People connected to the case

These are individuals named in public reporting and statements around Nolan Wells' death. Inclusion on this page is not an allegation of wrongdoing against anyone listed.

Nineteen people · Each claim labeled by verification status

No charges have been filed against any individual named on this page. Cause and manner of Nolan Wells' death remain officially undetermined. Presence here reflects public reporting, statements, or claims made about a person's presence or role that day — not an accusation of criminal conduct. Each item below is labeled with its verification status; see the key in the footer.

Primary figures

Tracestin Shepherd, 20

Self-described "best friend" · Biracial · Uncle piloted one of the boats · Involved in altercation on island

On the record: Shepherd gave an ABC News interview (audio only, refused camera) calling himself Wells' "best friend" and defending the group. He says he — not Wells — is the voice in the viral video, arguing with a stranger. He says Wells chose to stay because he met a girl, and the boat left early due to a bilge pump issue. Verified (ABC News)

Mother's account: Christine Wonsley told theGrio/AP: "We don't know Tracestin. We've never met him… he's never been to our home." She acknowledged they may have hung out in high school. Verified (theGrio, AP)

Contradicted by the young woman: Shepherd claimed Wells stayed to talk to a girl. Crump told the Guardian (July 19) that the young woman said Wells decided to RETURN with his friends. She didn't say he wanted to stay — she said the opposite. Verified (Guardian)

Fist fight on Horn Island: Per Warren Hudson's Tatum interview, Shepherd got into a fist fight with a stranger on the island who objected to the way Shepherd was speaking to his girlfriend. The stranger reportedly threw the first punch. Warren states Nolan was not involved. Alleged (Warren Hudson's Tatum interview)

Shepherd's quote: "Nobody wanted his life taken so short." Verified (ABC News)

Uncle: Shepherd's uncle was piloting one of the boats. He said: "We did no wrong here." Verified (ABC News)

Analysis Went on national TV as "best friend" — victim's mother doesn't recognize him. His uncle drove the boat — family interest in the narrative. "Nobody wanted his life TAKEN" — the word choice suggests an agent, not an accident. Got into a physical altercation on the island hours before Nolan went missing.

Wyatt Pyron

Biloxi High School (Class of 2025) · Grandson of Jerry Adkerson (Ocean Marine Group) · At the house where phone was found · Last name confirmed by Atlanta Black Star and Our Weekly

Verified: When Tashema Hands went to retrieve Wells' phone, Wyatt said it was in his truck. The group was sitting in the dark watching TV. Verified (Clarion Ledger, ABC News)

Verified: Wells' phone was tracked to this house — NOT the same house where Wells stayed July 3 (where his car/keys were). Two different locations. Verified (Clarion Ledger, Sun Herald)

Analysis Had Wells' phone in his truck. The group resisted handing it over. Family alleges Snapchat was wiped (allegation, not forensically confirmed).

Profile: Biloxi High School two-sport athlete — starting quarterback and right-handed pitcher (a "Southern Six Senior Spotlight"; threw a 16-strikeout shutout that tied a school record). Signed a baseball scholarship with East Mississippi Community College. Verified (South Miss 6 Sports, Prep Baseball Report, Perfect Game)

New claim (Part 3) Warren/Jax claimed Nolan “and Wyatt's dad had a secret friendship that we weren't even in” — watching Scarface together on the couch at the Pyron house. Unverifiable; notable because it is the same household where Nolan's phone later surfaced in Wyatt's truck. Alleged (friends' on-camera claim, Tatum Part 3)

Analysis Unlike Warren, Jax, and Morgan (represented by Cox & Paltzik) and Bart (represented by Latino), Wyatt has given no public statement and has no attorney of record — the one figure pinned by hard evidence who has never spoken publicly.

