Grand Jury Declines to Indict Anyone in Nolan Wells’ Death

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In this photo taken with a smartphone, Ben Crump, right, an attorney for the family of Nolan Wells, speaks at a news conference in Stonecrest, Ga., Thursday, Sept. 22, 2026, accompanied by Wells' parents, Elmore and Christine Wonsley. (AP Photo/Emilie Megnien)
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(AURN News) — The NAACP and attorneys for the family of 18-year-old Nolan Wells are calling for a renewed investigation into his death after a Mississippi grand jury declined to indict anyone in the case.

Wells went missing July 4 on Horn Island off the Mississippi Gulf Coast and was found dead two days later.

On Monday, a Jackson County grand jury declined to indict anyone in Wells’ death.

Attorney Ben Crump and the family’s legal team say Jackson County District Attorney Angel Myers McIlrath is attempting to close the chapter on Wells’ death without determining what caused the blunt-force trauma to the back of his head and body.

According to Wells’ legal team, the Mississippi pathologist found two bruises on the back of his head, while the independent autopsy later confirmed that red discoloration in that area was blood and found unexplained blunt-force injuries to his head and back.

His official cause of death is still listed as undetermined.

NAACP General Counsel Kristen Clarke echoed those concerns Tuesday, saying, “Nolan’s family deserves nothing less than a full, fair, and independent investigation that is exhaustive and leaves no stone unturned.”


Click play to listen to the report from AURN White House Correspondent Ebony McMorris. For more news, follow @ebonymcmorris & @aurnonline.

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