Family and civil-rights lawyer demand further investigation after Mississippi grand jury declines charges in teen's death
Nolan Wells' parents and attorney Ben Crump said the state should continue probing the July 4 death of the 18-year-old, after a grand jury found insufficient evidence to bring charges.
The parents of Nolan Wells and civil-rights attorney Ben Crump held a news conference Tuesday, urging Mississippi officials to keep investigating the teenager’s July 4 death on Horn Island. The conference followed a statement from Jackson County District Attorney Angel Myers McIlrath that a state grand jury returned a “no true bill,” indicating it found no basis for criminal charges.
"This grand jury result leaves us with more questions than answers. Nolan’s family will not rest until we know what happened to him, and neither will we," Crump said.
Wells, 18, was last seen on the barrier-reef island after his friends left early because their boat was taking on water. He chose to stay, and his body was recovered on July 6. An independent autopsy commissioned by the family listed the cause of death as “undetermined” and noted two bruises on the back of his head, but did not identify how they occurred.
"To this day, not one person has explained how they got there," Crumble said.
District Attorney Myers McIlrath, in a video message, said the grand jury found no evidence of a racially motivated crime and that the circumstances of Wells’ disappearance were consistent with drowning. She also noted that the family’s own representatives had previously told her office that they found no evidence of a crime.
The state’s chief medical examiner and a forensic pathologist retained by the family also described the manner of death as undetermined, stating that drowning is a diagnosis of exclusion but not ruling it out entirely. Local experts said strong currents can sweep even strong swimmers away.
The coroner declined to release the full autopsy report, citing Mississippi law. Crumb and the Wells family plan another press conference in Orlando to discuss the teenager’s cellphone, which was recovered by friends who said Wells left it on the boat, a claim his parents dispute.
Rev. Al Sharpton said Mississippi’s history makes families wary of accepting unanswered questions about the death of a young Black person.
The case remains open, with the family and their legal team calling for a more thorough, transparent investigation.