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An Alabama man has become the fifth person charged in federal court with making threats related to Nolan Xavier Wells’ death investigation.
Claude Henry Bates Jr., 41, of Montomery is accused of sending death and bomb threats to the Jackson County sheriff’s and coroner’s offices on Sept. 25 — days after a Jackson County grand jury declined to indict anyone in the death of Wells, according to court records. The 18-year-old’s body was found on July 6 on Horn Island.
Also, after weeks of threatened lawsuits over alleged defamation, three friends who were with Wells on Horn Island on July 4 filed a complaint Monday in federal court against former NFL Hall of Famer Terrell Owens.
In a Sept. 26 post on X, Owens shared an Instagram video featuring Wells’ friends Warren Hudson, Jax Pitalo and Morgan Seymour that suggested they deleted evidence from Wells’ phone after he died. Owens added the message: “Arrest them immediately!!! Like yesterday” in all capital letters.
A day earlier, the legal team representing Wells’ family held a press conference with Andrew Garrett, the forensic expert whose company was hired to inspect Wells’ phone. Garrett said that Snapchat messages were deleted off the phone but later clarified that other users can delete or recall messages. He added that other people did not unlock Wells’ phone after he last used it.
The friends denied the allegation in the lawsuit, filed in the Southern District of Mississippi. The lawsuit represents one side of a legal argument.
“Nolan Wells’ accident death at the Island was indeed a tragedy beyond measure. However, Warren, Jax, and Morgan played no role whatsoever in Nolan’s tragic death. Any accusations or suggestions that they murder their dear friend or took steps to cover up his murder are categorically false and now an intentional lie,” the complaint reads.
Owens attended Wells’ funeral and contributed $25,000 in reward money for information that would lead to an arrest or conviction in the case.
He was not immediately available for comment Wednesday.
Attorneys representing the friends previously said they plan to sue other public figures who they say have defamed them, including the Rev. Al Sharpton and “The View” co-host Sunny Hostin.
