Family Vows to Continue Fight for Justice After Grand Jury Declines Charges in Nolan Wells' Death

The family of Nolan Wells and their legal representatives announced Tuesday they will persist in seeking justice after a grand jury concluded that no criminal charges are warranted in the death of the 18-year-old.

Wells vanished on July 4th while celebrating with friends on barrier islands off the Mississippi Gulf Coast. His body was discovered two days later in the waters near Horn Island.

The Jackson County Grand Jury Report stated that the circumstances surrounding the discovery of Wells' body were consistent with drowning. The jury, comprised of 23 individuals, heard testimony from 43 witnesses and reviewed extensive evidence, including physical evidence, autopsy reports, digital evidence, police interviews, and visual materials.

However, the family has voiced strong objections to the grand jury's findings. Christine Wonsley, Wells' mother, highlighted at a press conference that the state medical examiner and the death certificate list the cause and manner of death as undetermined. "How can a jury come to the conclusion of drowning, despite knowing that there was trauma to his body?" Wonsley questioned.

Attorneys for the family stated that an independent autopsy commissioned by them found recent, unexplained blunt force injuries to the back of Nolan's head and other areas of his back. The grand jury report, however, addressed the bruising on Wells' head, characterizing it as "not a fatal injury" and noting that the origin of the bruising was unclear. According to the report, one witness testified under oath that they saw Wells "slip awkwardly off the side of a boat" around the time he was last seen, but could not confirm if he struck his head during the fall. The witness also stated that Wells "continued to socialize after the fall and did not appear injured."

The grand jury report further indicated that there was no credible evidence to suggest criminal conduct by the friends who were with Wells. The report concluded that Wells' drowning was determined by a process of elimination, acknowledging that the condition of the body complicated the investigation.

Attorneys for the Wells family stated that they will have the opportunity to pursue a civil case to reopen the investigation. "He deserved to be at school right now," Wonsley said. "We should be getting text messages and phone calls. But most importantly, Nolan deserved to live. At the end of the day, there is only one victim, and it is our son, Nolan Xavier Wells."

The grand jury report also noted that the Wells family's own investigation "revealed no witnesses or evidence whom the legal team reasonably believes possess information germane to potential criminal activity that warrants referral." It was also stated that Mississippi has no statute of limitations on homicide cases. The report concluded that if credible evidence emerges in the future suggesting Wells' death was non-accidental, the matter should be presented to the Jackson County Grand Jury for further review.