Grand Jury Declines Charges in Nolan Wells Death, Family Vows Continued Fight for Answers
A Mississippi grand jury has declined to press charges in the death of Nolan Xavier Wells, an 18-year-old Black college football player who was found dead two days after a July Fourth boat trip with white friends. Wells disappeared during the outing to Horn Island, which is only accessible by boat. When his friends returned to the mainland, Wells was not with them, and his body was later discovered in the water. His parents have publicly rejected the grand jury's decision, stating they do not believe their son simply drowned and are committed to continuing their search for answers. An independent autopsy, released by attorney Ben Crump at the NAACP National Convention, indicated an unexplained area of discoloration on the back of Wells' head and ruled the cause of death as undetermined. The grand jury, which heard from 43 witnesses, concluded that Wells' death was 'consistent with drowning.' Jackson County District Attorney Angel Myers McIlrath stated there was 'absolutely no evidence' that race played a r...
