A Mississippi grand jury has declined to bring criminal charges in connection with the death of 18-year-old Nolan Wells, concluding there was no credible evidence that a crime occurred.
The Jackson County grand jury unanimously returned a “no true bill” Monday night, September 21, meaning no criminal charges or indictments will be issued based on the evidence presented, according to WLOX’s report on the grand jury findings.
Wells was reported missing July 4 after traveling to Horn Island with friends. His body was found in the water just off the island on the morning of July 6.
What did the grand jury review?
According to court documents reported by WLOX, the 23-member grand jury considered testimony from 43 witnesses, cellphone forensic reports, GPS information, surveillance footage and evidence obtained through 132 subpoenas.
The grand jury found that Wells traveled to Horn Island with friends aboard three boats and later remained on the island after the boats began returning to the mainland.
According to the findings, jurors found no evidence that anyone traveling to or from Horn Island committed a crime connected to Wells’ death.
Grand jury addresses allegations involving race
The grand jury also directly addressed allegations that Wells’ death may have been racially motivated.
WAPT reports that jurors found no credible evidence that Wells’ death was criminal or racially motivated.
Jackson County District Attorney Angel Myers McIlrath also addressed claims that Wells was the only Black person among a small group of white friends on the island. The district attorney said that characterization was inaccurate and that Wells had traveled with a larger group and interacted with additional friends while on Horn Island.
McIlrath said investigators found no evidence supporting allegations that Wells’ disappearance or death was racially motivated.
What did the autopsies find?
One important question remains unanswered: exactly how Nolan Wells died.
According to WLOX’s reporting on the newly released findings, both the Mississippi State Chief Medical Examiner and an independent forensic pathologist retained by Wells’ family classified his cause and manner of death as undetermined.
The findings indicated that drowning was consistent with the available evidence, but drowning was not formally established as Wells’ official cause of death.
Both examinations documented bruising on the back of Wells’ head. A witness told the grand jury that Wells had slipped while getting off a boat earlier that day, but continued socializing afterward.
Investigators did not find evidence that the injury was fatal.
Court documents also state that toxicology testing found no evidence of cocaine in Wells’ system.
Online claims examined
The investigation became the subject of intense social-media speculation in the weeks after Wells’ death.
The grand jury reviewed allegations involving a possible fight, questions surrounding the boats used that day, photographs, videos and other claims circulated online.
Jurors concluded that several of those allegations were not supported by the evidence presented.
Earlier in the investigation, WLOX reported that social media had circulated altered or AI-generated images and other material presented as evidence, highlighting the difficulty investigators faced separating verified information from online speculation. Read that earlier WLOX report.
What happens now?
The “no true bill” means prosecutors will not bring criminal charges based on the evidence presented to this grand jury.
But it does not permanently close the door on the case.
Because Mississippi has no statute of limitations for homicide, credible new evidence indicating criminal activity could allow the case to be presented to another grand jury in the future.
For now, however, the months-long investigation has reached its most significant legal conclusion yet: a grand jury reviewed the evidence and declined to indict anyone in connection with Nolan Wells’ death.
