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In the first part of a new interview, Warren Hudson recalled the lead-up to the Fourth of July boat trip and his friendship with the late 18-year-old
NEED TO KNOW
- Warren Hudson, a close friend of Nolan Wells, has shared details about the late 18-year-old’s final hours
- Wells lost his life following a Fourth of July boat trip to Mississippi’s Horn Island, and authorities are continuing to investigate the circumstances surrounding his death
- Speaking to conservative commentator Brandon Tatum on his podcast, Hudson said the island was “covered” with people and most were partying and drinking alcohol
A close friend of Nolan Wells has revealed what he saw in the hours before the tragic 18-year-old lost his life following a Fourth of July boat trip off Mississippi’s Gulf Coast.
Warren Hudson was one of the last people to see Wells alive before the teen disappeared on the Saturday, July 4, trip to Horn Island. His body was found two days later, and authorities continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding his death.
Previously, Hudson’s mom, Chancery Court Judge Ashlee Cole, said their family wouldn’t speak publicly and would only talk to investigators or Wells’ family. Last week, she released a statement in which she defended her son and claimed that Wells chose to stay on Horn Island.
However, on Tuesday, July 21, Hudson appeared on a podcast with conservative commentator Brandon Tatum, known as The Officer Tatum, to discuss what he saw in his friend’s final hours in part one of an interview.
Hudson said that Wells was eager to celebrate the Fourth on the island. “My buddies and I had talked about this [it],” he said, “Everybody’s very, very excited for the Fourth of July down here. It’s a big thing, it’s a big deal.”
The pair were together the evening before they headed out, staying at a friend’s house, before a larger group met up the following day.
He said three boatloads of people went to Horn Island on the Fourth, describing it as the “most popular day to be on the water.” Hudson explained that there would have been about “maybe even 4,000 people out there” at the time, as well as “miles” of boats.
“I think there [were] boats all the way around the entire island,” he said, “Every area of Horn Island is covered, 100%.”
As the day continued, their group just “grew and grew,” with people drinking and celebrating.
He said most people in the group, including Wells, were drinking alcohol. However, Hudson maintained that the former seemed “completely fine,” noting they were involved in conversations together with their other friends and that he “wasn’t focused on anyone solely” while they were out.
“I talked to Nolan a couple times, but it wasn’t like I was strictly sitting there talking to Nolan the whole day,” he explained.
Describing conditions on the island, Hudson told Tatum that, when the boats were tied up, “you were probably about neck-deep in water” if you jumped off the bow, but waist-deep when jumping off the stern.
He added that the water was a “little rough” when coming back from the party but still on the calm side. “It was not anything all my buddies’ boats couldn’t handle.”
Remembering Wells as a “joyful” teen, Hudson said they grew up together as part of a “very tight-knit” friend group. He recalled becoming “super tight” with Wells in the eighth grade, when the pair would eat together at a local restaurant once a week.
Hudson added that he didn’t know Wells’ parents, Christine and Elmore Wonsley, well, but said it “didn’t change” their relationship. “Nolan and I were still just as close, and he was just as close with my friends as anyone else,” he said.
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Wells’ family has questioned the accounts given by the other teens on the trip, suggesting he wouldn’t have voluntarily left his friends.
During the portion of the interview shared, Hudson did not discuss how Wells became separated from the group, instead focusing on the lead-up to the island trip and their friendship.
The results of both an official and an independent autopsy are pending.
Read the original article on People
