A Mississippi grand jury has returned a unanimous “no true bill” decision, determining there is insufficient evidence to bring criminal charges in the death of 18-year-old Nolan Wells, according to the Jackson County District Attorney’s office. District Attorney Angel Myers McIlrath announced the decision in a video message, forcefully rejecting speculation that race played a role in the teenager’s death, according to NBC News.
Grand Jury Declines Criminal Charges in Death of Nolan Wells
Wells vanished after going with friends to celebrate the Fourth of July holiday on Horn Island, a barrier reef off the coast of Mississippi accessible only by boat. His body was found in the waters off the northwestern tip of the island on July 6, two days after he was last seen in the afternoon. According to WXXV25, the grand jury issued 132 subpoenas, heard from 43 witnesses, and reviewed testimony from seven people invited to appear before the panel. The 23-member grand jury consisted of 13 men and 10 women from Jackson County.
Autopsy Findings and Cause of Death
The grand jury report stated that both the Mississippi State medical examiner and the forensic pathologist who conducted an independent autopsy concluded that the manner of Wells’ death is undetermined, noting that drowning is a diagnosis of exclusion.
The report indicated that the position, condition, time of discovery, and location of the body are consistent with drowning, though decomposition made the evaluation harder.
The report noted that bruising was found on the back of Wells’ head, as well as on his back, buttocks, and shoulder. While an independent autopsy commissioned by the family found recent blunt force injuries, the grand jury report concluded that the bruising on the back of his head was not a fatal injury
and that there was no evidence of any fatal injury to his body. A witness testified under oath that they saw Wells slip awkwardly off the side of a boat around 3:30 p.m. on July 4, though the witness could not say whether he struck his head during the fall and noted that Wells continued to socialize afterward without appearing injured. Additionally, the grand jury found that Wells did not have cocaine in his system and that decomposition fluid is an unreliable source for evaluating substance levels.
Reactions From Family and Legal Representatives
During a press conference on Tuesday, Wells’ family and their legal team, including civil rights attorney Ben Crump and the Rev. Al Sharpton, expressed dissatisfaction with the grand jury’s conclusion, as reported by Yahoo and Delaware Public Media. Crump highlighted the trauma to the back of Wells’ head, questioning how he sustained the injuries. Wells’ mother, Christine Wonsley, questioned how a jury could conclude drowning while acknowledging trauma to the body.
The grand jury report explicitly stated that it found no credible evidence to support the public allegations that any persons who rode to or from Horn Island on July 4, 2026
on boats named the Triton, the Palm Beach, or the Tideline engaged in criminal conduct. The report also refuted public assertions that Wells was the only Black person on the island, calling those claims false. Because there is no statute of limitations on homicide cases in Mississippi, the grand jury report noted that if credible evidence suggesting a non-accidental death comes to light in the future, the matter can be presented to the Jackson County grand jury again for further consideration.