Warren Hudson, who has described himself as Nolan Wells’ best friend and was with him on the Fourth of July boat trip to Horn Island, has spoken out about the family’s concerns that content may have been deleted from the teen’s phone.

Nolan, 18, disappeared after the outing on July 4 and was found dead in the water two days later. His mother, Christine Wonsley, previously said that when the phone was returned, there were no photos or videos from the day on his Snapchat accounts — something she found “suspicious” given her son’s habit of documenting his activities.

Friend’s Response
In an interview with YouTuber The Officer Tatum, Hudson insisted that no one in the group touched Nolan’s phone or deleted anything from it.

“There was no reason for us to get on Nolan’s phone, no one touched Nolan’s phone… If none of us had touched Nolan’s phone then y’know there’s no reason for anything to be deleted,” Hudson said. “No one even was in contact with his phone until it was moved from the boat to the truck, and none of us have access to Nolan’s password to get on his phone and delete anything.”

He added: “We had no reason to delete anything… There’s nothing to hide here.” When asked directly if he deleted content, Hudson replied, “No, of course not.”

Hudson has previously explained that the group left phones on the boat because they were in waist-deep water and that one friend repeatedly urged Nolan to get back on the boat when it began having mechanical issues. According to Hudson, Nolan declined and said he would return with someone else.

Case Status
An independent autopsy conducted for the family found the cause and manner of death undetermined pending further investigation. The pathologist noted a red discoloration on the back of Nolan’s head but said it was inconclusive due to decomposition.

The Jackson County Sheriff’s Office continues its investigation. Nolan was laid to rest in a large funeral attended by family, friends, and high-profile figures including Spike Lee and Terrell Owens. A $125,000 reward remains available for information leading to an arrest and conviction.

Attorney Ben Crump, representing the Wells family, has not publicly responded to Hudson’s latest comments.

Main Sources: New York Post and statements from Warren Hudson.