‘He’s Staying at Our Houses’ Nolan Wells’ Friends Reject Claims They Barely Knew Him

Friends of Nolan Wells, the 18-year-old found dead two days after disappearing during an Independence Day outing on Horn Island, are pushing back against his parents' portrayal of their relationship with the Mississippi teenager.

Morgan Seymour, Warren Hudson and Jax Pitalo were with Wells on July 4 and have maintained that he chose to remain on the island with a girl when they left. Wells' family has questioned that account and why he would have stayed without his phone or keys, leaving the two sides sharply divided over what happened after his friends departed.

In their third interview on The Officer Tatum Show on Aug. 13, the trio rejected claims that they were not genuinely close to Wells. Hudson said Wells regularly spent nights at their homes and challenged his parents' statements that they did not know the young men. The Steve Harvey Morning Show also reported that Pitalo blamed Wells' mother's early posts identifying the group for contributing to the backlash they have faced in recent weeks.

"Nolan would always be with us, stay at our houses," Hudson said, before questioning how his parents could say they did not know his friends. He later pointed to Wells' social media as another reflection of their relationship, saying photographs and posts frequently included members of the group.

Wells' cellphone has become a point of contention between his family and the friends. Hudson said he told Wells' parents they had the device when informing them he was missing, while Pitalo said roughly 15 people later arrived at his house seeking Wells' phone and keys.

Pitalo said the group's arrival at his home was hostile, but he quickly handed over the belongings. He also denied accessing Wells' phone or deleting material, saying he did not know the passcode after Wells' mother raised concerns about missing messages and social media content.

For about an hour after Wells was found, the three friends said they walked authorities through the weekend step by step and willingly turned over their phones. Pitalo said they have "nothing to hide" and want to help determine what happened to their friend.

Their absence from Wells' funeral became another painful part of the fallout. The friends said they stayed away because they feared their presence would draw focus from Wells, while Pitalo said the backlash they have endured is something Wells never would have wanted for them.

Calls for outside intervention reached Congress this week. The Congressional Black Caucus asked Attorney General Todd Blanche and FBI Director Kash Patel to review Wells' death, and Rep. Lucy McBath said they were given seven days to respond.

Wells' parents joined attorney Ben Crump, Rev. Al Sharpton and McBath in Atlanta on Aug. 13 as they continued seeking answers. Jackson County District Attorney Angel Myers McIlrath has said the findings from the investigation and the state's autopsy will remain confidential until they are presented to a grand jury, leaving Wells' family waiting for an official explanation of how their son died.