A Fourth of July boat trip, the death of an 18-year-old, and a family’s search for answers in the Deep South0

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• July 11, 2026

NEW YORK — A week ago, 18-year-old Nolan Xavier Wells took a boat trip with friends to celebrate the Fourth of July on an island off the Mississippi Gulf Coast. He never returned. Two days later, he was found dead. What happened, Wells’ parents say, is a mystery rife with conflicting stories, implausible explanations and