Nolan Wells Family Rejects Grand Jury Drowning Finding

A Jackson County grand jury concluded that 18-year-old Nolan Wells likely drowned during a July 4 trip to Horn Island and declined to recommend criminal charges. District Attorney Angel Myers McIlrath released the redacted report Monday evening.

Wells' mother, Christine Wonsley, and attorneys Ben Crump and Rev. Al Sharpton rejected the finding at a Tuesday news conference. They noted both the state medical examiner and an independent pathologist ruled the cause of death undetermined.

“How can a jury come to the conclusion of drowning, despite knowing that there was trauma to his body?”

Dr. Roger Mitchell, the family's pathologist, documented blunt force injuries on the back of Wells' head and neck. He stated the examination could not determine if Wells entered the water voluntarily or was forced, or if he was conscious.

The family's legal team called for the investigation to remain open. They want authorities to examine whether the head and neck trauma contributed to the death.

Wells, a Black college student from Ocean Springs, was found dead in the water two days after the boat trip. A photo of him with white friends on the boat fueled online speculation about racial dynamics.