{"id":254170,"date":"2026-07-28T15:01:19","date_gmt":"2026-07-28T15:01:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/2026\/07\/28\/nolan-wells-was-drinking-heavily-before-tragic-death-friends-say\/"},"modified":"2026-07-28T15:01:19","modified_gmt":"2026-07-28T15:01:19","slug":"nolan-wells-was-drinking-heavily-before-tragic-death-friends-say","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/2026\/07\/28\/nolan-wells-was-drinking-heavily-before-tragic-death-friends-say\/","title":{"rendered":"Nolan Wells Was &#8216;Drinking Heavily&#8217; Before Tragic Death, Friends Say"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<p><span class=\"span-reading-time rt-reading-time\" style=\"display: block;\"><span class=\"rt-label rt-prefix\">Reading Time: <\/span> <span class=\"rt-time\"> 2<\/span> <span class=\"rt-label rt-postfix\">minutes<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p>There has been a new update in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thehollywoodgossip.com\/2026\/07\/nolan-wells-mystery-woman-identified\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">the tragic case of Nolan Wells<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>The circumstances of the teenager\u2019s death remain shrouded in mystery.<\/p>\n<p>However, a claim that he was \u201cdrinking heavily\u201d has come to light.<\/p>\n<p>Does that tell us how he died?<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><noscript><\/noscript><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2026\/07\/0728_nolanwells_01-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"A memorial portrait of Nolan Wells in 2026.\" class=\"wp-image-559949 lazyload\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2026\/07\/0728_nolanwells_01-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2026\/07\/0728_nolanwells_01-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2026\/07\/0728_nolanwells_01-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2026\/07\/0728_nolanwells_01-2048x1366.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2026\/07\/0728_nolanwells_01-960x640.jpg 960w, https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2026\/07\/0728_nolanwells_01-1080x720.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2026\/07\/0728_nolanwells_01-1200x800.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 760px) calc(100vw - 20px), 720px\" data-pin-media=\"https:\/\/cdn.thehollywoodgossip.com\/uploads\/2026\/07\/0728_nolanwells_01-scaled.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\" data-trellis-processed=\"1\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">People listen as attorney Ben Crump holds a press conference with Elmore Wonsley and Christine Wells-Wonsley, the parents of Nolan Wells, on July 22, 2026.<span class=\"image-caption-credit\"> (Photo Credit: Scott Olson\/Getty Images)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-drinking-heavily-with-friends\">\u2018Drinking heavily with friends\u2019<\/h2>\n<p>18-year-old Wells vanished after partying with friends on July 4, 2026.<\/p>\n<p>He was later found face-down, still in his swim trunks. <\/p>\n<p>After two days in this state on the beach, his identity was confirmed with dental records.<\/p>\n<p>Now, <a href=\"https:\/\/abcnews.com\/US\/witnesses-told-authorities-nolan-wells-heavy-alcohol-intake\/story?id=135133934\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">ABC News<\/a> reports that witnesses told investigators that Wells was \u201cdrinking heavily with friends\u201d during the fateful trip to Horn Island.<\/p>\n<p>What does that tell us?<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<div class=\"thg-ytf\" data-ytid=\"SD3CiNvnepo\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i.ytimg.com\/vi\/SD3CiNvnepo\/hqdefault.jpg\" alt=\"New details released in the death of Nolan Wells\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"480\" height=\"360\"\/><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i.ytimg.com\/vi\/SD3CiNvnepo\/hqdefault.jpg\" alt=\"New details released in the death of Nolan Wells\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"480\" height=\"360\" class=\"lazyload\" data-trellis-processed=\"1\"\/><button type=\"button\" aria-label=\"Play video: New details released in the death of Nolan Wells\"><svg viewbox=\"0 0 68 48\" width=\"68\" height=\"48\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><path d=\"M66.5 7.7a8 8 0 0 0-5.6-5.7C56 .7 34 .7 34 .7s-22 0-26.9 1.3A8 8 0 0 0 1.5 7.7 83 83 0 0 0 .2 24a83 83 0 0 0 1.3 16.3 8 8 0 0 0 5.6 5.7C12 47.3 34 47.3 34 47.3s22 0 26.9-1.3a8 8 0 0 0 5.6-5.7A83 83 0 0 0 67.8 24a83 83 0 0 0-1.3-16.3z\" fill=\"#f00\"\/><path d=\"M27 34l18-10-18-10z\" fill=\"#fff\"\/><\/svg><\/button><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p>From the start, investigators have suspected that Wells may have died by drowning.<\/p>\n<p>(He was found in swim trunks and along the beach.)<\/p>\n<p>It is more likely for someone who has been drinking heavily, as Wells allegedly was, to drown accidentally.<\/p>\n<p>Certainly, it is a preferable answer to someone having been struck hard enough to render them unconscious in the water or physically held underwater.<\/p>\n<p>Those images of a homicide \u2014 deliberate or accidental \u2014 have plagued Wells\u2019 loved ones and the general public since news first broke of his death. Is the case now over?