“I never wanted to take away how close somebody else was with Nolan, but Nolan was my best friend,” Tracestin Shepherd said

One of Nolan Wells’ friends has spoken out about his final moments before Wells mysteriously disappeared amid a Fourth of July party on Mississippi’s Horn Island and was found dead two days later.

During an interview with conservative commentator Brandon Tatum that was uploaded on YouTube on Saturday, July 25, Tracestin Shepherd detailed his close friendship with Wells and the last time he saw him before his tragic death. (Wells, a college student and football player, was 18.)

“I never wanted to take away how close somebody else was with Nolan, but Nolan was my best friend. That was a guy I knew I could call at any point in time,” Shepherd said.

He said that though he didn’t ride out with Wells on a boat to the party, they soon met up in a large group — along with hundreds, if not thousands — of other people on the island: “I spent all day with them, minus the morning time before they got out there.”

Shepherd reiterated what he has said in previous interviews: that he left the island with his uncle on his own boat after he got involved in an altercation with unrelated people.

According to other friends at the party, Wells later chose to stay behind from his group, which his parents have called out of character and unusual.

Shepherd spoke about his guilt over how, if he hadn’t gotten into a fight and left, it could have potentially changed the trajectory of the night.

“I beat myself up every night I lay down. I beat myself up anytime it crosses my mind. Because in my head, if I wasn’t drinking, if I didn’t get into that altercation, maybe I would be able to do something. Maybe I would have known or saw something,” he said in the interview.

Shepherd said he may have been able to encourage Wells to join his friends in returning to the mainland, rather than allegedly staying back to meet a young woman.

“Maybe I would have told Nolan, ‘Hey, man, you’re not going with that girl. Just come back with us. We’re going back a little bit later. We can go meet up with the guys later.’ Maybe it just plays out different,” Shepherd said. (The young woman in these accounts has not spoken publicly, though Wells’ mom says they have spoken privately and the woman said she had only a brief encounter with Wells.)

Shepherd said Wells called him twice at 11 a.m. local time on July 4 to assist with boat parking, and he pointed out a spot and helped the group anchor the boat.

But after he got into a fight, Shepherd said he didn’t remain on the island for much longer.

“The last thing I told Nolan was, ‘All right, buddy. I love you. See you later.’ I’m glad I said it. I had been under the influence a little bit, and that’s probably why I did say it at the time, just, you know, getting all lovey-dovey. But I’m at peace. I said it,” he said.

Shepherd said he was informed about Wells’ disappearance after he had gone to bed.

He said his brother woke him up and he spoke with a mutual friend, Warren Hudson. Shepherd said he was asked if he had spoken to Wells recently, and he said he last saw him with “that girl.”

Shepherd said Hudson responded by saying the group was “starting to freak out” and was getting in touch with the Coast Guard. Shepherd also stated that Hudson had already contacted Wells’ mom.

The next morning, on July 5, Shepherd said a group went out to look for Wells. When they didn’t find him by the end of the search, he recalled, “I didn’t sleep at all.”

On July 6, Shepherd said he was planning another search when he was informed that Wells’ body was found.

“I wasn’t there to help him out in his last minutes. But now I feel like, as a friend and as one of my guys, man, I do everything in my power to help now. And that’s why I have reached out to the family. I have donated to the family and I have given them just your normal death gifts, I would say, as you pay your respects,” he said.

Shepherd, who has also spoken with Rolling Stone and ABC, said he has gotten death threats and racial hate messages from people online. Still, he explained that he doesn’t regret speaking out.

“I never wanted any attention, per se, famous attention. I don’t care about the negative side of it. I’m doing what I think is right,” he said.

“My sole purpose is to tell the truth and to clear up lies,” Shepherd added.

Hudson also spoke with YouTuber Tatum and directly addressed Wells leaving his phone behind on the night of his disappearance, saying it was normal for people to leave their phones on boats to protect them from the ocean.

Hudson added that he and his friends did not access the phone before returning it to Wells’ family after realizing he was missing.

However, Wells’ parents, Christine and Elmore Wonsley, found it strange that he left his phone on the boat after purportedly deciding to stay on the island without his friends.

Authorities initially said they didn’t see signs of foul play and thought Wells could’ve drowned, though his family has called it a rush to judgment. They also said they worry race could be a factor. (An official and independent investigation are currently ongoing.)

“What teenager would leave their phone behind if they’re going to stay on this island?” the family’s attorney, Ben Crump, has said. “What teenager wouldn’t take their phone?”