Attorney Ben Crump Says Grand Jury’s Decision on Nolan Wells’ Death Leaves Blunt Force Trauma Unexplained

Civil rights attorney Ben Crump(Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc.) and the legal team representing the family of 18-year-old Nolan Xavier Wells say Jackson County District Attorney Angel Myers McIlrath is attempting to close the case on Wells’ death without explaining injuries found on the back of his head and body. 

Wells, a wide receiver at Southwest Mississippi Community College, went missing on July 4 during a boat trip with friends to Horn Island and was found dead days later.

Mississippi’s medical examiner noted evidence of injury to Wells’ head early in the investigation. An independent autopsy commissioned by the family, conducted by forensic pathologist Dr. Roger A. Mitchell Jr., found that Wells sustained unexplained blunt force injuries to the back of his head and additional areas of his back, confirmed as blood and documented as two contusions. Dr. Mitchell concluded that the cause and manner of death should remain undetermined, calling drowning a diagnosis of exclusion that cannot be certified until every other cause is ruled out. A grand jury found Wells’ body was consistent with drowning, but the death certificate lists the cause and manner of death as undetermined.

In a statement, Crump said the state of Mississippi is “attempting to close the chapter on Nolan Wells’ death without getting to the truth,” pointing to the unexplained injuries documented by both the state’s pathologist and the family’s independent examiner. He added that key questions about how Wells entered the water, and whether he was conscious at the time, remain unanswered.

The legal team is releasing Dr. Mitchell’s full report and is calling on the District Attorney’s office to release the state’s complete autopsy findings, keep the investigation open, and turn over the investigative file. The family is also renewing its request for the U.S. Department of Justice to open the independent federal review sought by the Congressional Black Caucus in August. Forensic experts are expected to address a full examination of Wells’ cell phone and social media activity in the coming days.

Nolan’s parents and legal team will hold a news conference Tuesday, September 22, at 12 p.m. ET at New Birth Missionary Baptist Church in Stonecrest, Georgia.