Nolan Wells' Best Friend Says He Relives One Decision "Every Night" as Questions Continue to Surround Teen's Death

More than three weeks after 18-year-old Nolan Wells disappeared during a Fourth of July party on Mississippi’s Horn Island, one of the last friends to see him alive is sharing his side of the story.

Tracestin Shepherd says he has replayed the events of that night over and over, wondering whether a single decision—leaving the island after getting into a fight—could have changed everything.

His emotional interview comes as Nolan’s family continues pushing for answers, insisting there are still too many unanswered questions surrounding their son’s death.

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A Friendship That Ended With One Final Goodbye

Shepherd described Nolan not simply as another friend, but as someone he considered family.

“Nolan was my best friend.”

He recalled spending nearly the entire Fourth of July with Nolan after the teen arrived on Horn Island, where hundreds—possibly thousands—of people had gathered for the annual holiday celebration.

Earlier that morning, Nolan had even called Shepherd twice asking for help finding a place to park and anchor the boat.

At the time, nothing seemed unusual.

Neither of them could have imagined those would become some of their final conversations.

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The Fight He Wishes Never Happened

According to Shepherd, the night changed after he became involved in an altercation with people unrelated to Nolan’s group.

Instead of staying, he left the island with his uncle.

Now he says that decision has become something he relives every day.

“I beat myself up every night.”

He believes that had he stayed, he might have convinced Nolan not to remain behind while the rest of the group returned to the mainland.

He stressed that this isn’t because he knows what happened—but because he constantly wonders whether his presence alone could have changed the outcome.

That feeling of “what if” has become one of the hardest parts of living with the tragedy.

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The Last Conversation Still Haunts Him

Shepherd said the last words he ever spoke to Nolan were unexpectedly emotional.

“Alright buddy… I love you. See you later.”

He admitted alcohol may have made him more expressive than usual, but today he’s grateful he said those words.

Looking back, he says they brought him a small amount of peace after losing someone he considered a brother.

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The Morning Everything Changed

After returning home, Shepherd went to sleep believing Nolan was still enjoying the holiday celebration.

He woke to frantic phone calls.

Friends were already searching.

The Coast Guard had been contacted.

Nolan’s mother had been notified.

By the following day, Shepherd had joined search efforts himself.

When darkness fell without any sign of Nolan, he said he couldn’t sleep.

Then, on July 6, before another search could begin, he learned Nolan’s body had been found.

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Why This Interview Matters

Shepherd’s interview does not answer what happened to Nolan.

Instead, it fills in several missing pieces of the timeline before the disappearance.

It also explains why one of Nolan’s closest friends was no longer on the island during the critical hours before the teen vanished.

At the same time, Shepherd says he wanted to address rumors that have spread online, saying his only goal is to tell the truth—not attract attention.

Since speaking publicly, he says he has received death threats and racist messages but doesn’t regret sharing his account.

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The Phone Remains One of the Biggest Mysteries

Another friend, Warren Hudson, also recently addressed one of the case’s most debated questions: Nolan’s cellphone.

Hudson said it was common for people attending Horn Island parties to leave their phones on boats to prevent them from being damaged by seawater, and he insisted no one in the group accessed Nolan’s phone before returning it to the family.

Nolan’s parents remain unconvinced.

Through attorney Ben Crump, they have questioned why their son would voluntarily leave his phone behind if he truly planned to stay on the island without his friends—a decision they continue to describe as completely out of character.

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The Investigation Is Still Far From Over

Authorities initially said they saw no immediate evidence of foul play and believed Nolan may have drowned.

His family, however, argues investigators reached that conclusion far too quickly and continues to call for a deeper investigation, saying several unanswered questions remain.

Both the official investigation and an independent investigation are ongoing.

Whether Shepherd’s account ultimately helps investigators remains unclear.

But his interview offers something investigators cannot ignore: the perspective of one of the last people to spend nearly an entire day with Nolan before the teenager disappeared—and a reminder that for those who knew him best, the search for answers did not end when his body was found.