After a Mississippi grand jury determined that Nolan Wells’ death was deemed “consistent with drowning,” and found no evidence of a crime or racial motivations involved, an attorney for one of the individuals previously targeted online expressed intentions to seek accountability from the accusers.
Nineteen-year-old Wells vanished on July 4, following a boat trip to Horn Island with friends. Two days later, a ranger discovered his remains on the island’s northwestern side.
Months later, a grand jury in Jackson County returned a “no true bill” regarding Wells’ death, indicating that no charges would be brought forward.
“The Grand Jury concludes that the condition, position, time of discovery, and location of Mr. Wells’ remains align with drowning,” the jury’s report stated.
Russell Latino, representing Bart Edmiston and his family, remarked, “This situation involves two tragedies.”
“The death of Nolan Wells is tragic. Equally tragic is how his friends, his community, and his state have been harmed by unscrupulous individuals spreading false, malicious information,” Latino continued. “The grand jury, composed of Mississippians from various backgrounds, completed its duty. However, for those informed of the actual facts—rather than the reckless claims online—the outcome was predictable. The Edmiston family aims to hold accountable those who exploited this tragedy to sow division and inflict harm. They continue to pray for healing for Nolan’s family and their community.”
Edmiston and Wells’ other friends faced months of rumors and allegations claiming they bore responsibility for the death of the then-18-year-old. Both the grand jury and Jackson County District Attorney Angel Myers McIlrath determined that these accusations lacked any foundation.
Edward Andrew Paltzik, who is representing three of Wells’ friends, had a direct message for attorney Ben Crump: “@AttorneyCrump NO TRUE BILL. You need to apologize without delay to the entirely innocent young men: Warren Hudson, Jax Pitalo, and Morgan Seymour. You have serious questions to answer!”
He also noted that he had sent several legal notices to social media influencers and other figures regarding the three men he represents.
In a video message, District Attorney McIlrath stated unequivocally that there was “absolutely no evidence” linking Wells’ death to racial issues.
“The narrative claiming that a group of three white friends and one Black friend went to an island, with only the three white friends returning, spread rapidly. This claim is entirely false,” McIlrath stated. “The allegations suggesting that Nolan’s disappearance and death were racially driven have no supporting evidence.”
“Nolan’s friends cherished him, and he reciprocated that love. On that day, Nolan chose to remain on the island, and there’s no evidence to dispute that,” she added.
McIlrath expressed her strong disapproval of attorney Crump’s team, asserting they were aware early on that the circumstances did not involve racial motivations.
“The family, the Crump team, and anyone close to Nolan knew that his disappearance and death weren’t linked to racial hate or violence,” she said. “What I’m suggesting is that the Crump team should have acted better, given they knew the truth.”
As for the investigation, the district attorney mentioned that the family’s legal team informed her office in August that there was no evidence suggesting a crime had been committed against Wells.
“On August 13, 2026, after the Crump team released the results of its independent autopsy and received numerous tips, they informed my office that they found no evidence of a crime against Nolan Wells,” McIlrath explained.
Lawyers for Wells’ family expressed disagreement with this decision. Civil rights attorney Crump stated that the state was trying to close the case prematurely, highlighting bruises on Wells’ head and an independent autopsy report indicating blunt force injuries. Crump emphasized that neither the family nor the state had reached any conclusions regarding Wells’ cause of death and urged the Justice Department to investigate if Mississippi declined to take further action.
“Today, the State of Mississippi seems eager to close the chapter on Nolan Wells’ death without uncovering the truth,” Crump stated. “We intend to share the complete independent autopsy report so that everyone can examine it themselves. This grand jury result raises more questions than it resolves. Nolan’s family will continue seeking answers regarding what happened to him, as will we.”
Both the Mississippi Chief Medical Examiner and the family’s pathologist agreed that while the cause of death remains undetermined, “drowning is a diagnosis of exclusion,” meaning it was concluded by eliminating other possibilities rather than direct evidence.
The grand jury confirmed that no evidence was presented to suggest a crime had been committed, nor that Wells’ death was influenced by racial factors, directly addressing the swirling social media theories regarding the parties involved.
Amidst this, McIlrath noted that a witness claimed to have seen Wells slip off the boat, but the jury could not confirm that this fall resulted in the bruising found on his head.
The composition of the grand jury comprised 23 members, consisting of 12 Caucasians, five African Americans, two Hispanics, two Native Americans, one Asian, and one identifying as “other.”
