A Mississippi grand jury found no evidence of criminal wrongdoing in the death of 18-year-old Nolan Wells, determining that the college football player’s body was recovered under circumstances “consistent with drowning” after he disappeared during a Fourth of July boating outing.
The 23-member Jackson County grand jury decided that criminal charges were not justified after hearing testimony from 43 witnesses and examining physical and digital evidence, police reports, interviews, videos, photographs and maps. District Attorney Angel Myers McIlrath released the grand jury’s report Monday.
Wells vanished on July 4 after traveling with friends to Horn Island, a barrier island off Mississippi’s Gulf Coast. His body was found in the waters near the island two days later following a multi-agency search.
Nolan Wells smiles on the field while playing wide receiver for Southwest Mississippi Community College. (Christine Wonsley/Facebook)
The report said the “position, condition, time of discovery and location” of Wells’ body were consistent with drowning. It also stated there was “no credible evidence” that anyone traveling to or from Horn Island committed a crime connected to his death.
The grand jury determined that bruising on the back of Wells’ head was “not a fatal injury.” Investigators found no evidence of a fatal injury or organic disease, although they were unable to establish how the bruise occurred.
One witness told the grand jury that Wells appeared to slip “awkwardly off the side of a boat” around the time he was last seen. The witness could not determine whether Wells hit his head in the fall, but said Wells continued socializing afterward and did not appear to be hurt.
The report further stated that Wells was not involved in a physical confrontation or argument that day.
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A private autopsy arranged by Wells’ family had earlier classified both his cause and manner of death as “undetermined pending investigation.”
Nolan Wells wears blue swim trunks and sunglasses while aboard a boat near Horn Island, Mississippi, on July 4, 2026. (Jackson County Sheriff’s Office)
At a July 22 news conference, civil rights attorney Ben Crump said the examination identified an area of “red discoloration” on the back of Wells’ head. However, pathologist Dr. Roger Mitchell was unable to determine a cause or manner of death.
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Wells’ alcohol consumption also became a focus of questions surrounding the case.
An email sent July 5 by the Mississippi Department of Marine Resources Marine Patrol, previously obtained by News Media, described Wells’ alcohol intake as “heavy” while authorities searched for him. The message did not say where that information came from.
According to the grand jury, Wells purchased alcohol with a fake identification card, and no adults who were legally old enough to drink supplied him with alcohol on the island.
The report said toxicology results were “not particularly informative” because decomposition fluid is an unreliable way to measure substance levels in a body. It also found no cocaine in Wells’ system and no evidence that he had ever used the drug.
The grand jury’s report also addressed what happened to Wells’ cellphone, which was brought back to the mainland without him.
The grand jury said it was common for visitors to the island to return on separate boats or leave phones and other personal belongings on vessels while socializing. Wells’ phone was not the only one returned to the mainland without its owner, the report said.
White sand beaches stretch along Horn Island in Mississippi’s Gulf of Mexico waters on June 26, 2010. (James Edward Bates/Biloxi Sun Herald/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)
Wells’ death drew national attention and prompted widespread speculation across social media.
The grand jury said allegations targeting the occupants of the three boats involved in the trip had spread to their relatives and friends, calling the “public attacks” “malicious, false,” and having “no truth in fact or evidence.”
Wells’ family was given an opportunity to provide evidence from its private investigation. According to the report, the family’s attorneys said their investigation had found no witnesses or evidence they reasonably believed pointed to potential criminal activity that warranted referral.
The case could still return to a grand jury if new evidence emerges. Mississippi has no statute of limitations on homicide cases.
“If credible evidence comes to light in the future that suggests Mr. Wells’ death was non-accidental, this matter should be represented to the Jackson County Grand Jury for further consideration,” the report said.