July 4 boat trip, an 18-year-old's death and a family's search for answers in the Deep South

A July 4 boat trip off Mississippi’s Gulf Coast ended with the death of an 18-year-old, and Nolan Xavier Wells’s family is seeking answers amid conflicting accounts. AP reports that Wells took a trip with friends to celebrate the Fourth of July on an island off the coast and did not return. Two days later, he was found dead. His parents say the circumstances surrounding his death remain a mystery, involving inconsistent stories, implausible explanations, and missing details. The case is also described as being shaped by Mississippi’s fraught racial history and by lingering distrust of law enforcement. The report does not provide details of the investigation’s findings or any charges.