‘Absolutely Devastated’: Family Identifies Body Found Near Mississippi Lake as Nolan Wells as Search for ‘Special Soul’ Ends in Heartbreak

The family of a missing teenager is asking for privacy as they wait to find out if a body found in a Mississippi lake is their loved one.

Nolan Xavier Wells, 18, disappeared while celebrating the Fourth of July in Horn Island, Mississippi.

Jackson County Sheriff John Ledbetter confirmed to WLOX-TV that a park ranger found a body Monday morning. The description allegedly matched Wells, WLOX reported.

County Coroner Bruce Lynd told the local station that DNA testing will officially confirm the identity, but “there is no reason to believe it is not him.”

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Family Tries to Cope

Wells’ grandfather, Christopher Wells Sr., posted a brief statement on Facebook an hour after authorities confirmed a body was found.

“My daughter Christine and her husband Elmore prayed for a positive outcome, but they also had to prepare themselves for the worst now that my grandson has been found; it’s time for answers,” Wells Sr. wrote. “But be mindful they need space and need to grieve; there has been enough finger-pointing; let law enforcement do their job.”

Christine Wonsley, Wells’ mother, posted a thank-you to all the organizations that helped search for her son.

“His father, our family friends and I are absolutely devastated,” she wrote on Facebook. “My heart is broken for my sweet son, who was always willing to cheer and uplift others. Nolan was a special soul. God took his time creating our son.”

The United Cajun Navy was also on hand to assist in the investigation.

“He was last talking to a girl on that north end; he went out to Horn Island with some buddies yesterday on a boat, and he has not been heard from in close to 24 hours,” Incident Commander Josh Gill said in a video on Facebook.

Aviation teams were also coordinating closely with surface vessels, as they searched the ground and water for Nolan.

Atlanta Black Star reached out to the sheriff’s office and the family for more information but hasn’t received a response.

Wells played football at Ocean Springs High School and is a wide receiver at Southwest Mississippi Community College.