PASCAGOULA, Miss. (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.
Lawyers for Wells’ family, including civil rights attorney Ben Crump, said the grand jury’s report leaves more questions than answers and 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 Tuesday.
In a 15-minute video posted Monday on social media, McIlrath expressed frustration about inaccurate speculation by some members of the public about what happened to Wells. She also said lawyers for Wells' family told her office last month that their own investigation found no evidence of crimes.
“What I cannot accept, what I cannot ignore, is that false narratives that Nolan’s death was somehow racially motivated, and that this is a case of another young Black man denied justice by a racist, corrupt system, were perpetuated and allowed to spread. There is not a shred of evidence to support these narratives,” she said.
Wells disappeared while celebrating the Fourth of July with friends on Horn Island. His body was discovered on the island’s northwestern tip two days after he was last seen.
Shortly after Wells was found dead, Jackson County sheriff’s officials said investigators didn't suspect foul play, sparking widespread concerns about whether law enforcement would conduct a thorough investigation in a state with a brutal history of racism and civil rights violations. McIlrath repeatedly promised a fair and thorough investigation into his death.
Wells’ parents and their lawyers voiced suspicions after Wells’ friends left the island without him, saying he wanted to stay behind and talk to a girl. Wells’ phone was on the boat that took him to the island, which was later towed partway back to the mainland after taking on water.
Crump and Wells’ parents have cast doubt on why a teenager would choose to stay on an island without his phone. They also speculated that messages on his phone had been tampered with and alleged his friends were reluctant to turn over his phone and keys. Lawyers for Wells’ friends said the friends are cooperating with authorities.
The grand jury said it was given a report from Crump’s experts on the contents of Wells’ phone. While the specific contents weren't detailed in the grand jury's redacted report, the panel noted that Crump’s team didn't turn over anything that indicated there were criminal actions related to Nolan’s death.
The grand jury report said that it wasn't unusual or suspicious for people to return from the island on boats they didn't take to get there. And it noted that Wells’ phone wasn't the only one to travel back to the mainland without its owner that day.
The panel also said public attacks on the boat passengers and Wells’ family and friends “are malicious, false, and have no truth in fact or evidence.”
A witness testified to the grand jury that he saw Wells slip awkwardly off the side of a boat around 3:30 p.m. on July 4, but that Wells continued to socialize after the fall and didn't appear injured, the report said. The panel said it couldn't determine whether the fall caused the bruising on Wells' body.
The grand jury also debunked public assertions that Wells was the only Black person on Horn Island on July 4.
“These false assertions have led to misidentification, speculation and rumors concerning the death of Mr. Wells,” it said.
The report concluded with the panel expressing sympathy for Wells’ family. “The evidence received in this matter convinced the Grand Jury of Mr. Wells’ outstanding character,” it said.
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Collins reported from Hartford, Connecticut, and Lauer reported from Philadelphia.
