Newz(AP) — A grand jury determined that there wasn't evidence to warrant charges in the death of an 18-year-old Black man whose body was found after a July 4 boating trip and party on an island off the Mississippi Gulf Coast — a conclusion swiftly questioned by his family.The decision announced late Monday by District Attorney Angel Myers McIlrath, who has overseen the investigation into Nolan Wells’ death, comes after months of intense speculation about how he went missing from the bustling party and why the friends who ferried Wells to Horn Island left without him.The grand jury found no evidence of criminal conduct and said that based on various factors, including the position and condition of Wells' body when found, his death was “consistent with drowning.” It also noted that examinations of his body by the Mississippi medical examiner’s office and an independent forensic pathologist hired by Wells’ family found the cause and manner of death to be undetermined.“If credible evidence comes to light in the future that suggests Mr. Wells’ death was non-accidental, this matter should be represented to the Jackson County Grand Jury for further consideration,” the grand jury’s report said.During its investigation into whether crimes were committed, the grand jury issued 132 subpoenas and heard from 43 witnesses through direct testimony, sworn statements and recorded interviews, according to the report. It weighed evidence, including cellphone data and forensic reports, videos and GPS data.Wells' family is upset with the findingsLawyers for Wells’ family, including civil rights attorney Ben Crump, said the grand jury’s report yielded more questions than answers, and they accused the district attorney of ending the investigation despite not determining what caused blunt force trauma to the back of Wells’ head and body.They also renewed their request that the U.S.
Department of Justice conduct an independent investigation, and called on McIlrath to release the investigation file and the medical examiner's full autopsy report.“Today, the State of Mississippi is attempting to close the chapter on Nolan Wells’ death without getting to the truth,” Crump said in a statement.Crump, Wells' family and the NAACP were expected to hold a news conference later Tuesday.The case has led to rampant speculation and suspicion as people grapple with Mississippi's his… A grand jury in the United States will reportedly not bring criminal charges against anyone in connection with the death of Mississippi teenager Nolan Wells, who was found dead after a boating trip on July 4, 2026, according to media reports. According to a BBC report, Jackson County District Attorney Angel Myers McIlrath said the grand jury indicated there was not enough evidence to charge someone with a crime in the death of Wells.
"There is absolutely no evidence to support the allegations that Nolan's death and disappearance were racially motivated," Myers McIlrath was quoted as saying by the BBC. Twenty-five grand jurors reportedly heard from 43 witnesses, which included a forensic pathologist hired by Wells' family to conduct an independent autopsy. READ: Independent autopsy ‘inconclusive’ on Nolan Wells cause of death But Ben Crump, the civil rights attorney hired by Wells' family, is raising concerns surrounding the death of the teen and noted that the grand jury results leave his family with more questions than answers.
"Nolan's family will not rest until we know what happened to him, and neither will we," Crump said. Jury report says ‘no credible evidence’ points to criminal conduct related to death of Mississippi teen after boat outing with friends on 4 JulyA grand jury made a unanimous decision late Monday night to not bring criminal charges against anyone in the mysterious death of Nolan Wells, a Mississippi teen who died after a boat outing with friends on 4 July.The Jackson county, Mississippi grand jury, which met from 14 September to 18 September, issued 132 subpoenas during its investigation, considered evidence from 43 witnesses and investigators, and reviewed an independent investigation by Wells’ family. They also considered physical and digital evidence, including mobile phone data and forensic reports, photographs, videos and GPS data.
A grand jury on Monday unanimously declined to indict anyone in the death of Nolan Wells, an 18-year-old Black man whose body was found on a Mississippi barrier island.
Summary from source