t you want justice? I mean, is that so much to ask?” he continued before harkening back to the many cases in which Black sons and daughters — some younger, some older — died under “highly questionable circumstances.”

BOSSIP will continue to monitor this case closely and will provide any new information that is released to the public.