Friend with Nolan Wells at July 4 Party Shares His Side, Says He Beats Himself Up 'Every Night' About Leaving

Tracestin Shepherd, a friend of 18-year-old Nolan Wells, described Wells’ final moments after the college student and football player disappeared during a Fourth of July party on Mississippi’s Horn Island and was found dead two days later. In a YouTube interview uploaded Saturday, July 25, Shepherd said he and Wells were close and that the last time he saw him was after the two met up with a large group on the island, following Shepherd leaving the island earlier with his uncle on his own boat. Shepherd said he was involved in an altercation with unrelated people, which led to him leaving. He also described guilt over not staying, and said Wells called him twice at 11 a.m. local time on July 4 to help with boat parking. Shepherd said he learned of the disappearance after going to bed.