Nolan Wells Update: Late Teen’s Cellphone to Be Examined After Questions Rise Over Deleted Content

Nolan Wells‘ cellphone is now center stage as the investigation into the 18-year-old’s mysterious death continues.

Nolan’s family lawyer, Benjamin Crump, held a press conference alongside Nolan’s parents, Christine and Elmore Wonsley, on Wednesday, July 15, per WLOX News, announcing that the teen’s phone will undergo a “mutual inspection” by authorities and an independent expert after suspicions were raised that content on the device had been deleted.

The announcement comes after Nolan failed to return from a Fourth of July weekend boat trip with friends to Horn Island off Mississippi’s Gulf Coast. His body was discovered two days later.

Though authorities believe Nolan may have drowned, his death and disappearance are still under investigation, Jackson County Sheriff John Ledbetter told People earlier this month. The medical examiner’s office also told the outlet that they cannot share details about the cause of death and wouldn’t speculate. Still, Nolan’s parents are launching their own investigation.

In an emotional sit-down with Michael Strahan on Good Morning America on Friday, July 10, Christine and Elmore said they’re still looking for answers to determine what exactly happened to their son in those final hours before his death, particularly when it comes to Nolan’s cellphone.

The phone was recovered by Christine’s friend after they tracked it using Life360, a popular GPS location-sharing app designed for families and friends. While tracking the device, however, Christine claimed the phone’s location history differed from what his friends and family were seeing on Snapchat.

She also said that when she and her sister searched Nolan’s two Snapchat accounts, they found no photos or videos from the trip, which seemed unusual to them, as they believed the outing was something he would’ve documented.

“It wasn’t even 24 hours, which is how long videos and pictures stay in Snapchat. And I was just like, ‘That can’t be,'” Christine recalled. “I’ve seen Nolan whenever he snaps. When he goes, and he’s having fun, he does videos. There was absolutely nothing. No saved videos. And even my sister was like, ‘That’s suspicious.'”

Crump, 56, who was also on hand for the family’s interview, told GMA that they are seeking a forensic analysis of Nolan’s phone after what he described as inconsistent witness accounts, including differing descriptions of what happened that night. Crump claims one friend told authorities that Nolan planned to return to the boat after speaking with a young woman, while another witness reportedly said Nolan intended to stay behind.

A viral video, shared by Crump, following Nolan’s disappearance, appears to show the teen asking for his phone before it later went missing.

“I don’t know any teenager who says, if you believe [his friends’] story, ‘I’m going to stay behind, and I’m going to leave my phone?'” Crump told Strahan, 54, on Friday. “No young person leaves their cell phone.”

As the family awaits an official cause of death, Crump told GMA that they are commissioning an independent autopsy, with former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick helping fund the examination, which is being conducted in Washington, D.C., and by an investigator with no ties to law enforcement in Mississippi.

Tyler Perry and Reverend Al Sharpton have also offered to help cover Nolan’s funeral expenses, per CBS News.

In a separate interview with ABC News, which aired on GMA on Friday morning, Ledbetter said he supports the family’s decision to pursue an independent investigation and stressed that his office is also working toward finding answers.