Grand Jury Delivers Blow To Racial Accusations In Black Teenager’s Death

A Mississippi grand jury declined to bring charges in the death of 18-year-old Nolan Wells, whose body was found after a July 4 boating trip off the Mississippi Coast. The panel said speculation that Wells’ white friends played a role in his death was fueled by “public clamor and private malice.”

Jackson County District Attorney Angel Myers McIlrath announced the grand jury’s findings following a “thorough and exhaustive investigation.” The grand jury unanimously returned what’s known as a “no true bill,” meaning prosecutors did not present enough evidence to charge anyone with a crime.

“In addition to bringing prosecutions against the guilty, the grand jury must also exonerate those who have been falsely accused,” McIlrath said in a 15-minute video statement. “The death of Nolan Wells has devastated our community. Outsiders and influencers have attempted to exploit Nolan’s death to divide and create chaos here.”

The 18-year-old’s mysterious death ignited an online and cultural firestorm, with internet sleuths, Democratic politicians, and lawyers fueling racial tensions through baseless speculation about whether Wells’ close group of friends played a role in his death on Horn Island, off the Mississippi coast. Wells, who was black, went to the party with a group of longtime white friends. Accusations intensified after his friends returned to the mainland without him.

“The narrative that three white boys and a black boy went to an island and only three white friends returned spread like wildfire. This was false,” McIlrath said. “There is absolutely no evidence to support the allegations that Nolan’s disappearance and death were racially motivated.”

Wells, a popular, outgoing football player at his community college, vanished on July 4 after separating from friends. His body was found in the water near the island two days later following an extensive search. Local authorities initially said there were no obvious signs of foul play and believed Wells likely drowned, while emphasizing that the investigation remained active pending autopsy and toxicology results, The Daily Wire reported.

During an independent autopsy, the pathologist found a large area of red discoloration on the back of Wells’ head and neck that could be consistent with trauma, though decomposition prevented a definitive conclusion. 

The grand jury report found that Wells traveled to Horn Island with a group of friends aboard three separate boats and chose to remain on the island after all three boats departed. The report found no conclusive evidence that Wells sustained any fatal injuries and said the cause of the injury to the back of his head remains “uncertain.” The panel, which heard from dozens of witnesses and reviewed troves of cellphone data, cited one witness account saying Wells slipped “awkwardly” off a boat that afternoon.

“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 panel’s report said.

The teen’s family is represented by attorney Ben Crump, who has previously advanced politically charged racial narratives in high-profile cases — including those of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, and George Floyd in Minneapolis, Minnesota — before investigations were completed.

In response to the grand jury report, Crump doubled down, calling on the Department of Justice to launch an independent investigation.

“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.

The Wells family has also suggested that Wells’ phone was missing texts and Snapchat photos before it was returned to them. The DA said Nolan’s family was shown evidence of Nolan purchasing his own alcohol. 

Conservative podcast host Brandon Tatum spoke to Warren Hudson, a friend of Wells who was with the teen on the weekend he went missing. Hudson said he spoke with Wells several times on July 4 and that his friend seemed like his usual self. Hudson said Wells had been drinking but appeared to be fine. Hudson also said the group mingled with hundreds of people on Horn Island, that he witnessed no altercations involving Wells, and that everyone began searching for him after realizing he had gone missing.

The grand jury panel found zero evidence to suggest any of Nolan’s friends engaged in criminal conduct, calling speculation otherwise “the result of public clamor and private malice.”

“What we have seen happen in Nolan’s case, where lives and reputations have been damaged, is reprehensible. People have suffered,” McIlrath said. “Public officials have been harassed. Witnesses, public officials, and others who are completely unrelated to this case have been subjected to threats of harm and intimidation by an angry mob.”

A fundraiser for the Wells family has raised $886,000. Wells is described as a “beloved son, grandson, brother, friend and teammate whose life touched so many people.” The fundraiser says Wells’ “smile, kind heart, and love for others left a lasting impact on everyone who knew him.”

More from this network:
Domains for Sale · GOTPeople.org · TheDSAPlatform · The Truth About Socialism

Donate to GOTPeople.org