Warren Cole / Warren Hudson

Stepson of Judge Ashlee Cole · On the boat · Logistics hub · Both surnames appear in reporting

Stepson of Judge Ashlee Cole. On the boat. Last saw Wells at 3 PM. Called Christine and the Coast Guard ~11 PM. Both surnames appear in reporting (Cole via Clarion Ledger/Sun Herald; Hudson via Atlanta Black Star/Our Weekly). Verified

July 2026 — Tatum Interview: Warren gave an exclusive on-camera interview. Admitted he was the logistics hub — boat on his truck, filled gas/ice, organized three-boat fleet. Was never at Nolan's house; went to McDonald's without him. Named Katie McCormack, his younger brother, Byron, and Bart. Could not describe a single specific interaction with Nolan on the island. Phone deletion question was cut off — video ends on the question. See the full breakdown in Interviews. Verified (SRT transcript)

Verified On Nancy Grace (Aug 12), Tyler Cox stated Warren did NOT take a polygraph or any stress analysis test. Cox: "All but I believe one took a polygraph... Warren is the young man that I interviewed." This contradicts Brandon Tatum's claim in the Part 2 interview that all the boys "took a polygraph test and passed." Cox also stated the tests were "stress analysis voice tests" — not polygraphs. Nancy Grace confirmed: "To did they take a polygraph would be no." Verified (Nancy Grace Crime Stories — Aug 12)

Analysis The logistics hub of the operation — his truck, his gas, his boat coordination. Made an uncorroborated claim about a post-4:30 PM sighting. Can't describe a single personal moment with Nolan. "Never at Nolan's house" contradicts "like a brother" claims.

Bart Edmiston Jr.

Boat owner · Wyoming Cowboys Football #18 · Tide Line operator · Name yelled on distress call · Former teammate of Nolan's at Ocean Springs High

Who he is: Bart Joseph Edmiston Jr. — son of Dr. Bart J. Edmiston Sr., MD, a board-certified anesthesiologist and interventional pain physician. The elder Edmiston attended the University of Florida College of Medicine. The Edmiston family has deep Mississippi roots: the Edmiston, Kelley, and Flowers Family Papers (1838–2004) are archived at UNC Chapel Hill's Southern Historical Collection, documenting the family's presence in Mississippi since the lumber era — the family has been in the state for four or more generations. The name "Bartholomew Joseph" follows Catholic saint-naming tradition (St. Bartholomew the Apostle + St. Joseph); Gulf Coast Catholic families commonly pass saint names through generations. Verified (father's profession: public medical directories; family history: UNC Southern Historical Collection; naming tradition: community observation)

Pre-existing relationship: Bart and Nolan were former teammates at Ocean Springs High School — first confirmed by the Edmiston family statement (July 29). Bart later attended Wyoming on a football scholarship (#18). He returned to Ocean Springs and operates the Tide Line, a 24-foot vessel. Verified (WLOX, Wyoming football roster, MDMR boat registration MI1295CB)

What he says happened: The Edmistons retained attorney Russell Latino (UMiss Law, Federalist Society, founder/CEO of Magnolia Tribune Institute) and released a comprehensive statement through WLOX. Bart "piloted his own boat to Horn Island and piloted his own boat home." The family confirms he removed the transom plug: "He boarded the distressed vessel, removed its transom plug, got back onto his boat, and towed the distressed vessel for a short distance. These actions allowed water that had accumulated on the distressed vessel to drain." Claims 20+ witnesses across both boats. Cooperated fully: "without counsel, without requiring warrants, and without hesitation." Directly denies killing, witnessing, or concealing Nolan's death. Working with FBI, U.S. Attorney's Office, MS AG, and local law enforcement. Private investigator retained. Verified (WLOX, NOLA.com, AP, theGrio, Mississippi Free Press, Sun Herald — July 29-30)

On the distress call: "Damnit Bart!" is clearly audible — someone on the boat yelling his name in frustration. He is also directed to "pull the plug while you're going" — an instruction to remove the drain plug while underway. Verified (TMZ enhanced audio, multiple platforms) | Interpretations of full context: Unverified

Legal campaign: Latino dismissed enhanced audio as "doctored" with "no legitimacy" on NewsNation. Corrected false social media claim that a high school photo showed Bart with Katie McCormack: "Bart is not now nor has he ever been in a relationship with Katie McCormack." Cease and desist + defamation lawsuit filed against Kymbra Li (New Orleans rapper/filmmaker, ~88K IG). Latino: "The time for Facebook rants is nearing an end. The time for a court is drawing nigh." Latino’s broader strategy: private investigator firm hired with nationwide scope, "$0-resources won’t deter us." Warning extends beyond Li to all public accusers. Verified (TMZ, theGrio, Complex, Mississippi Free Press, NewsNation, Sun Herald — July 29-Aug 1)

Investigation: July 8 boat search — cops pulled GPS/data from Bart's boat, separate from the Adkerson/Pyron search the same day. Verified (MDMR report via TMZ/Yahoo)

Unverified Instagram posts reference "BART JOSEPH OCEAN SPRINGS, MS 39564 07/05/2026 10:05" — a possible booking/arrest timestamp. If accurate, Bart was processed by law enforcement on July 5 at 10:05 AM — BEFORE the body was found July 6. No mainstream outlet has confirmed any arrest or booking. This remains a social-media-only claim.

