One of Nolan Wells’ closest friends is denying allegations that anyone deleted content from the 18-year-old’s cellphone before he was found dead after a Fourth of July boating trip, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
Warren Hudson broke his silence in a new interview, insisting “no one touched” Wells’ phone and claiming there was “nothing to hide.”
Hudson pushed back on speculation that he or anyone else in the group accessed Wells’ phone after the teen was last seen alive on Horn Island.
“There was no reason for us to get on Nolan’s phone,” Hudson said during an interview on The Officer Tatum. “No one touched Nolan’s phone.”
He continued: “If none of us had touched Nolan’s phone, then y’know there’s no reason for anything to be deleted.”
“No one even was in contact with his phone until it was moved from the boat to the truck, and none of us have access to Nolan’s password to get on his phone and delete anything,” he said. “We had no reason to delete anything. There’s nothing to hide here.”
Hudson’s comments come after attorney Ben Crump, who is representing the Wells family, alleged the teen’s friends had possession of his phone after leaving Horn Island.
Crump has claimed the device contained a video showing Wells arguing with another individual aboard the boat before he disappeared.
He also alleged that when the phone was eventually returned to the family, messages had been deleted.
Hudson disputed that account, explaining many people at the Fourth of July gathering left their phones on the boat while they spent time on the island.
According to Hudson, Wells’ phone was placed in his truck after the group departed and returned to Wells’ mother later that evening.
“The only time anybody came in contact with the phone was moving it from the boat to my truck,” Hudson said, reiterating that no one attempted to access or alter the device.
He also recalled last seeing Wells around 3 p.m. on July 4, adding that “dozens of boats” remained anchored around Horn Island when his group left.
Hudson also addressed accusations circulating online about his involvement in Wells’ death after host Brandon Tatum bluntly asked whether he was responsible.
“Absolutely not,” Hudson replied.
The 18-year-old went on to explain why he stayed away from Wells’ funeral despite describing him as “one of my best friends.”
“It breaks my heart that I can’t go. And it hurts me more than anything because I want to say my last goodbye to one of my best friends,” Hudson said.
“But if I’m getting crazy death threats of people saying they’re going to kill me and do crazy things to my family, I just couldn’t bring myself to go,” he continued. “I’ve got to put my own safety first, even if that means missing my friend’s funeral.”
“It’s horrible and I wish I could’ve been there, but that’s what’s been going on,” Hudson added.
Hudson’s mother, Chancery Court Judge Ashlee Cole, has also publicly defended her son, previously saying he last saw Wells around 3 p.m. before the group left Horn Island because of a mechanical issue with their boat.
Cole said her family has known Wells’ relatives for years and that her son “loved Nolan dearly.”
She later revealed her family had also received death threats and said they would refrain from speaking publicly, though they remained willing to meet privately with Wells’ family or Crump.