A Mississippi grand jury concluded its investigation into the death of Nolan Wells, an 18-year-old college student found dead on Horn Island, determining that no criminal indictments were warranted. The grand jury, which convened from September 14 to September 18, reviewed extensive evidence including GPS data, cellphone records, photographs, videos, and testimony from over 40 witnesses. The panel concluded that Wells’ cause of death was consistent with drowning based on the location where his body was discovered and multiple autopsy findings.
Wells disappeared during a July 4 boat trip to Horn Island with friends and was found dead two days later on July 6. According to the grand jury report, Wells chose to remain on the island that afternoon while his companions returned on various boats. The grand jury found the accounts provided by boat occupants to be truthful and noted that one vessel, the Triton, had taken on water during the outing. District Attorney Angel Myers McIlrath stated in a recorded message that “there is not a scintilla of evidence” to contradict Wells’ decision to stay on the island.
The grand jury determined that a thorough search of Horn Island conducted on July 5 would have located Wells’ body had it been present at that time, though the report does not explain why the body was discovered the following day. The cause and manner of death remained undetermined, with pathologists concluding that drowning represented a “diagnosis by exclusion” based on the absence of other identifiable causes. Bruises were found on Wells’ body but were not considered fatal injuries.
Civil rights attorney Ben Crump, representing Wells’ family, disputed the findings, releasing an independent autopsy that documented traces of blood and blunt force injuries to Wells’ head and back. Crump’s team stated the investigation should remain open due to uncertainties surrounding Wells’ condition before entering the water and whether he entered voluntarily. However, the grand jury report noted that after Crump’s team released their independent autopsy results, they advised the district attorney’s office that they had found no evidence of a crime being committed against Wells.
Wells was the only Black member of his friend group on the outing, and his death sparked questions about the initial investigation’s direction. His parents expressed concerns that law enforcement had moved too hastily in dismissing foul play while being slow to communicate with the family and the public about developments in the case.
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