United Cajun Navy releases report of its findings, new photos in Nolan Wells case

JACKSON COUNTY, Miss. (WLOX/Gray News) — The United Cajun Navy, which aided in the search for 18-year-old Nolan Wells, has released a 20-plus-page report of the information it has compiled so far in the case.

The group said its report includes information sent to them by the organization’s followers that included photos and screenshots of videos from Horn Island on July 4, annotations, GPS coordinates and social media statements.

Wells was found dead off the coast of Horn Island two days after disappearing during a Fourth of July boat outing, sparking questions as to how the 18-year-old died.

UCN Vice President Brian Trascher said the goal of releasing the report was to provide a “digestible” document that organized and extrapolated all the information the group has received up to this point.

“We made sure to disclaim that we couldn’t verify details or metadata about many of the images, and some of the claims are taken from screenshots posted on social media by people who claim to be there that day,” Trascher shared.

The report says it does “not determine criminal or civil responsibility.”

Trascher added, “The report is not meant to point fingers or draw conclusions. We were just hoping to add anything that might be relevant to the investigation as well as maintain the transparency that we are known for.”

The report highlights that many questions still remain in the case, including perhaps the most pressing: What happened between the last time Wells was seen and when the boat he went to the island on departed without him at 4:31 p.m.?

Trascher said the report has already been provided to the Jackson County District Attorney, the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office, and Wells’ parents, Christine and Elmore Wonsley.

UCN does not make these reports for every case.

Trascher said UCN compiled the same kind of information for the Nancy Guthrie case, but never produced a report because UCN was “turned down” by the Pima County Sheriff’s Office, which is investigating the case.

In the days after Wells’ death, his family hired attorney Ben Crump, whose team is conducting an independent investigation after they say “contradictions” in the case and a lack of information from investigators concern them.

Jackson County investigators initially said they suspected that Wells drowned, but they are still searching for answers and continuing the investigation.