Nolan Wells’ Friend Contradicts Family’s Claim About Viral Video Before His Death and Says, ‘We Did No Wrong Here’

Tracestin Shepherd is sharing his account of Wells’ mysterious final hours, defending himself and the others on the Fourth of July trip in Mississippi

One of the friends who says he was with Nolan Wells during a Fourth of July trip to Mississippi’s Horn Island before the teen was found dead is now speaking out about some of what he saw — as Wells’ family has called for answers about what happened.

In an interview that aired Monday, July 13, on Good Morning America, Tracestin Shepherd told ABC News that he and the other young people who were on the trip have been devastated by Wells’ death while also facing intense public scrutiny in the days since.

“I just know I lost my best friend,” Shepherd said.

The interview comes as authorities continue investigating. Wells, an 18-year-old football player, appeared to vanish from Horn Island after heading there with a group of friends for a bustling celebration on July 4.

His body was found in the water near the island’s northwest end two days later.

While law enforcement has said they believe Wells may have drowned and have not found evidence of foul play, they are still awaiting autopsy results and continuing to review evidence, including videos and witness statements. Wells’ family is doing their own independent probe and autopsy.

Jackson County Sheriff John Ledbetter previously told ABC News that Shepherd and the other teens who were on the trip have cooperated with investigators.

In his interview on GMA, Shepherd declined to appear on camera, saying he and his friends have received threats online.

“We did no wrong here and we don’t understand how we’re getting so much hate behind us,” he said. “We all cared and loved Nolan, and nobody wanted to see Nolan die. Nobody wanted to see his life be taken so short.”

In a separate interview, Shepherd also told Rolling Stone that he decided to go public after giving officials his account of what happened because he wanted to push back on the rampant speculation surrounding the case.

Rolling Stone said two others corroborated Shepherd’s account; his uncle also spoke with ABC News.

“I’m tired of speculation, of not being able to talk, it’s time for somebody to start speaking up,” Shepherd told Rolling Stone in an interview published on Sunday, July 12. “I’m not just hurting because of Nolan, I’m also hurting because I call my friends and you can hear it in their voice that they’re terrified of what these people will do to them. It’s gone completely way too far.”

Both interviews addressed a viral video that the Wells family’s attorney previously indicated captured their son during a confrontation before his disappearance.

Shepherd corrected that, saying on GMA that a voice heard shouting in the clip belongs to him. “That’s me yelling,” he said.

He also gave the same account to Rolling Stone, telling the magazine that Wells was not shown in the video.

Turning to the group’s final hours with Wells, Shepherd said on GMA that the teen remained on Horn Island after meeting a young woman earlier that day while the others returned to the mainland by boat.

“They met that day and it’s kind of one of those things,” Shepherd said. “He did come off that day that he really did like her, but that was the only time they ever hung out was at Horn Island on July 4.”

His comments echo what Ledbetter has previously said investigators were told by witnesses: that Wells chose to stay behind with the expectation of returning later with another group.

However, Wells’ family has questioned that account. During an interview on GMA last week, His parents, Christine and Elmore Wonsley, said they could not understand why their son would have voluntarily separated from his friends, saying he had always been taught to stay with the group.

They’ve also wondered what happened to Wells’ cellphone amid his disappearance.

Christine told GMA that his phone was recovered after a friend tracked it using an app and its location history appeared inconsistent with what friends had reported seeing through Snapchat.

In Monday’s report, ABC News noted that investigators have requested the cellphone but have not yet received it from the family.

The Wells’ attorney, Ben Crump, told the network they intend to turn it over.

Shepherd said, according to ABC, that Wells had left his phone in a boat, along with many others, because he would be spending so much time in the ocean.

Shepherd said on GMA that he hopes attention will return to remembering the “sweet” friend he lost.

“I get that everybody wants justice for Nolan,” he told Rolling Stone through tears. “Everybody wants to know exactly what happened. Will we ever know?”

“I want everybody just to relax, and let everybody mourn the loss of Nolan,” Shepherd insisted on GMA, adding, “I think everybody needs to let the investigation continue and let the facts be shown.”