Warren Hudson and Jax Pitalo traveled to Horn Island on Friday, August 7, 2026, accompanied by their legal representatives, in an effort to conduct their own examination of the Mississippi barrier island where their friend Nolan Wells died last month.
The visit proved emotionally difficult for the two teenagers, who were joined by attorneys J. Tyler Cox and Edward Andrew Paltzik. The group spent three hours on the island in what was characterized as a casual visit and learning expedition.
"The trip was tough for Warren and Jax because that's the last place they saw their best friend. A couple of times we had to pause and give them their space," Cox told TMZ.com.
Cox described the emotional toll the past month has taken on the young men, stating that they have been an "emotional wreck" and unable to properly grieve. "Nolan was a brother to them, and Nolan loved them. The boys have not been able to grieve," he told TMZ.com.
The purpose of the expedition was to show Paltzik a specific area of the island known as the "washing machine," where tides converging from multiple directions create a whirlpool effect. The attorneys sought to assess the water conditions and their potential role in the teenager's death.
Paltzik observed that Friday's conditions appeared similar to those present on the Fourth of July, when Nolan went missing. He described the water as murky, comparing its appearance to "chocolate milk," and concluded that the combination of tides, wind, and temperature rendered the waters "not swimmable" in his assessment, according to TMZ.com.
A third friend, Morgan Seymour, is also represented by Cox and Paltzik but did not participate in the island visit due to school responsibilities.
The three friends retained legal counsel after receiving threats and facing accusations suggesting potential involvement in Nolan's death. Warren's father, Benjamin, established a crowdfunding campaign to help cover the legal expenses for the trio.
Separately, Nolan Wells' parents have launched their own independent investigation into the circumstances surrounding their son's death, seeking to establish a complete understanding of what occurred on the barrier island.