Grand jury declines to file charges in death of Mississippi teen Nolan Wells

A Mississippi grand jury concluded there was not enough evidence to bring criminal charges in the death of 18-year-old Nolan Wells, who was found dead on Horn Island after a July 4 celebration. District Attorney Angel Myers McIlrath announced the “no true bill” in a video message and posted a partially redacted copy of the grand jury report on the office’s Facebook page.

The report, based on 132 subpoenas and testimony from 43 witnesses, stated that investigators found no credible evidence of criminal conduct by anyone who traveled to or from the island on July 4. It noted that the location and condition of Wells’s body were consistent with drowning and that there was no indication of a physical altercation.

“There is absolutely no evidence to support the allegations that Nolan’s disappearance and death were racially motivated,” McIlrath said.

Civil-rights lawyer Ben Crump, who represents the family, disputed the findings, saying the autopsy revealed bruises and blunt-force injuries and that the cause of death remains undetermined. He called for continued investigation.

“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.

State medical officials also listed the manner of death as undetermined, noting that drowning is a diagnosis of exclusion but not ruled out. Wells’s funeral on July 20 drew hundreds of mourners.