Grand jury declines to indict anyone in death of Black teen in Mississippi

Nolan Wells, an 18-year-old Black college football player from Mississippi, died after going missing during a Fourth of July trip to Horn Island, off the Gulf Coast. His body was found two days later. A grand jury in Jackson County reviewed evidence and concluded that there is no credible evidence of criminal conduct or foul play in Wells' death, which they determined was "consistent with drowning." The grand jury report, released on September 21, stated that both the Mississippi State Medical Examiner's Office and an independent autopsy found the cause of death undetermined but consistent with drowning. District Attorney Angel Myers McIlrath emphasized there is no evidence to support racially motivated allegations regarding Wells' disappearance and death. Despite these findings, civil rights attorney Ben Crump, representing Wells' family, continues to seek more answers.