A Mississippi grand jury has concluded that Nolan Wells died in a manner consistent with drowning, rejecting claims that the 18-year-old’s death was racially motivated.
After reviewing the evidence, the Jackson County grand jury determined that there was not enough basis to bring criminal charges over Wells’ death.
Wells was discovered floating in the water on July 6, two days after he and friends took a Fourth of July boating trip near Mississippi’s Horn Island.
The case drew national attention after Wells’ grieving family pressed for a deeper investigation, even though authorities had said there was no indication of foul play.
Civil rights activist Al Sharpton and Sunny Hostin, co-host of The View, are among the public figures who have reportedly faced threats of defamation lawsuits over comments concerning Wells’ death.
In a report issued by the Jackson County District Attorney’s Office, jurors wrote that the position, condition, discovery timeline and location of Wells’ body were all “consistent with drowning.”
“Following a thorough and exhaustive investigation, the grand jury met last week to consider Nolan Wells’ death and unanimously returned a no true bill,” District Attorney Angel Myers McIlrath said.
“Nolan Wells’ death has devastated our community. Outsiders and influencers have tried to use his death to create division and chaos here, but we are stronger together,” she added.
Nolan Wells was found after the 18-year-old football player and his friends spent the Fourth of July on a boat near Horn Island off the Mississippi Gulf Coast.
The teenager’s death attracted national attention as his family sought further answers, despite law enforcement’s conclusion that there was no evidence of foul play.
Wells’ mother said her suspicions grew after she recovered his phone and noticed on Snapchat that he had not taken any pictures during the outing, something she described as unusual for her son.
The state’s chief medical examiner and another physician classified the cause of death as “undetermined,” noting that drowning is “a diagnosis of exclusion.”
The documents stated that Wells had bruising on the back of his head, but that the injury was not fatal. They also noted a disagreement between the doctor and the state medical examiner over additional bruising on his back and shoulder.
One witness testified that he saw Wells make an awkward slip from the side of a boat at about 3:30 p.m. on July 4. However, the witness could not determine whether Wells hit his head as he fell, according to the report.
The witness said Wells continued socializing afterward and did not appear to be hurt.
Jurors also concluded that Wells was not the only person of color on Horn Island that day, contradicting speculation that he may have been isolated because of his race.
“There is absolutely no evidence supporting allegations that Nolan’s disappearance and death were racially motivated,” McIlrath said.
The grand jury report said it found “no credible evidence” that anyone who traveled to or from Horn Island on July 4 had committed a crime connected to Wells’ death.
The findings also stated that Wells had not been involved in a fight or dispute that day and had remained on the island to socialize with others.
The report said the Triton boat carrying Wells’ group suffered a motor and bilge-pump failure on July 4, was taking on water and began sinking.
The grand jury addressed the public’s concerns and dismissed rumors, determining that Wells was not the only person of color on Horn Island on the day of his death as speculated
‘The Grand Jury conducted a comprehensive inquiry into the death of Mr Wells and is confident in the extensive investigation done by both Federal and State law enforcement agencies,’ the report added.
The report comes after a flurry of theories were shared by media personalities and on social media.
The View’s host Sunny Hostin even suggested Wells’ friends played a role in his death.
Lawyers Morgan Seymour, Jax Pitalo and Warren Hudson sent Hostin a letter demanding she retract, delete and apologize within 10 days for what they claim were defamatory comments she made – or face legal consequences.
Paltzik and Cox took specific aim at comments she allegedly made about the case on The View’s Behind the Tale podcast on July 13 and on a segment that aired on the talk show the following day.
On the podcast, the lawyers say, Hostin claimed there were ‘a lot of inconsistencies’ regarding Wells’ cellphone and ‘social media profiles being erased,’ an apparent reference to claims that Snapchat messages may have been deleted from Wells’ phone, as a photo of Pitalo, Seymour and Wells was displayed on camera.
Hostin also said she found it ‘extremely odd’ that ‘the three boys he was on the boat with’ were not questioned separately by police.
‘I don’t know that that’s happened here and that is shocking to me,’ she said.
In a segment that aired on The View the following day, Hostin claimed there were ‘some racial undertones’ to the case and that Wells ‘was the only black kid on an island full of kids that were white.’
The View co-host Sunny Hostin was threatened with a defamation lawsuit for comments she made about the Nolan Wells case
Wells’ parents, Christine and Elmore Wonsley, previously challenged the accounts given by their son’s friends about what happened on the day he died
Lawyers representing three of Wells’ friends – Morgan Seymour, Jax Pitalo and Warren Hudson – deny he was the only black kid on the island as Hostin had claimed
She further claimed the ‘three boys with him that were good friends with him’ had ‘kept his phone and didn’t give it to his parents.’
But the attorneys deny that their clients ever touched or had ‘actual possession of Nolan’s phone.’
They noted that many on the island stored their cellphones and electronic devices on their boats so they would not be damaged by the water, and witnesses have said Wells did not seem concerned his phone was onboard as the others left in separate boats.
The phone was then brought back to the mainland by a wider friend group and kept safe in another friend’s truck.
‘At no time did they alter, delete, modify or erase any data or information on Nolan’s phone,’ they argued, saying the phone was turned over to a friend of Wells’ family ‘without incident or delay.’
The attorneys further denied Wells was ‘the only black kid on an island full of kids that were white,’ as Sunny suggested, and noted that their clients had ‘repeatedly cooperated with law enforcement and turned their phones in for inspection long ago.’
They also argued that the three friends did not need to be ‘separated in different rooms’ because ‘they did nothing wrong, had nothing to do with Nolan’s tragic death and immediately stepped forward to accelerate the investigation by contacting Nolan’s mother and law enforcement.’
‘Warren, Jax and Morgan were all close with Nolan and loved him like a brother. And Nolan loved them back,’ the lawyers claimed.
‘Unlike you, Warren, Jax and Morgan welcomed the truth and care very much about learning the truth surrounding Nolan’s tragic death.’
Hostin’s remarks, taken in full, suggested that the friends ‘were colluding to hide evidence and/or obstruct the efforts to find Nolan at the very least, and that they murdered Nolan at the very worst,’ Paltzik and Cox argued.
‘It is hard to fathom the pure negligence you have shown through your multiple interviews regarding these young men and the tragic death of their friend, Nolan Wells,’ the lawyers tell Hostin.
‘Your unwillingness to research the most basic facts surrounding the incident before commenting publicly is downright baffling,’ they continue.
‘Moreover, as a former prosecutor, you of all people should know the importance of “innocent until proven guilty.” You swore an oath with that principle in mind.’
‘To put it plainly, Sunny: our clients are completely innocent and your harmful lies and complete disregard for the truth have brought shame on you, your dwindling audience and the profession we share.’
This is a breaking news story.
