Photo credit: Nolan Wells’ Family
New details about Nolan Wells’ phone have added another layer to a case that has drawn attention in Mississippi.
A forensic expert hired by Wells’ family recently clarified what his review of the phone data showed. Andrew Garrett said the presence of deleted Snapchat messages did not mean someone unlocked Wells’ phone and manually removed them.
The distinction matters because digital records can show activity that happens remotely. Garrett said some messages were recalled or deleted through Snapchat while the phone itself remained locked.
What the phone records show
Garrett discussed the findings during a livestream published on YouTube on Sept. 25.
More than 3,000 Snapchat records from Wells’ account were made public by Garrett’s forensics company. According to the information presented in the report, Wells’ phone was last used at about 2:17 or 2:18 p.m. on July 4.
The phone then remained locked until it was returned to Wells’ family the following day.
Garrett also distinguished between activity involving the phone’s screen and someone gaining access to the device. A screen can wake and display information without the phone being unlocked.
That distinction has become important as the family continues to examine what happened after Wells disappeared during a Fourth of July boat trip to Horn Island.
What the grand jury found
The Jackson County Grand Jury reviewed the case and declined to indict anyone.
According to the report, 23 jurors heard from 43 witnesses and reviewed physical and digital evidence. They also examined interviews, videos, photographs and maps.
The panel concluded that the condition and location of Wells’ body were consistent with drowning. The report said jurors found no credible evidence that anyone who traveled to or from Horn Island with Wells committed a crime connected to his death.
The panel also said it found no evidence that racial bias played a role. It found that Wells had not been involved in a fight or argument that day.
Why questions remain
The grand jury’s findings have not ended the family’s search for answers.
The report said decomposition limited what medical examiners could determine. Toxicology also offered limited information. The family has continued to question what happened during the final hours of Wells’ life.
Investigators also examined a bruise on the back of Wells‘ head. The report said the injury was not fatal. One witness described Wells slipping from a boat around the time he was last seen, although it remains unclear whether he struck his head.
His phone also returned to the mainland without him. Jurors said it was not unusual for people to leave belongings on another boat while returning on a different vessel.
For Wells‘ family, the phone records provide another piece of information to examine. The latest forensic clarification does not answer every question surrounding the case, but it does add context to what happened to the device after Wells disappeared.
The grand jury report said the matter could return for review if credible new evidence emerges.
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