New Email Reveals Heavy Alcohol Use Before Ole Miss Student’s Death on Horn Island

Fresh documentation has emerged in the ongoing investigation into the July death of Nolan Wells, an 18-year-old University of Mississippi student who disappeared during a boating excursion to Horn Island. A July 5 email from the Mississippi Department of Marine Resources Marine Patrol to the U.S. Coast Guard noted “heavy” alcohol intake, though the correspondence did not specify where that information originated.

Wells vanished while on a recreational boat trip with companions and was found deceased on July 6 following an extensive multi-agency search. State authorities have withheld public disclosure of cause and manner of death pending completion of autopsy and toxicology findings by the Mississippi State Medical Examiner’s Office.

A private autopsy conducted by Dr. Roger Mitchell on behalf of Wells’ family determined the cause and manner of death were “undetermined pending investigation,” according to civil rights attorney Ben Crump during a July 22 news conference. The examination revealed red discoloration on the back of the teen’s head, though investigators could not establish definitive causation at that time.

Television host Nancy Grace subsequently highlighted concerns about the independent autopsy’s scope, noting that Wells’ lungs and throat were unavailable for examination during the second pathological review. Grace emphasized the need for complete forensic data while acknowledging multiple accidental scenarios remained possible.

The Jackson County District Attorney has asserted that investigators are adhering to standard protocols and will reserve conclusions until comprehensive forensic results are available. Officials have not indicated whether criminal activity is being examined.