The family of Nolan Wells has taken another legal step in the investigation into the 18-year-old college football player’s death by issuing subpoenas to several major social media companies. The requests seek account information and digital records from platforms Nolan used before his death. The move comes after his family raised concerns that photos and videos were missing from his Snapchat accounts when his phone was returned, prompting questions about whether any content had been removed. The investigation into Wells’ death remains ongoing, and no conclusions have been announced by authorities.
Nolan Wells’ family hits social media giants with subpoenas as questions remain over phone data
According to court documents obtained by the Sun Herald, subpoenas were issued on Tuesday to Snapchat, WhatsApp, TikTok, Meta Platforms, and the location-sharing app Life360.The family is asking the companies to preserve and provide information connected to Wells’ accounts. The requests include current and previous usernames, email addresses, phone numbers, display names, IP addresses, and communications such as chats, stories, posts, and other account records.The subpoenas are part of the family’s effort to better understand Nolan’s final movements and any activity linked to his digital accounts before his death.Nolan’s phone has become an important part of the investigation. His mother, Christine Wonsley, has said the family became concerned after the device was returned because they found no photos or videos on his two Snapchat accounts. She described the situation as “suspicious” and said it raised fears that content may have been deleted.At this stage, investigators have not publicly confirmed whether any data was removed from the phone or whether the missing content is connected to the investigation.The subpoenas were filed by Mississippi attorney Gary Bufkin, who is working with civil rights attorney Ben Crump as part of the family’s independent investigation into Wells’ death.
Nolan Wells’ friend denies deleting anything from football player’s phone
Nolan Wells disappeared after traveling by boat to Horn Island, off the Mississippi Gulf Coast, with friends on the Fourth of July. According to investigators, his friends told authorities they left him behind because he wanted to speak with a woman before finding another ride back. His body was discovered in the water two days later.As questions about Wells’ phone continued, his friend Warren Hudson, who was on the trip, denied that anyone in the group accessed the device.“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 during an interview with YouTuber The Officer Tatum.He also said nobody in the group knew Wells’ phone password.“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,” Hudson said.“We had no reason to delete anything… There’s nothing to hide here.”Authorities have not publicly accused anyone of deleting information from Wells’ phone, and no evidence has been released showing that any person intentionally removed content from the device. The criminal investigation remains active, and officials have not announced any findings regarding the phone or the circumstances surrounding Wells’ death.
