A grand jury investigating the death of Nolan Xavier Wells unanimously decided against making any indictments, Jackson County District Attorney Angel Myers McIlrath said in a statement Monday night.
The 18-year-old football player from Ocean Springs, Mississippi,
was with friends on Horn Island, a barrier island near the border of Mississippi and Alabama, when he disappeared on July 4. Two days later, a U.S. park ranger found his body on the island where he was last seen. Wells, apparently, had decided to stay on the island after his friends left by boat. He was last seen around 3 p.m. wearing blue swim trunks and sunglasses.
An independent pathologist found the cause of death as “undetermined pending investigation,” and many questioned whether there had been foul play. The first autopsy was conducted on July 7 by a state medical examiner in Mississippi. It found “there was bruising on the back of Mr. Wells’ head, which was not a fatal injury” and found “no evidence of any fatal injury or organic disease.”
“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,” McIlrath said in a video statement on Facebook. “In addition to bringing prosecutions against the guilty, the grand jury must also exonerate those who have been falsely accused.”
McIlrath continued, “There is absolutely no evidence to support the allegations that Nolan’s disappearance and death were racially motivated. Nolan’s friends loved Nolan and Nolan loved them. Nolan chose to stay on the island that day, and there is not a scintilla of evidence to contradict that.”
The grand jury report was released on Monday. It indicates that the grand jury issued 132 subpoenas and heard from 43 witnesses, with seven individuals being invited to testify.
“The Grand Jury considered credible evidence concerning the circumstances of how Mr. Wells sustained the injury to the back of his head, but the exact cause of injury remains uncertain,” the report said. “A witness testified under oath that he saw Wells slip awkwardly off the side of a boat around the time of 3:30 p.m. on July 4, 2026, but could not say whether Mr. Wells struck his head during the fall. The witness testified that Mr. Wells continued to socialize after the fall and did not appear injured.”
Former NFL player and activist Colin Kaepernick helped fund the private autopsy which was done on behalf of Wells’ family. During his eulogy at Wells’ memorial, Rev. Al Sharpton offered a $50,000 reward for anyone who brings a tip leading to an arrest or conviction in the case of Wells’ death. Actor and filmmaker Tyler Perry texted Sharpton during the funeral to announce he’d match the reward. Afterwards, it was announced that retired football player Terrell Owens was adding $25,000, bringing the total to $125,000. “He was not on that island by himself,” Sharpton said during his eulogy. “Somebody saw something or knows something.”
Attorney Ben Crump, working on behalf of Wells’ family, released a statement on X following the release of the report. “The public still deserves a clear account supported by records, evidence, and independent scrutiny,” Crump said. “Nolan Wells’ death still demands answers.”
Crump also called the grand jury’s decision an attempt “to close the chapter on Nolan Wells’ death without getting to the truth,” according to CNN. He added, “Nolan’s family will not rest until we know what happened to him, and neither will we.”
Edward Paltzik, an attorney representing the friends who had accompanied Wells on the boat trip, said on X, “We said it all along: Warren Hudson, Jax Pitalo, and Morgan Seymour were always completely innocent. There was never any doubt. They are terrific people.” He added, “I wish to express our deepest gratitude to District Attorney Angel Myers McIlrath and the Jackson County Sheriff’s Department for their professional, thorough, and unbiased investigation that was unprecedented both in care and scope.”
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