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Family and Ben Crump demand answers after Mississippi grand jury declines charges
NBC News • • nation
Key Points:
- Mississippi's Jackson County district attorney announced that a state grand jury will not pursue charges in the July Fourth death of 18-year-old Nolan Wells, citing insufficient evidence and no indication of racial motivation.
- Wells' family and attorney Ben Crump criticized the investigation as incomplete and lacking transparency, highlighting bruises found on Wells' head and calling for continued inquiry into the cause of death.
- The grand jury report concluded that Wells' death was consistent with drowning and found no evidence of physical altercations, though the family disputes the drowning theory given Wells' swimming ability.
- The state's autopsy report remains unreleased due to Mississippi law, prompting calls from Crump for its disclosure, while an independent autopsy commissioned by the family found the cause of death undetermined.
- Civil rights advocate Rev. Al Sharpton expressed skepticism about the investigation's outcome, emphasizing the historical context of mistrust in cases involving the deaths of young Black individuals in Mississippi.
