A grand jury unanimously found that there was no evidence to support bringing 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.
The grand jury said in a report released Monday by the Jackson County District Attorney’s office that it found no criminal or racially motivated wrongdoing, after it conducted an comprehensive investigation involving witness testimony, physical and digital evidence, as well as GPS and cellphone data.
The grand jury “finds that the position of, the condition of, time of discovery, and location of Mr. Wells’ body is consistent with drowning,” it said.
The announcement caps months of speculation about the circumstances of Wells’ death, after photos circulated widely of the Black teen surrounded by White friends during the trip to Horn Island, a remote barrier island that is a popular holiday destination.
“There is absolutely no evidence to support the allegations that Nolan’s death and disappearance were racially motivated,” District Attorney Angel Myers McIlrath said in a video statement released alongside the report.
Wells’ body was found July 6 in the water near the coast of Horn Island.
There were no immediate signs of trauma or foul play, Jackson County Coroner Bruce Lynd told CNN. But given the uncertain circumstances, Lynd’s office asked for a full autopsy at the state medical examiner’s office to determine Wells’ cause and manner of death.
Wells’ family has continued to press for transparency and answers throughout the investigation, amid speculation fueled against the backdrop of Mississippi’s fraught history of racial violence.
The state’s autopsy was performed July 7, and a separate, out-of-state autopsy requested by Wells’ family, which described his manner of death as undetermined pending further investigation, was performed July 10.
