Nolan Xavier Wells, an 18-year-old college football player from Mississippi, went to Horn Island with friends on July 4 for a holiday boating trip. He never returned with the group.

According to GPS data obtained by CBS News, the boat carrying Nolan arrived at Horn Island at about 11:14 a.m. and later departed the island at approximately 4:31 p.m. Nolan was not aboard when the boat left.

Authorities said friends reported that Nolan had chosen to remain on the island. His family, however, has strongly disputed that explanation, saying it was out of character for him to separate from the group and remain behind alone.

Nolan was reported missing that evening, and a search involving multiple agencies followed. His body was found on July 6 near Horn Island, two days after he had gone to the island. Dental records later confirmed his idenтιтy.

The circumstances surrounding his d#ath have continued to draw questions. Authorities initially said they believed Nolan may have drowned and did not suspect foul play, while emphasizing that investigators were working to determine exactly what happened.

Nolan’s family commissioned an independent investigation and autopsy as they sought additional answers. More recently, The New Yorker reported that both the official and independent autopsies listed the cause of d#ath as undetermined, while the family’s experts raised questions about injuries and data from Nolan’s phone.

The case was presented to a Jackson County grand jury in September. The grand jury returned a “no true bill,” meaning no criminal indictment was issued at that time. The decision has not ended the family’s search for answers.

Nolan’s parents have continued to question the circumstances of his disappearance and have called for a thorough and transparent investigation.

For a family still searching for an explanation, the central question remains painfully simple: What happened to Nolan Wells after the boat left Horn Island?

Source: CBS News, AP, WLOX, The New Yorker