The Ocean Springs, Mississippi teen was found dead in the water on the northwest end of Horn Island on Monday morning, July 6. A grand jury has unanimously declined to indict anyone in the death of Nolan Wells .
Wells went missing on July 4 after taking a boat to the island with friends. The search for the teen was called off after a body was found by a park ranger on Monday, July 6. “The grand jury finds no credible evidence to support the public allegations that any persons who rode to or from Horn Island on July 4, 2026 on the Triton, the Palm Beach, or the Tideline engaged in any criminal conduct related to the death of Mr. Wells,” said the grand jury report released late on Monday, September 20, by Jackson County District Attorney Angel Myers McIlrath’s office.
Attorney Ben Crump had sought a comprehensive investigation and transparency from authorities on Wells’ death. The grand jury found that “the position of, the condition of, time of discovery, and location of Mr. “Both the State of Mississippi Chief Medical Examiner and Dr. (name redacted) opined that the cause and manner of Mr. Wells’ death is undetermined and that drowning is a diagnosis of exclusion,” the report added.
Wells’ body is consistent with drowning,” its report said. The grand jury understood that neither forensic expert had ruled out accidental drowning as a cause of death, according to the report. “Jackson County, after a thorough and exhaustive investigation, your grand jury met last week concerning the death investigation of Nolan Wells and unanimously returned a no true bill,” McIlrath said in a social media video. McIlrath said there was no evidence to support the claims that race was a factor in Wells’ death.
