Grand jury finds no evidence of criminal conduct in the death of Nolan Wells

A man places a photograph of Nolan Xavier Wells in front of the podium before a news conference at McCormick Place in Chicago, on July 22. Wells, an 18-year-old Mississippi college student, was found dead after a boat trip with friends on July 4. Octavio Jones/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

A Mississippi grand jury has decided not to bring indictments in the case of Nolan Wells, a teenager who was found dead off the Mississippi coast in early July.

"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," the report reads .

The grand jury met from Sept. 14 to Sept. 18, ultimately finding that Wells' cause of death was consistent with drowning, based on where his body was found and multiple autopsies. The cause of death is undetermined, but clear absence of other causes of death make drowning a likely "diagnosis by exclusion."

The 23 jurors heard from over 40 witnesses and reviewed evidence ranging from GPS data to cellphone extractions to photos and videos from Horn Island.

Evidence reviewed also included findings from civil rights attorney Ben Crump's team, who is representing Wells' family.

"No True Bill Does Not Resolve How Nolan Wells Died" Crump posted on Facebook , hours after the Monday release of the report, referring to the grand jury's declining to issue any indictments.

Wells was found dead on Horn Island on July 6 after he boated there with several friends two days before to celebrate Independence Day.