Current Events

Evidence apparently shows Nolan Wells was still on Horn Island when his friends' boat left ... TMZ has learned.

Sources with direct knowledge of the investigation claim authorities have evidence of Nolan being on the Mississippi barrier island after the boat departed on the Fourth of July ... which would be a huge development.

We're told at least two witnesses who were interviewed by law enforcement say they saw Nolan on the island after the boat headed back to the mainland.

Michelle Hadley spent 88 days in jail for a twisted stalking plot she had nothing to do with ... and now we know how much money was shelled out to her over the massive screw-up.

Here's the deal ... Michelle is the focus of a new Netflix documentary, "A Toxic Love Story," about a 2016 cyberstalking case out of Anaheim ... where she was tossed into the clink after her ex-boyfriend, Ian Diaz, and his fiancée, Angela Connell, framed her for outlandish crimes ... such as trying to arrange for Angela to get raped via a Craigslist ad.

Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ … Michelle settled with Anaheim police for $1.8 million back in 2021 ... after she sued the city for what the doc shows was sloppy, rushed police work -- all because Ian used his influence as a U.S. Marshal at the time.

A food vendor was captured on video running to safety after shots rang out at a Seattle food festival, claiming the lives of three people and leaving four others injured, including a 2-year-old child, according to police.

Cops say the bullets started flying Sunday night at the Bite of Seattle, a 3-day annual food festival held at the Seattle Center just a block away from the famous Space Needle.

In the video posted to X, the vendor kicks things off by giving his pitch to people to come buy his Hawaiian honeycomb treats, but before long, you can hear gunshots in the background followed by terrified people ducking for cover.

A floating restaurant and bar that's become a favorite stop for locals and celebrities alike was engulfed in flames on a New Hampshire lake ... and the dramatic scene was caught on camera.

According to local outlets in Boston, firefighters rushed to Lake Winnipesaukee in Alton after receiving reports that The Dive, a floating restaurant and bar, had caught fire.

Dramatic video from the scene shows thick black smoke billowing into the sky as flames tore through the vessel while firefighters battled the blaze from fire boats on the water.

Nolan Wells' best friend says he didn't understand the initial panic of others searching for him ... because he just assumed he'd passed out on someone's couch.

Warren Hudson laid out the hours after Nolan's disappearance during an interview on "The Officer Tatum Show" ... revealing one of his pals with whom he had returned from Horn Island got an agitated phone call around 12:30 AM on July 5 -- hours after they'd last seen Nolan.

About 30 minutes later, Warren says a group of 10 people or so slammed open the door to the house where they were staying ... clearly freaking out after not having heard from Nolan.

Nolan Wells' best friend says he skipped his pal's funeral for multiple reasons ... including multiple threats he says he's received in recent days.

Warren Hudson opened up about the difficult decision to stay away from Nolan's service during an interview on "The Officer Tatum Show" ... revealing he chose to skip it first and foremost to not distract from the event's focus on Nolan and his grieving family.

He then adds that he worried about going to such a public gathering, too ... saying he's received thousands of death threats -- and he didn't want to put himself or his family in danger.

Nolan Wells' best friend stresses that he, unquestionably, didn't kill the teen ... or have anything to do with his death.

Brandon Tatum asked Nolan's buddy Warren Hudson point-blank if he was responsible for the teen's tragic, mysterious death ... and he said no. Full stop.

Warren also denied deleting anything off Nolan's phone, after his parents raised concerns that messages had been wiped.

Nolan Wells' friend seemed panicked when the boat they were on started taking on water ... struggling to answer a tow service dispatcher's basic questions in newly released audio.

The call -- which was placed to Sea Tow, not 911 -- begins with the dispatcher asking what the issue is. The boat's operator says the boat is sinking and the bilge pump isn't working.

The dispatcher asks for membership information, which the boat's operator doesn't seem to have or know ... before he gives the dispatcher GPS coordinates.

10:09 AM PT -- TMZ obtained audio from an emergency call where one of Nolan's friends claimed their boat was sinking ... and they sounded panicked.