Unverified On July 19, Dr. Bart Edmiston Sr. (Bart Jr.'s father, board-certified anesthesiologist) posted a fishing caption on social media: "bartedmiston Jr came home and he and Brooks took Hawk out trout fishing, Brooks caught the one that didn't get away.....in the back of the head." The overlay caption read "well I be damned" (devil emoji). The elder Edmiston subsequently made his profile private. The phrase "in the back of the head" is a specific violent detail in a case where the manner of death is sealed and the hyoid bone was retained for further study. Post date: July 19, 2026 — two weeks after Nolan's death. Screenshot captured before profile went private. Unverified (social media screenshot)

Analysis Bart is simultaneously the most publicly exposed figure on the boat crew side AND the one with the most resources to fight back. The family statement confirms the pre-existing relationship with Nolan (former teammates), confirms the transom plug removal (framed as "draining" — but the distress call says "pull the plug while you're going" at 31 feet of open water, contradicting routine drainage). The 20+ witness claim, if accurate, means many people saw what Bart did — either corroborating or undermining his account. A defamation lawsuit is now filed. Latino's dual role as nonprofit news publisher (Magnolia Tribune) and active litigation attorney is notable — shaping media narrative while pursuing legal action simultaneously.

Katie McCormack, 19

Witness — the young woman Nolan was with on Horn Island · Different group from the boat crew · No allegation of wrongdoing

The young woman Nolan was with on Horn Island. Identified by full name in Daily Mail (July 24, 2026). Was on the island with a different group from the boat crew. Verified (Daily Mail, multiple outlets)

Sister Gracie McCormack's statement: "Katie was with a different group, she left separately, and she thought Nolan was getting back on the boat." Directly contradicts the claim that Wells "chose to stay." Alleged (sister's statement via Daily Mail; Katie has not spoken directly)

Critical gap: Katie McCormack has not spoken publicly or to media. Her account reaches the public only through three intermediaries, and they do not agree. Warren Hudson (Tatum interview) claims she texted that Nolan "decided not to" get on the boat — the exculpatory version. Gracie McCormack (Katie's sister) says Katie "thought Nolan was getting back on the boat" — the opposite. Tyler Cox, the friends' own attorney, told Nancy Grace (Aug 12) that Katie said "I thought he was leaving with y'all" — which matches Gracie, not Warren. The friends' own lawyer gave the inculpatory version. What Katie told investigators directly is unknown.

Analysis The only independent witness to Nolan's state of mind when the boat left. Her silence and the conflicting accounts from intermediaries make her the most critical unexamined witness. The contradiction is now three-sided, and the decisive version comes from the friends' own attorney: Cox told Nancy Grace that Katie said "I thought he was leaving with y'all" — which means even the girl who was with Nolan believed he got on the boat. That directly undermines Warren's "he chose to stay" narrative. If Katie thought Nolan left with the friends, there was no voluntary decision to remain — which is exactly what the friends have been telling the public for five weeks. Cox let slip a version of the truth that his own client has been contradicting.

Other key figures

Jayvon Williams, 17

Nolan's actual best friend. Black. Was on Horn Island on a different boat — supposed to be on Nolan's but it filled up.

Last saw Nolan shortly after 4 PM — the latest independent sighting timestamp. Verified (CNN, Sun Herald, NOLA.com)

Did CNN interview with Laura Coates: "I miss him every day." Verified

Critical: Jayvon was on a completely different boat. He cannot be part of any cover-up by the boat that left. He is a clean, independent witness.

