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By Alex Backus and Hollie Silverman
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A Mississippi grand jury has unanimously determined that there is insufficient evidence to bring criminal charges in the death of Nolan Wells, the Jackson County District Attorney’s office announced on Monday night.
The grand jury returned a "no true bill" in the case after issuing 132 subpoenas and hearing testimony from 43 witnesses.
The report says the grand jury found that the "position of, condition of, time of discovery, and location" of Wells' body was "consistent with drowning."
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An independent autopsy previously found that the cause and manner of Wells' death remained undetermined pending further investigation. Authorities had previously said they believed he drowned.
Separately, the report said Wells had bruising on the back of his head, but the injury was not fatal. The grand jury also found no evidence of any fatal injuries or organic disease in his body.
According to the report, the grand jury determined "that Mr. Wells did not have cocaine in his system at the time of his death" and discovered no evidence to suggest he ever used cocaine.
In a statement emailed to Newsweek, Attorney Benjamin Crump, who has been representing the family of Wells, said, "The State of Mississippi is attempting to close the chapter on Nolan Wells’ death without getting to the truth."
Following the report, District Attorney Angel Myers McIlrath said that Wells' death has "devastated our community."
“There is absolutely no evidence to support the allegations that Nolan’s death and disappearance were racially motivated,” she said in a video statement.
What the Report Says
Redacted-Grand-Jury-Report.pdf.PDF
The grand jury's decision comes after months of questions surrounding the circumstances of Wells' disappearance and death.
Wells, 18, went to Horn Island with friends by boat on July 4 to celebrate Independence Day. The barrier island is about 10 miles off the Mississippi Gulf Coast. Wells was last seen on the island around 3 p.m., according to investigators, after which he did not return to the mainland with the rest of the group. The group had traveled to and from the island on three boats: the Triton, the Palm Beach and the Tideline.
The grand jury found that Wells chose to remain at Horn Island on the afternoon of July 4 after the Triton, the Palm Beach and the Tideline departed the island. Others also stayed at the island to socialize.
The grand jury found no credible evidence that any of the people who traveled to or from Horn Island that day on those boats "engaged in any criminal conduct related to the death of Mr. Wells."
A search effort involving local and state agencies, the Coast Guard, first responders and the United Cajun Navy followed. Wells' body was discovered on the northwestern tip of Horn Island on July 6 by a U.S. park ranger.
...
Family Still Has Questions
The Wells family had previously questioned the circumstances surrounding his disappearance and death and called for an independent investigation.
Those questions remain, according to the statement Crump released late Monday.
"Mississippi's own pathologist found two bruises on the back of this young man's head and informed investigators of them early in this investigation," Crump said. "An independent autopsy documented traces of blood and recent blunt force injuries to the back of Nolan's head and his back. To this day, not one person has explained how they got there.
"Dr. Mitchell also wrote that the record does not establish whether Nolan entered the water on his own or was forced, or whether he was conscious when he went in. We don't know how Nolan died, and neither does the State of Mississippi. Mississippi must keep investigating, and if it will not pursue this to the end, the Department of Justice should," the attorney continued.
"We are releasing the final independent autopsy report in its entirety, so everyone can read it for themselves. This grand jury result leaves us with more questions than answers," Crump said, adding, "Nolan’s family will not rest until we know what happened to him, and neither will we."
The family of Wells and Crump are scheduled to hold a press conference in response to the announcement on Tuesday.
The Jackson County Sheriff's Office had requested video and pictures from Horn Island, particularly footage that could show or contain audio of alleged altercations. Social media posts and videos showed numerous people and boats around the island, though authorities had not confirmed that a dispute occurred. Sheriff John Ledbetter at the time said investigators were aware of the video and were looking into it.
Newsweek’s reporters and editors used Martyn, our AI assistant, to produce this story. Learn more about Martyn here.
For questions on this story, contact Newsweek editors Edward T. Cummins and Gray R.Thomas.
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