Uploaded July 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago

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Nolan Wells' mother, Christine Wonsley, is responding directly to claims made by Tracestin Shepherd, the young man who described Nolan as his "best friend" in an interview about the 18-year-old's death after a July 4th trip to Horn Island, Mississippi.

"We don't know Tracestin. We've never met him," Christine tells theGrio's Natasha S. Alford, explaining that unlike Nolan's childhood friends, Shepherd has never been to their home. She acknowledges he offered condolences and shared information, which she says the family has forwarded to authorities and their legal team.

Family attorney Ben Crump goes further, revealing that callers to the family's tip line report Nolan was involved in an argument on the island that day and that even Nolan's friends reject the claim he volunteered to stay behind. "We absolutely do not accept he volunteered to stay behind, and he volunteered not to have his cell phone with him," Crump says.

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