Mississippi Grand Jury Declines Indictment in Death of Teen Nolan Wells

A Mississippi grand jury has concluded that there is inadequate evidence to file criminal charges in the death of Nolan Wells, an 18-year-old Black teenager who was discovered deceased off the state’s coast in early July. Despite the legal decision, Wells’ family, civil rights advocates, and attorneys maintain that critical questions regarding the circumstances of his death remain unanswered.

During a press conference on Tuesday, civil rights lawyer Ben Crump drew attention to specific findings in the medical examiner’s report, particularly noting bruising on the back of Wells’ head, which was not determined to be a fatal injury. Representing the family, Crump urged the district attorney to maintain the investigation. “Nolan Wells’ parents deserve answers,” Crump said. “What really happened to Nolan Wells? What caused the blunt force trauma to his head? That is the crux of the matter.”

The NAACP has also called for greater transparency, urging the district attorney’s office to release its official autopsy report. Kristen Clarke, the organization’s general counsel, stated that the family is entitled to a “full, fair, and independent investigation that is exhaustive and leaves no stone unturned.”

The grand jury, which convened from September 14 to September 18, determined that Wells’ cause of death was undetermined, though the manner of death was deemed “consistent with drowning” based on the condition of his body and its location. The partially redacted report asserted that there was “no credible evidence” to support public allegations that individuals who traveled to or from Horn Island on July 4, 2026, aboard the Triton, the Palm Beach, or the Tideline engaged in any criminal activity related to Wells’ death.

To reach its conclusion, the 23-member jury issued more than 100 subpoenas, interviewed over 40 witnesses, and examined a wide array of evidence, including GPS data, cellphone extractions, and photographs from Horn Island. The panel also reviewed findings from Crump’s independent investigation, including reports regarding content on Wells’ phone.

Wells was the only Black teenager among the group of friends who traveled to the barrier island for Independence Day celebrations. His family has repeatedly raised concerns about whether the investigation would have proceeded differently if Wells had been white. Jackson County District Attorney Angel Myers McIlrath dismissed these concerns in a recorded statement released Monday night, asserting that the narrative of racial motive was “fanned by both people who knew the truth and those who didn’t.”

“The family, the Crump team, and anyone close to Nolan knew that his disappearance and death were not the result of racial hate or violence,” Myers McIlrath said. She added that the grand jury found assertions that Wells was the only Black person on the island to be false, noting that such claims led to “misidentification, speculation, and rumors.”

Wells was found dead on Horn Island on July 6, two days after departing with friends. The grand jury report emphasized that an “extensive search” of the island took place on July 5, and investigators are confident his body would have been discovered had it been present at that time. The report also noted that it is “not unusual or suspicious for individuals to return from the island on boats they did not travel on,” stating there is no evidence to contradict the assertion that Wells chose to remain on the island.

Disputes have also arisen regarding the autopsies. Dr. Roger Mitchell, the forensic pathologist who conducted the independent examination, agreed with the state medical examiner that the cause and manner of death were undetermined. Crump had previously claimed Mitchell was denied access to certain parts of Wells’ body during the independent autopsy. However, the grand jury report disputed this, stating Mitchell had full access to the body, with the sole exception of internal neck structures held by the state medical examiner.

Crump highlighted in a statement that Mississippi’s own pathologist identified two bruises on the back of Wells’ head early in the investigation. “To this day, not one person has explained how they got there,” Crump wrote. His team’s independent autopsy report, released Monday night, recommended keeping the investigation open due to uncertainties about whether Wells entered the water voluntarily or was forced, and whether he was conscious or impaired.

Myers McIlrath criticized the Crump team’s conduct, alleging they have not acted in good faith. She cited a prior communication in which the team reportedly informed her office that they possessed no evidence of a crime. A significant point of contention involved Wells’ cellphone; the district attorney stated that while her office lacked the legal authority to seize the device, the family and Crump’s team retained full control over it. Myers McIlrath claimed she never received the complete data analysis or the results of the state’s examination, though she acknowledged receiving a 282-page selection of phone reports after the grand jury convened.

“The Crump team knew better, but allowed the public to believe… that things had been deleted off of Nolan’s phone before it was given back to him, that I refused to cooperate with the examination of Nolan’s cell phone, that I refuse to provide Nolan’s autopsy results to the family,” Myers McIlrath said, labeling these claims “all lies.”

Reverend Al Sharpton, who delivered the eulogy at Wells’ funeral, released a statement affirming that the absence of an indictment does not equate to an answer. “We will not confuse the absence of an indictment with the presence of an answer,” Sharpton wrote.

Legal battles may extend beyond criminal proceedings. Following the funeral, attorneys for the Wells family sent notice letters to the friends of Nolan and their families indicating that civil litigation was “reasonably anticipated.” Additionally, a former teammate of Wells who accompanied him to Horn Island may file a defamation lawsuit against Wells’ family. Myers McIlrath condemned the harassment of witnesses and public officials, describing the actions of an “angry mob” as reprehensible. Several of Wells’ friends have also threatened legal action against Sharpton and Sunny Hostin of “The View” for defamation.

Because Mississippi has no statute of limitations on homicide cases, any new evidence that emerges could potentially revive the investigation.