A Mississippi grand jury has concluded that the death of 19-year-old Nolan Wells, who disappeared July 4, was consistent with drowning and found no evidence of a crime or racial motive. The decision means no indictments will be filed against any individuals who were with Wells when he vanished.
Wells' remains were discovered on July 6 on Horn Island, a barrier island off the Mississippi Gulf Coast, after a two-day search. The grand jury's findings, which resulted in a "no true bill," stated that "the position of, the condition of, time of discovery, and location of Mr. Wells' remains is consistent with drowning."
Attorneys for Wells' friends, who faced intense online speculation and accusations of wrongdoing, have stated their intention to hold accusers accountable. Russell Latino, representing Bart Edmiston and his family, called the situation a "double tragedy," stating, "The death of Nolan Wells is a tragedy. So too is the way his friends, his community and his state were maligned by unscrupulous charlatans and grifters who spread false and malicious lies." Latino added that the Edmiston family "looks forward to bringing accountability to those who exploited tragedy to divide and injure."
Edward Andrew Paltzik, an attorney for three other friends of Wells, called for an apology from civil rights attorney Ben Crump, whose team was involved in the case. "@AttorneyCrump NO TRUE BILL. You should apologize immediately to completely innocent young men Warren Hudson, Jax Pitalo, and Morgan Seymour. You have some serious explaining to do!" Paltzik stated.
Jackson County District Attorney Angel Myers McIlrath emphasized in a video statement that there was "absolutely no evidence" that Wells' death was racially motivated. She stated that "the narrative that 3 white boys and a black boy went to an island and only 3 white friends returned spread like wildfire. This was false." McIlrath added that Wells' friends "loved Nolan and Nolan loved them" and that "Nolan chose to stay on the island that day, and there is not a scintilla of evidence to contradict that."
McIlrath also directly criticized Crump's team, suggesting they were aware early on that the death was not racially motivated. "The family, the Crump team, and anyone close to Nolan knew that his disappearance and death were not the result of racial hate or violence," she said. "What I am suggesting is that the Crump team knew better but did not do better."
According to the district attorney, Wells' family's legal team advised her office in August that they had uncovered "no evidence of a crime being committed against Nolan Wells" after conducting an independent autopsy.
However, civil rights attorney Ben Crump and the family's legal team have disputed the grand jury's conclusion. Crump stated that the state was closing the case prematurely, citing bruising on the back of Wells' head and an independent autopsy that documented blunt force injuries. He urged the Justice Department to investigate if Mississippi declined to do so, asserting that "Nolan’s family will not rest until we know what happened to him, and neither will we."
The grand jury report noted that among the 23 jurors, there were individuals of various racial and ethnic backgrounds, including 12 White, five African American, two Hispanic, two Native American, one Asian, and one of "other" identification.
The jury also addressed social media theories, stating, "The allegations against the occupants of the Triton, the Palm Beach, and the Tideline are not based in truth, and are solely the result of public clamor and private malice."
Regarding an injury to the back of Wells' head where bruising was found, a witness testified to seeing Wells slip from a boat. However, the grand jury stated it could not confirm the fall caused the bruising, noting that Wells "continued to socialize after the fall and did not appear injured."