<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<div class=\"thg-ytf\" data-ytid=\"tVvK2SbuAcE\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i.ytimg.com\/vi\/tVvK2SbuAcE\/hqdefault.jpg\" alt=\"Attorney Ben Crump announces preliminary findings in independent autopsy of Nolan Wells: LIVE\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"480\" height=\"360\"\/><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i.ytimg.com\/vi\/tVvK2SbuAcE\/hqdefault.jpg\" alt=\"Attorney Ben Crump announces preliminary findings in independent autopsy of Nolan Wells: LIVE\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"480\" height=\"360\" class=\"lazyload\" data-trellis-processed=\"1\"\/><button type=\"button\" aria-label=\"Play video: Attorney Ben Crump announces preliminary findings in independent autopsy of Nolan Wells: LIVE\"><svg viewbox=\"0 0 68 48\" width=\"68\" height=\"48\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><path d=\"M66.5 7.7a8 8 0 0 0-5.6-5.7C56 .7 34 .7 34 .7s-22 0-26.9 1.3A8 8 0 0 0 1.5 7.7 83 83 0 0 0 .2 24a83 83 0 0 0 1.3 16.3 8 8 0 0 0 5.6 5.7C12 47.3 34 47.3 34 47.3s22 0 26.9-1.3a8 8 0 0 0 5.6-5.7A83 83 0 0 0 67.8 24a83 83 0 0 0-1.3-16.3z\" fill=\"#f00\"\/><path d=\"M27 34l18-10-18-10z\" fill=\"#fff\"\/><\/svg><\/button><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-we-need-to-wait-for-the-toxicology-report-among-other-things\">We need to wait for the toxicology report (among other things)<\/h2>\n<p>Obviously not.<\/p>\n<p>For one thing, friends reporting that Wells was \u201cdrinking heavily\u201d \u2014 those precise words coming by way of what searchers were informed when given a description of Wells on July 5 \u2014 doesn\u2019t really tell us much.<\/p>\n<p>Alcohol consumption impairs judgment and can cause someone to collapse.<\/p>\n<p>A sufficiently intoxicated victim could certainly have accidentally slipped and fallen and been brought in by the tide. They could also have fallen asleep in the sand and been overtaken by high tide.<\/p>\n<p>But we do not actually know how much alcohol may have been in Wells\u2019 system when he died.<\/p>\n<p>The Medical Examiner\u2019s Office\u2019s toxicology tests will be part of the official autopsy results. And those are still pending.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<div class=\"thg-ytf\" data-ytid=\"Ek0zYBk6NQQ\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i.ytimg.com\/vi\/Ek0zYBk6NQQ\/hqdefault.jpg\" alt=\"Bombshell Nolan Wells Emergency Call Audio RELEASED | TMZ\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"480\" height=\"360\"\/><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i.ytimg.com\/vi\/Ek0zYBk6NQQ\/hqdefault.jpg\" alt=\"Bombshell Nolan Wells Emergency Call Audio RELEASED | TMZ\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"480\" height=\"360\" class=\"lazyload\" data-trellis-processed=\"1\"\/><button type=\"button\" aria-label=\"Play video: Bombshell Nolan Wells Emergency Call Audio RELEASED | TMZ\"><svg viewbox=\"0 0 68 48\" width=\"68\" height=\"48\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><path d=\"M66.5 7.7a8 8 0 0 0-5.6-5.7C56 .7 34 .7 34 .7s-22 0-26.9 1.3A8 8 0 0 0 1.5 7.7 83 83 0 0 0 .2 24a83 83 0 0 0 1.3 16.3 8 8 0 0 0 5.6 5.7C12 47.3 34 47.3 34 47.3s22 0 26.9-1.3a8 8 0 0 0 5.6-5.7A83 83 0 0 0 67.8 24a83 83 0 0 0-1.3-16.3z\" fill=\"#f00\"\/><path d=\"M27 34l18-10-18-10z\" fill=\"#fff\"\/><\/svg><\/button><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p>Mississippi authorities have believed that Wells drowned.<\/p>\n<p>His family wants real answers. And so does the broader community. <\/p>\n<p>A young Black man\u2019s mysterious death is, too often in the history of our nation, not an accident. Everyone wants to be sure.<\/p>\n<p>Even if Wells was drinking, that would potentially make it <em>easier<\/em> for an unknown adversary to surprise or overpower him, such as by striking him on the back of the head.<\/p>\n<p>Whatever happened, Wells\u2019 family deserves the truth. They deserve closure so that they can grieve in peace.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thehollywoodgossip.com\/2026\/07\/nolan-wells-reportedly-drinking-before-death\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Reading Time: 2 minutes There has been a new update in the tragic case of Nolan Wells. The circumstances of the teenager\u2019s death remain shrouded in mystery. However, a claim that he was \u201cdrinking heavily\u201d has come to light. Does that tell us how he died? People listen as attorney Ben Crump holds a press [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":254171,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-254170","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-hollywood"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/254170","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=254170"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/254170\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/254171"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=254170"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=254170"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=254170"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}