Private messages recovered from Nolan Wells cellphone show his friends reacting to his disappearance, discussing how to respond to police and addressing allegations of a cover-up after his body was found.

PEOPLE reported that a 292-page analysis conducted by digital forensics firm Garrett Discovery documented messages from 29 group chats on Wells’ phone, including conversations among friends who were with him on and around Horn Island, Mississippi, before his body was found on July 6.

At 11:59 a.m. on July 5, one person wrote, “There is def some sus s— going on.” Another questioned why Wells would leave his phone on a boat if he planned to leave the island with someone else.

As police began contacting people, friends discussed what to do if questioned. On July 6, one person advised asking for an attorney, while another urged the group to “just stick to what you know happened.”

Less than 30 minutes after a friend reported that Wells’ body had been found, another responded, “There’s no [expletive] way,” adding that Wells was “the best [expletive] person.”

The conversations later turned to online accusations that the group was covering up what happened. On July 14, one person suggested attending Wells’ funeral with their Black friends “to prove a statement for the media.”