"Will" — unidentified male

Heard on the Sea Tow call. A voice yelling "Will!" is audible in the background of the distress call at approximately 1:41. The name appears in social media graphics identifying those aboard Jerry Adkerson's Triton on July 4: Wyatt, Warren, Will, Bart, Nolan, and 2 unidentified. Not otherwise named in mainstream reporting. Unverified (Sea Tow audio; social media graphics)

Eli Jax Pitalo

Named in GiveSendGo legal defense fund. One of three beneficiaries alongside Warren Hudson and Morgan Seymour. Appears in a photo with Warren Hudson provided to the Sun Herald. Family owns a pharmacy in Ocean Springs. Nolan's car and keys were at the Pitalo house on July 3 — the house where Nolan stayed the night before the trip. Family's dock near Fort Bayou was the departure point for the boats on July 4. Verified (Sun Herald, GiveSendGo, People)

Political connection: TikTok sleuths traced the Patalo family to Mississippi Governor Cliff Finch's staff — Jax's great-grandfather George Patalo Sr. served under Finch, who supported racial segregation and whose administration was investigated by a federal grand jury. Unverified (TikTok genealogical research)

Morgan Seymour

Named in GiveSendGo legal defense fund. One of three beneficiaries alongside Warren Hudson and Jax Pitalo. Appeared in a widely circulated photo with Nolan on a boat on July 4 — identified by the Sun Herald, which described Seymour as someone "who celebrated with Wells that day." Male. Verified (Sun Herald, GiveSendGo, People)

Audio connection: Multiple listeners report hearing a voice in the background of the Sea Tow distress call. The case file previously noted Morgan Seymour as the potentially female voice. Since Morgan is male, the female voice on the call belongs to a different, unidentified person — a woman who was on the boat but has not been named in any public reporting.

Ava (surname withheld)

Warren Hudson's girlfriend. Hosted the July 4 party the group attended after docking. Warren's own account places the "where's Nolan?" realization and his ~11 PM call to Christine at her house, where he says he went upstairs to talk with her father. Not named in mainstream reporting; the first name comes from Warren's on-camera account. Alleged (Warren Hudson, Tatum Part 3)

Jerry Adkerson

Wyatt Pyron's grandfather; owner of the Triton (YT-22), the distressed boat. General manager and sales manager of Ocean Marine Group (Ocean Marine Boats), a Biloxi and Ocean Springs boat dealership selling upper-end boat lines. Verified (WLOX; Daily Journal)

While the caller was still on the line with dispatch, Adkerson phoned Sea Tow Captain Seth from shore to say the boat didn't need help — cancelling the tow before the intake was complete. He signed the July 8 permission-to-search. Verified (MDMR full release audio)

Family: Wyatt's mother is Jennifer Pyron, who signed the July 8 search alongside Adkerson. The Adkerson line is documented in the July 2024 obituary of Rebecca Hill Adkerson, which lists Wyatt, Ike, and Addie Grace Pyron as her grandchildren. Verified (Riemann Family obituary, July 2024; MDMR search records)

Tashema Hands

Family friend who retrieved Nolan's phone from the house where Wyatt was. Dealt with the group in the dark. Verified (Clarion Ledger, CNN/Instagram)

Trace Carter

Longtime friend. Pictured with Jayvon at Lake Mars Boat Launch during search. Black. Verified (Sun Herald photo)

Erick Alcantara

Named as one of the boat crew. Listed alongside Warren, Jax, Wyatt, Bart, Morgan, and Byron in social media graphics identifying those aboard the boats on July 4. Confirmed in baseline case file analysis. Unverified (social media graphics)

Social media activity: Posted a meme on Facebook — "When your parents ask about your day out, but everything you did was illegal deserving a minimum of 10 years in prison." Post date disputed: TikToker @weenylover initially claimed July 3-4, later corrected to "the morning of the 5th" (July 5 — the day after the trip, before the body was found July 6). Erick subsequently deleted the post and locked his TikTok account. Unverified (TikTok @weenylover; screenshot captured before deletion)

Analysis The meme's content — "everything you did was illegal deserving a minimum of 10 years in prison" — is strikingly specific for someone in Erick's position, regardless of whether it was posted before or after the trip. If posted July 2-4 (before/during), it reads as darkly prescient. If posted July 5 (after, before the body was found), it reads as a reaction to events on the island. The subsequent deletion and account lock suggest awareness that the post was problematic.

