Grand jury declines to indict anyone in death of Nolan Wells
Nolan Wells, 18, was found dead after going missing following an outing with friends on Mississippi's Horn Island on the Fourth of July.
Updated on: September 22, 2026 / 1:41 AM EDT / CBS News
Wells' death sparked a considerable amount of speculation across social media, much of which was rebuked by the grand jury.
"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 states. "The allegations against the occupants of the Triton, the Palm Beach, and the Tideline [boats that traveled to the island] are not based in truth, and are solely the result of public clamor and private malice."
"In addition to bringing prosecutions against the guilty, the grand jury must also exonerate those who have been falsely accused," Jackson County District Attorney Angel Myers McIlrath said in a video statement .
"There is absolutely no evidence to support the allegations that Nolan's disappearance and death were racially motivated," she said. "Nolan's friends loved Nolan, and Nolan loved them."