The viral photo suggesting Nolan Wells made it back to mainland Mississippi on the Fourth of July was actually snapped a week prior ... at least according to his best friend.

Warren Hudson sets the record straight on the viral photo in his interview on "The Officer Tatum Show" ... saying the photo showing Nolan in a pool with a large group of people was taken exactly one week earlier on June 27.

The photo was posted on social media on July 5 ... after Nolan was reported missing ... and before his body washed up on Horn Island, near where he was last seen alive.

Warren says the pool party went down at a friend's house in Pass Christian.

Nolan Wells' friends say he hung back on Horn Island with a girl when they left in their boat ... but the girl is apparently telling a different story.

19-year-old Katie McCormack spent time with Nolan on the island before his disappearance and death, according to the Daily Mail ... and Nolan's friend, Warren Hudson, says their group was frantically rushing off the island as their vessel took on water ... claiming Nolan refused to leave Katie and join them on their journey back to the Mississippi mainland.

Thing is ... Katie's sister, Gracie, told the Daily Mail ... "Katie had a conversation and assumed that Nolan was getting ready to get on the boat he came out on."

Katie's sister added ... "Katie assumed the 'friends' telling him to get on the boat wouldn't have left him."

Nolan Wells' best friend says Horn Island is a fun place to anchor with friends, but it's also a "very, very dangerous" place ... and he knows other people who died there before Nolan.

Warren Hudson sat down with YouTuber Brandon Tatum this week and explained why he alerted the Coast Guard after realizing Nolan never made it back from Horn Island.

Warren says it was late at night on July 4 and he hadn't heard from Nolan, so he called up Nolan's mom, Christine, who confirmed she hadn't heard from her son either. He says he then called the Coast Guard.

He says he's known other people who have died on boat trips ... and he worried something bad might have happened to Nolan.

A seaplane carrying 11 people crashed in the Puget Sound area near Seattle ... and everyone survived the flaming wreck ... which sounds like a miracle once you see the crash video.

Kenmore Air says the aircraft -- a de Havilland DHC-3 Otter -- made an emergency landing Thursday near Shallow Bay in the San Juan Islands ... and new footage shows the fiery wreckage.

There were 11 people on board -- 10 passengers and a pilot -- and everyone is alive ... though one is said to be in critical condition.

Kenmore Air says all 11 were transported to local hospitals ... and law enforcement says injuries ranged from head injuries to broken bones and cuts.

Nolan Wells' mother wants to see photos of his body taken during the search and rescue effort ... and she wants to see them in person.

Sources familiar with the situation tell TMZ ... Christine Wonsley has taken the United Cajun Navy up on its offer to view the photos of his body lying face down on the Horn Island shoreline.

As you know ... United Cajun Navy vice president Brian Trascher told our own Charlie Neff he has photos of Nolan snapped from 400 feet in the air ... showing the body and the police response.

Brian was in a helicopter searching for Nolan on July 6 when he snapped the photos. He says he didn't know Nolan's body was in the photos at the time.

A private investigator connected to D4vd's case was kicked out of the courtroom during the preliminary hearing ... and apparently it's because he might end up being a witness in the potential murder trial.

Here's the deal ... the private eye was booted from the courtroom Thursday after prosecutor Beth Silverman pointed out to the judge that he was present during grand jury testimony -- and could be called as a potential witness somewhere down the line.

Potential witnesses -- besides alleged victims like Celeste Rivas' family -- are barred from the preliminary hearing ... so the judge ruled this dude had to go.

Nolan Wells' self-described best friend is sharing footage of a large group of young people gathering on his boat dock, preparing for their fateful trip to Horn Island ... the morning before Nolan vanished.

Nolan's friend, Warren Hudson, invited YouTuber Brandon Tatum over to his Mississippi house ... where Nolan allegedly boarded a boat and headed out to Horn Island on the Fourth of July.

Tatum pans the camera around the dock ... and later shows surveillance footage from the morning of July 4 ... showing nearly two dozen folks milling around three boats, preparing to head out to the island.

Nolan is not specifically pointed out in the video, but Tatum says he was amongst the group of young folks who boarded the three boats.