The family of Nolan Wells has taken another legal step in the investigation into the 18-year-old college football playerâs death by issuing subpoenas to several major social media companies. The requests seek account information and digital records from platforms Nolan used before his death. The move comes after his family raised concerns that photos and videos were missing from his

Snapchat accounts when his phone was returned, prompting questions about whether any content had been removed. The investigation into Wellsâ death remains ongoing, and no conclusions have been announced by authorities.

Nolan Wellsâ family hits social media giants with subpoenas as questions remain over phone data

According to court documents obtained by the

Sun Herald, subpoenas were issued on Tuesday to Snapchat, WhatsApp, TikTok, Meta Platforms, and the location-sharing app Life360.

The family is asking the companies to preserve and provide information connected to Wellsâ accounts. The requests include current and previous usernames, email addresses, phone numbers, display names, IP addresses, and communications such as chats, stories, posts, and other account records.

The subpoenas are part of the familyâs effort to better understand Nolanâs final movements and any activity linked to his digital accounts before his death.

Nolanâs phone has become an important part of the investigation. His mother, Christine Wonsley, has said the family became concerned after the device was returned because they found no photos or videos on his two Snapchat accounts. She described the situation as âsuspiciousâ and said it raised fears that content may have been deleted.

At this stage, investigators have not publicly confirmed whether any data was removed from the phone or whether the missing content is connected to the investigation.

The subpoenas were filed by Mississippi attorney Gary Bufkin, who is working with civil rights attorney Ben Crump as part of the familyâs independent investigation into Wellsâ death.

Nolan Wellsâ friend denies deleting anything from football playerâs phone

Nolan Wells disappeared after traveling by boat to Horn Island, off the Mississippi Gulf Coast, with friends on the Fourth of July. According to investigators, his friends told authorities they left him behind because he wanted to speak with a woman before finding another ride back. His body was discovered in the water two days later.

As questions about Wellsâ phone continued, his friend Warren Hudson, who was on the trip, denied that anyone in the group accessed the device.

âThere was no reason for us to get on Nolanâs phone, no one touched Nolanâs phone⦠If none of us had touched Nolanâs phone, then yâknow thereâs no reason for anything to be deleted,â Hudson said during an interview with YouTuber The Officer Tatum.

He also said nobody in the group knew Wellsâ phone password.

âNo 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 Nolanâs password to get on his phone and delete anything,â Hudson said.

âWe had no reason to delete anything⦠Thereâs nothing to hide here.â

Authorities have not publicly accused anyone of deleting information from Wellsâ phone, and no evidence has been released showing that any person intentionally removed content from the device. The criminal investigation remains active, and officials have not announced any findings regarding the phone or the circumstances surrounding Wellsâ death.