Nolan Wells’ friend says he ‘beats himself up every night’ for leaving Horn Island before disappearance
TheGrio...
In a new interview, Tracestin Shepherd describes his final conversation with Wells and expresses remorse, as investigators continue examining the 18-year-old’s death.
Nolan Well’s friend Tracestin Shepherd says he blames himself for leaving Horn Island hours before Wells disappeared. Shepherd’s latest interview adds a new account to a case still marked by conflicting recollections and unanswered questions.
Shepherd spoke with conservative commentator Brandon Tatum in an interview uploaded to YouTube on July 25. He said he spent much of July 4 with Nolan and later left the island with his uncle after becoming involved in a fight with unrelated people. Shepherd’s interview with Tatum—who also recently spoke with another friend of Wells, Warren Hudson—follows an initial interview shared via “Good Morning America” on July 13.
“I beat myself up every night I lay down,” Shepherd said. He wondered whether staying could have changed what happened and suggested he might have persuaded Nolan to return to the mainland instead of remaining behind with a young woman.
Shepherd said the last thing he told Nolan was that he loved him and would see him later. After learning Nolan was missing, he said he joined the search, contacted the family, donated money and offered other support.
His description of their friendship differs from what Christine Wonsley and Elmore Wonsley told TheGrio in an earlier exclusive interview. Christine said neither parent had met Shepherd, he had never visited their home and calling him Nolan’s best friend or childhood friend was “a bit of a stretch.”
“We’ve never met him,” Christine said. She acknowledged that Nolan and Shepherd might have started spending time together in high school and said the family was not automatically dismissing everything he shared.
Christine also confirmed that Shepherd reached out to offer condolences. She urged him, and anyone else with relevant information, to speak with investigators and the family’s legal team.
Nolan’s family has rejected the claim that he voluntarily stayed on Horn Island after his group left. They have also questioned why the 18-year-old would choose to remain without his phone, which returned to the mainland and was later given to them.
Shepherd’s latest interview does not resolve those disputes. Shepherd’s account presents his remorse and version of Nolan’s final hours, while his parents’ comments provide important context about how they understood his relationship with their son.
Nolan’s body was found July 6, two days after he disappeared. Official and independent investigations remain ongoing.