A Mississippi grand jury has decided not to bring criminal charges in the death of Nolan Wells. The 18-year-old college football player disappeared on July 4 during a trip to Horn Island. Searchers found his body two days later.
Jackson County District Attorney Angel Myers McIlrath announced the decision this week. A 23-person grand jury heard from 43 witnesses. It reviewed physical evidence, cell phone video, digital records, police interviews and maps before reaching its conclusion.
Grand jury addresses cause of death
The medical examiner never officially ruled Wells’ death a drowning, and the cause and manner remain undetermined. Investigators said the location and condition of his body were consistent with drowning. They reached that conclusion largely through a process of elimination.
The panel also examined a bruise on the back of Wells’ head. It concluded the injury was not fatal. Witnesses said Wells remained active after slipping and falling earlier in the day.
Toxicology results showed no cocaine in his system and no evidence he had ever used the drug.
DA pushes back on racial allegations
McIlrath used her announcement to address claims that spread online after Wells’ death. She called a widely shared narrative false. That narrative claimed three white friends returned from the island without their Black friend.
McIlrath said investigators found no evidence to support the claim. Wells traveled to Horn Island with a large group of friends. He met up with others once there, according to the grand jury’s findings.
McIlrath said nothing in the investigation suggested Wells’ disappearance or death was racially motivated.
Family’s attorney says questions remain
Attorney Ben Crump, who represents the Wells family, said they are pushing back on the grand jury’s conclusions. He pointed to what he described as unresolved questions about injuries to Wells’ neck and back.
The family plans to release its own independent autopsy report. It is also renewing calls for the Department of Justice to conduct a federal review. Wells’ parents and their legal team will hold a news conference to respond publicly to the grand jury’s decision.
The case could still be revisited
Mississippi has no statute of limitations on homicide, meaning the case is not permanently closed. Prosecutors said they could bring the case back to a grand jury if credible new evidence of foul play emerges.
Wells was a football player at Southwest Mississippi Community College and grew up in Ocean Springs, Mississippi. His death drew national attention over the summer. It sparked both community grief and intense public debate about the circumstances surrounding it.
Source: The Breakfast Club, Power 105.1 FM
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