A grand jury has determined that there isn’t enough evidence to bring charges in the case of Nolan Wells, an 18-year-old Black college student who went missing on July 4th. This decision comes despite his family expressing their concerns over the autopsy results.
Wells had gone to Horn Island, a barrier island near the Mississippi Gulf Coast, to celebrate Independence Day with a group of high school friends, all of whom were White. When he didn’t return with them later that evening, the U.S. Coast Guard and Jackson County Sheriff’s Office initiated a search. On July 6th, Wells’ body was found floating in the water, raising suspicions about possible foul play.
On Monday, District Attorney Angel Myers McIlrath outlined the grand jury’s findings, addressing the months of questions surrounding why Wells’ friends left the island without him. The jury, which consisted of 23 members, unanimously returned a “no true bill,” indicating no charges will be pursued.
“The Grand Jury finds that the position, condition, time of discovery, and location of Mr. Wells’ remains is consistent with drowning,” the jury reported.
During a 15-minute video presentation about the grand jury’s decision, DA McIlrath emphasized that there was no evidence supporting claims of racially motivated foul play in Wells’ death.
“What I cannot accept, what I cannot ignore, is that false narratives suggesting that Nolan’s death was racially motivated have been allowed to persist. There is no evidence to support this,” she stated.
Although the state autopsy report remains confidential, the grand jury noted findings from both the state medical examiner and an independent forensic pathologist—hired by the Wells family—indicating bruising on the back of Wells’ head, although the cause of death was not conclusively determined by either.
Wells’ mother, Christine Wonsely, expressed her frustration over the grand jury’s conclusion of accidental drowning in light of the inconclusive autopsy results.
“How can a jury conclude it was drowning, knowing there was trauma to his body, and after hearing various inconsistencies?” she challenged during a news conference.
Civil rights attorney Ben Crump remarked that the grand jury’s report has only generated more questions without providing clear answers. He criticized the district attorney for halting the investigation despite the unresolved cause of Wells’ head injuries.
“All other causes must be ruled out before concluding a death as drowning,” Crump asserted, referring to the final version of the independent autopsy report released on the same day. “Common sense suggests this child did not simply drown.”
A witness had testified seeing Wells fall off a boat just hours before he disappeared, an incident that might explain the bruises on his body.
Following the developments, Crump and advocates renewed their calls for a U.S. Department of Justice investigation and urged McIlrath to disclose the full police file and state autopsy report. Meanwhile, former DOJ Civil Rights chief Kristen Clarke indicated that federal oversight might be appropriate, given that the island is federally managed and patrolled.
