On July 4, Nolan Wells set out to celebrate Independence Day on a popular barrier island off Mississippi’s Gulf Coast.
In photos from the boat that day, the 18-year-old towers above his friends, his arm casually slung around their shoulders as he smiles for the camera.
But he also stands out for another reason: Wells appears to be the only Black man among the group.
Later that afternoon, when his friends returned to the dock, Wells was not with them. Hours later, his family reported him missing.
The Jackson County Sheriff’s Department launched a search that would soon end tragically when Wells’ body was recovered on the island Monday.