Warren's younger brother — a minor

Warren Hudson's younger brother. Present on Horn Island July 4 and involved in the island altercation, per Warren's own account ("my brother… he did $10,000 damages to his boat"). Warren states Nolan was not involved in the fight. Alleged (Warren Hudson's Tatum interview)

Name withheld. He is a minor (Ocean Springs High School, Class of 2027), so this file does not publish his name. Social media has circulated a name and alleged he put someone in a chokehold; that claim is Unverified. A rear-naked choke from behind would be consistent with the file's "held from behind at the neck" analysis, but it is not independently confirmed.

Christine Wonsley

Nolan's mother. Nurse. Led the family's search effort on July 4 — called DMR, Coast Guard, Ocean Springs PD, and Jackson County Sheriff's Office in a jurisdiction runaround before an officer took the report after midnight at a McDonald's parking lot. At NABJ (Aug 13), revealed Warren described Nolan as wearing "black shorts" when a photo showed "blue-gray" shorts, and that her phone worked on Horn Island undercutting the "no reception" excuse. The smear campaign escalated to a professional-misconduct complaint against her nursing license (investigation found no evidence). In August 2026 appearances (including Rev. Jamal Bryant's podcast and the family's 19th birthday memorial letter), she highlighted Nolan's biracial Black and Filipino heritage and closed with a Tagalog blessing ("Mahal na mahal ka namin..."). Verified (NABJ panel; CNN; Let's Be Clear podcast)

Elmore Wonsley

Nolan's father. At NABJ (Aug 13), recounted the keys retrieval at Jax Pitalo's house: when he asked for Nolan's keys, Jax said "I don't see the keys." They appeared only after a friend was on the phone with a girl who said they were "on top of the Xbox in his room." Also confirmed his phone worked on Horn Island the next morning during the family search with Coach Bramlett. "There's two lies that have been told as a father." Alleged (family statements at NABJ — via The Public Opinion Court re-stream)

Dr. Roger A. Mitchell Jr.

Independent forensic pathologist for the Wells family. Board-certified in anatomic and forensic pathology. Former Chief Medical Examiner of Washington, D.C. (2014–2021) — one of only four Black chief medical examiners of a major U.S. city. Professor of Pathology at Howard University College of Medicine and 126th President of the National Medical Association. Chaired the National Association of Medical Examiners' Deaths in Custody subcommittee and co-authored its position paper on postmortem examination of deaths in custody. Verified (Howard University, National Medical Association, NAME)

Wells autopsy (July 10, 2026): Retained by the family through Ben Crump. Found a 12×8-inch red discoloration in the deep soft tissue over the occipital bone — during a posterior neck dissection the state autopsy did not perform. Ruled cause and manner of death undetermined and stated he "cannot rule out any intervening non-accidental factors." Also noted the state had retained the throat and hyoid structures, so the anterior neck could not be reviewed: "Posterior neck dissection without review of anterior neck structures is incomplete." Verified (July 19 press conference, report read aloud)

Quote: "The condition of Nolan Wells before he entered the water would be the crux of the matter." Verified

Dr. Staci Turner

Chief Medical Examiner, State of Mississippi. Interim CME January 2021, officially named November 2021 by Public Safety Commissioner Sean Tindell. Education: University of Kentucky (MD and pathology residency); forensic pathology fellowship, Southwestern Institute of Forensic Sciences (Dallas). Verified (AP, WLOX)

Wells autopsy (July 7, 2026): Performed the state autopsy of Nolan Wells; the report was completed July 30–31 and remains sealed pending grand jury review. Her office retained the anterior neck structures — trachea, hyoid bone, thyroid horn, laryngeal cartilage — which were not sent with the body for the independent autopsy. Verified (Mississippi DPS, Clarion Ledger)

Prior case — Damien Cameron (2021): Turner documented internal bleeding in the neck of Cameron, a Black man who died after Rankin County deputies repeatedly tasered him and pressed a knee into his back, but ruled the cause of death "undetermined." Three national pathologists later told The New York Times and Mississippi Today the death should have been ruled a homicide; a grand jury declined to indict, relying in part on Turner's finding. Verified (New York Times, Mississippi Free Press, Mississippi Today)

Analysis The Cameron case and the Wells case share a structural feature: physical findings around the neck, paired with an official ruling that downplays or withholds them. Whether that pattern reflects incomplete examination, institutional pressure, or something else is not established and is not asserted here.