No criminal charges in the death of Nolan Wells: Grand jury report
Jurors found no credible evidence of criminal or racial motive after reviewing witness accounts, GPS data and video in the death investigation.
- On Monday, September 21, 2026, the Jackson County grand jury unanimously returned a "no true bill" in the death investigation of 18-year-old Nolan Wells, declining to issue any indictments.
- Wells disappeared on July 4, 2026, during a boat trip with friends to Horn Island, a barrier island off the Mississippi Gulf Coast; authorities found him dead two days later.
- District Attorney Angel Myers McIlrath reported the grand jury issued 132 subpoenas and heard from 43 witnesses. Medical examiners ruled the death undetermined, noting bruising on Wells' head was not a fatal injury.
- McIlrath stated there is "absolutely no evidence" that Wells' death was racially motivated, countering false narratives circulating on social media regarding his friends and the circumstances of his disappearance.
- The report notes that Mississippi has no statute of limitations for homicide, meaning the matter could be presented to a grand jury again if credible evidence regarding a non-accidental death emerges.
14 Articles
14 Articles
Grand Jury Declines to Charge Anyone in Nolan Wells’ Death After July 4 Party and Authorities Suspect Drowning Is to Blame
No one will be charged in the unusual death of Mississippi teen Nolan Wells, who vanished during a large Fourth of July party, authorities said.
Grand jury finds insufficient evidence of criminal wrongdoing in Nolan Wells’ death
A grand jury unanimously found that there was not enough evidence to bring charges in the death of Nolan Wells, an 18-year-old who was found dead after a Fourth of July trip with friends off the coast of Mississippi.
Grand Jury returns decision in Nolan Wells death investigation - WXXV News 25
The Jackson County District Attorney’s office released the redacted Grand Jury report in the Nolan Wells death investigation Monday night. Most notably, the grand jury unanimously returned a no true bill decision, meaning the grand jury decided there was not enough evidence to charge a person with a crime. According to a redacted report, the grand jury issued 132 subpoenas...
Jackson County grand jury returns unanimous 'no true bill' in the death of Nolan Wells
A "no true bill" means that a grand jury decided there is not enough evidence to prove probable cause, meaning the criminal case will not move forward with that indictment.
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