A jury ruled out that Nolan Wells' death was due to 'racist violence' and refused to indict any of the defendants
The deceased's family and their attorney, the well-known Ben Crump, are nevertheless calling for a more thorough investigation into the incident to fully clarify what happened during the boat trip with friends on July 4 that ended with Wells drowning.
Ben Crump speaks at an event in front of Nolan Wells' parents
A Mississippi grand jury concluded that the death of 18-year-old Black teenager Nolan Wells was not the result of "racist violence" during the boat trip with friends he took on July 4. The deceased's family and their attorney, the well-known Ben Crump, nevertheless called for a more thorough investigation into the incident to fully clarify what happened during Wells' final hours.
In a statement, the Jackson County District Attorney's Office, led by Angel Myers McIlrath, announced the verdict late Monday:
"The grand jury finds no credible evidence to support the public allegations that any persons who rode to or from Horn Island on July 4, 2026 on the Triton, the Palm Beach, or the Tideline engaged in any criminal conduct related to the death of Mr. Wells. The position of, the condition of, time of discovery, and location of Mr. Wells' body is consistent with drowning." the DA's office stated.
"The cause and manner of Mr. Wells's death are undetermined"
However, the grand jury verdict noted that "both the State of Mississippi Chief Medical Examiner and Dr. (name redacted) opined that the cause and manner of Mr. Wells' death is undetermined and that drowning is a diagnosis of exclusion."
In a video shared on Facebook, McIlrath stated: "Jackson County, after a thorough and exhaustive investigation, your grand jury met last week concerning the death investigation of Nolan Wells and unanimously returned a no true bill." The district attorney added that no evidence had been found to support the allegations that Wells' disappearance and death were racially motivated.
The family and their attorney are calling for a more thorough investigation
Prominent civil rights attorney Ben Crump, who represents the Wells family, stated on X following the release of the grand jury report that Wells's death still demanded answers and that the grand jury's decision not to indict anyone does not clarify how Nolan died. Therefore, together with activist groups, he called on authorities to conduct a thorough investigation and ensure transparency regarding the young man's death.
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