The family of Nolan Wells says their fight for answers is far from over.
A Mississippi grand jury declined to recommend criminal charges in connection with the 18-year-old’s death. The decision was announced Monday.
Wells disappeared July 4 while celebrating with friends on Horn Island, off Mississippi’s Gulf Coast. His body was discovered two days later. The Jackson County grand jury found no credible evidence that anyone committed a crime connected to Wells’ death.
Jurors said the circumstances surrounding his body were consistent with drowning. However, both the state medical examiner and an independent forensic pathologist listed his cause and manner of death as undetermined. That distinction has become a major point of contention for Wells’ parents, Christine and Elmore Wonsley.
“How can a jury come to the conclusion of drowning, despite knowing that there was trauma to his body?” Christine asked Tuesday.
Family questions unexplained injuries
The grand jury conducted an extensive review before reaching its decision. Jurors issued 132 subpoenas and considered information from 43 witnesses. Evidence included videos, GPS information, cellphone records and forensic reports.
The report also addressed bruising discovered on Wells’ body. An independent autopsy commissioned by his family documented recent injuries to his head and back. The injuries were described as blunt-force trauma.
The grand jury found no evidence of a fatal physical injury. One witness reported seeing Wells awkwardly slip from a boat on July 4. Wells reportedly continued socializing afterward and did not appear injured.
The panel could not determine whether that incident caused the bruising found during his autopsies. That uncertainty remains central to the family’s concerns.
Civil rights attorney Ben Crump, who represents Wells’ family, said the decision failed to resolve those questions.
“The grand jury left us with questions,” Crump said. “Nolan’s family deserves answers. What caused recent blunt force trauma to his head?”
Wells’ family also questioned how the teenager ended up in the water. His parents have previously disputed claims that he intentionally stayed behind on Horn Island without his cellphone. The grand jury found no evidence contradicting witness accounts that Wells chose to remain on the island.
District Attorney Angel Myers McIlrath has also pushed back against allegations that Wells’ death involved racial violence. McIlrath said investigators found no evidence supporting claims that Wells was targeted because he was Black.
‘We will never stop’
Despite the grand jury’s findings, Wells’ family is calling for the investigation to remain open. Their legal team also renewed requests for an independent federal investigation by the U.S. Department of Justice. The NAACP has joined calls for additional scrutiny and greater transparency surrounding the case.
Crump’s team also wants the investigative file released. The family has sought greater access to information surrounding the state’s autopsy findings.
The grand jury acknowledged that future evidence could change the case. Its report said the matter could return to another grand jury if credible evidence indicates Wells’ death was not accidental.
Elmore said the search for answers extends beyond Wells’ immediate family.
“Nolan was loved by a lot of people, and all those people want answers,” he said.
Crump made clear the family does not view the grand jury’s decision as the end of the case.
“We will never stop. We’ll never stop. We’ll never stop,” Crump said. “We’ll never stop until we get to the truth.”