‘A no true bill is not an answer’: Crump, Sharpton respond after no indictment in Nolan Wells case

A Jackson County grand jury found no evidence of criminal conduct, but Wells’ family and attorneys say questions surrounding his death remain.

A Mississippi grand jury has declined to indict anyone in connection with the death of 18-year-old Nolan Xavier Wells, but the decision has not ended questions from Wells’ family, attorney Ben Crump and civil rights leader Rev. Al Sharpton about how the teenager died.

Wells, who was Black, disappeared July 4 after traveling with friends to Horn Island off the Mississippi Gulf Coast. His body was found two days later. After an investigation that included 132 subpoenas, testimony from 43 witnesses and a review of physical and digital evidence, the Jackson County grand jury returned a “no true bill,” meaning it found no evidence warranting criminal charges. 

The grand jury concluded that Wells’ body was consistent with drowning and found no credible evidence of criminal conduct. District Attorney Angel Myers McIlrath has also said there is “absolutely no evidence” that Wells’ death was racially motivated. 

But Crump, who represents Wells’ family, argues the grand jury’s decision does not resolve questions surrounding injuries documented during forensic examinations.

“Today, the State of Mississippi is attempting to close the chapter on Nolan Wells’ death without getting to the truth,” Crump said in a statement released by his office.

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According to Crump, Mississippi’s medical examiner documented bruising on the back of Wells’ head. An independent autopsy conducted for the family by forensic pathologist Dr. Roger A. Mitchell also documented “traces of blood and recent blunt-force injuries” to the back of Wells’ head and back.

“To this day, not one person has explained how they got there,” Crump said.

Mitchell’s report, according to Crump’s office, said the available record did not establish whether Wells entered the water voluntarily or was forced, or whether he was conscious when he entered. Both the state medical examiner and independent pathologist have determined the cause and manner of death to be undetermined. 

Sharpton, who has publicly supported Wells’ family, echoed those concerns in a statement Tuesday emailed to theGrio.

“A no true bill is not an answer to how 18-year-old Nolan Xavier Wells left for an outing with friends and never came home,” Sharpton said. “His cause and manner of death remain undetermined.”

Sharpton added that the family “will not confuse the absence of an indictment with the presence of an answer.”

“We will continue to demand answers, pursue accountability, and mobilize with even greater resolve until justice is served,” he said.

While the grand jury’s decision means no criminal charges have been brought, it does not legally prevent the case from being revisited if new evidence emerges. Mississippi has no statute of limitations for murder charges.