Jackson County District Attorney Angel Myers McIlrath announced that a grand jury unanimously returned a “no true bill” in the death of 18-year-old Nolan Xavier Wells, finding insufficient evidence to issue any criminal indictments.
The announcement came Monday night, September 21, 2026, in a video statement posted with a partially redacted grand jury report. Wells, a Black teenager from the Ocean Springs area, disappeared during a Fourth of July outing on Horn Island and was found dead two days later.
A “no true bill” means the 23-member grand jury concluded there was not probable cause to charge anyone. Jurors issued 132 subpoenas and heard from 43 witnesses after reviewing the full investigative file, including GPS data, cellphone records, videos, maps, physical evidence, and testimony. The panel, described as a cross-section of Jackson County residents, determined Wells traveled to the island with a larger group of friends on three boats and chose to remain behind to socialize after the vessels departed.
McIlrath stated there was “absolutely no evidence” that Wells’ disappearance and death were racially motivated and rejected a circulating narrative that three white friends left a lone Black teen behind. “Nolan’s friends loved Nolan and Nolan loved them,” she said. “Nolan chose to stay on the island that day, and there is not a scintilla of evidence to contradict that.” The grand jury report found no credible evidence of criminal conduct by anyone who rode to or from the island that day and described certain public allegations as the product of “public clamor and private malice.”
Both the state medical examiner and an independent autopsy commissioned by the family listed the cause and manner of death as undetermined, with drowning treated as a diagnosis of exclusion. The grand jury found the position, condition, time of discovery, and location of Wells’ body consistent with drowning. It noted bruising on the back of the head that was not a fatal injury, no evidence of fatal trauma or organic disease, and no drugs—including cocaine—in his system.
The report left open the possibility of future review, noting there is no statute of limitations on homicide in Mississippi if new credible evidence of a non-accidental death emerges. Civil rights attorney Ben Crump, representing the Wells family, said a no true bill “does not resolve how Nolan Wells died” and that the family still seeks answers.
McIlrath described the investigation as thorough and said the grand jury’s role includes both prosecuting the guilty and exonerating the falsely accused. The decision closes the current criminal inquiry without charges.
SOURCES:
Grand jury finds no foul play in death of Nolan Wells, court documents state
Nolan Wells death: Jackson County grand jury issues no true bill – WAPT
Nolan Wells’ Death Won’t Lead to Charges After Grand Jury
Grand jury finds no evidence of criminal conduct in the death of Nolan Wells : NPR
Crump Releases Full Independent Autopsy of Nolan Wells
