A teenager, who is at the center of swirling accusations surrounding Nolan Wells’s passing, has spoken out for the first time since the tragedy off the Mississippi coast.
Warren Hudson was one of the last people to see Nolan alive during their fateful Fourth of July boat trip.
Days after Nolan was laid to rest, Warren broke his silence and addressed the “rumors” about his friend’s disappearance.
Warren Hudson was one of the last people to see Nolan alive during their fateful Fourth of July boat trip
Image credits: nolanwellss
Warren Hudson, 18, was on the Fourth of July boat with Nolan Wells and a few other friends, visiting Horn Island about ten miles off Mississippi’s Gulf Coast.
Self-described as Nolan’s “best friend,” Warren is the son of a judge in Jackson County named Ashlee Cole.
Warren recently addressed “hurtful” claims that accused him of being involved or responsible for the teen’s passing.
Image credits: Christine Wonsley
“It’s a sick world we’re living in,” he told the New York Post. “It’s terrible. Nolan was my best friend.
“There’s no facts out, just a lot of rumors,” he added. “That’s just how the internet is today. That’s really it, it’s horrible.”
Warren’s mother, Ashlee, had also released a statement on July 7, saying her son was fully cooperating with investigators.
“It’s terrible. Nolan was my best friend,” Warren said, addressing rumors about being involved in the teen’s mysterious passing
Image credits: nolanwellss
Warren “saw Nolan last at around 3 p.m. on July 4th,” Ashlee wrote on Facebook.
The judge denied claims that her family was trying to “hamper” the investigation to safeguard Warren in the unfolding case.
“Nolan made a decision to stay on the island and return inland later with another group of friends,” the mother wrote on social media.
Image credits: nolanwellss
Ashlee said cops interviewed her son, and he “cooperated fully” with them.
She also noted that she knew Nolan’s mother, Christine Wells-Wonsley, and had graduated from the same high school as her.
Her family’s “thoughts and prayers are with Nolan’s family,” the judge added.
Warren’s mother and Jackson County judge, Ashlee Cole, denied claims of her family trying to “hamper” the investigation
Image credits: Ashlee Cole
Investigators are still trying to piece together what happened to Nolan after his friends left the island around 3 p.m. on July 4.
He was reported missing by his mother Christine Wonsley shortly after midnight, prompting a search and rescue team to look for him the next day.
His remains were located on July 6 on the northwest end of Horn Island.
Image credits: ABCNews
Nolan’s body was found “face down” and “fully clothed” in the “same vicinity of where he possibly drowned,” according to Todd Terrell, president of the United Cajun Navy, a nonprofit that assisted in the search.
“It was not uncommon for the body to have washed up right there,” Terrell told journalist Nancy Grace.
Authorities said there were no immediate signs of foul play and that the 18-year-old may have drowned. But Nolan’s family have challenged this and are conducting their own investigation.
Nolan’s phone was allegedly phone with another young man on the boat with social media messages possibly deleted
Image credits: nolanwellss
Reports claimed that videos circulating online allegedly showed Nolan having a heated argument with his friends on the island.
Questions have also been raised about why Nolan’s phone was not with him at the time of his disappearance.
The device was reportedly with one of the young men who had traveled with him to the island for the holiday festivities.
Image credits: ABCNews
Nolan’s mother managed to track the phone using the location-sharing app Life360 and claimed that several social media messages appeared to have been deleted.
The teenager’s mysterious passing has sparked discussions about racism and the challenges for young Black people navigating through predominantly white spaces.
Filmmaker Tyler Perry and Pro Football Hall of Famer Owens offered reward money for information leading to an arrest
Nolan was laid to rest in a packed funeral, attended by hundreds of mourners, including director Spike Lee and former NFL star Terrell Owens.
Bereaved mother Christine Wonsley stood at the altar and addressed gatherers at the Center Pointe Church in Ocean Springs.
“I ask that each of you keep Nolan’s memory alive, hold him close in your hearts, share the stories and never stop saying his name,” she said through tears.
Rev. Al Sharpton officiated the ceremony and announced that he and Hollywood filmmaker Tyler Perry were offering a $100,000 reward to anyone who provides information leading to an arrest.
Pro Football Hall of Famer Owens took the total up to $125,000 this week by pledging an additional $25,000 from his pocket for the reward.
Critics claimed this was a “good example why you should not allow your young children hang around these types”
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