No criminal charges in the death of Nolan Wells: Grand jury report

Key Points:

• The Jackson County Grand Jury found no credible evidence to support criminal charges in the drowning death of 18-year-old Nolan Wells, whose body was recovered off the Mississippi coast after he vanished during a Fourth of July celebration.
• The grand jury concluded that Wells' death was consistent with drowning, with no fatal injuries or signs of physical altercation, though the cause of a bruise on the back of his head remains unclear.
• Toxicology reports showed no cocaine in Wells' system, and while he had purchased alcohol with a fake ID, no adults provided him alcohol on the island; witnesses reported he slipped off a boat but continued socializing without apparent injury.
• The report criticized the national media attention and online speculation as malicious and unfounded, emphasizing that public allegations against those on the boats and their families have no basis in evidence.
• Wells' family conducted a private investigation that yielded no evidence of criminal activity, and the grand jury noted that if new credible evidence emerges, the case can be reopened as Mississippi has no statute of limitations on homicide cases.