EXCLUSIVE: Nolan Wells' Family Demands Answers After Death Case Is Closed
Nolan Wells' family demands answers after his death case closes, leaving loved ones seeking clarity.
Oct. 12 2026, Published 8:00 a.m. ET
The contentious case of Nolan Wells – the Black 18-year-old found dead in July after a boat trip with white pals in Mississippi – will not result in criminal charges, a district attorney has declared, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
Now, a rep for the tragic teen's grieving family is bashing the decision.
DA Pushes Back on Death Narrative
Benjamin Crump said those closing the investigation were doing so 'without getting to the bottom' of Wells' injuries.
Civil rights attorney Benjamin Crump, who has been leading the Wells family's legal team, said in a statement those trying to close the investigation into Wells' death are doing so "without getting to the bottom of what caused the blunt force trauma to the back of his head and body."
Racial tensions flared following the death of the high school football player, whose body was found floating adrift two days after he went missing following an excursion off of the Mississippi Gulf Coast for the Fourth of July.
However, Jackson County District Attorney Angel Myers McIlrath recently released a video statement saying: "The narrative that three white boys and a Black boy went to an island, and only three white friends returned, spread like wildfire. This was false."
McIlrath explained Wells went to Horn Island with buddies and "connected" with more people there.
Grand Jury Finds No Fatal Injuries
Angel Myers McIlrath said there was 'absolutely no evidence' Wells' death was racially motivated.
She added: "There is absolutely no evidence to support the allegations that Nolan's disappearance and death were racially motivated."
A recently released grand jury report states: "Both the State of Mississippi Chief Medical Examiner and Dr. [redacted] opined that the cause and manner of Mr. Wells' death is undetermined and that drowning is a diagnosis of exclusion."
The report also mentions that any bruising on the teenager was determined not to be "a fatal injury" and that "the Grand Jury found no evidence of any fatal injury or organic disease to Mr. Wells' body."
Grand Jury Dismisses Wells Case
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A grand jury found no evidence that a crime was committed and dismissed the case.
In the end, the grand jury found no evidence that a crime was committed and dismissed the case.
Still, many critics have claimed race has played a factor in how the death of Wells was handled.
Meanwhile, others have accused Wells' family of using the untimely death as a cash grab after an online fundraiser raised over $880,000 in donations.
