A Mississippi grand jury has declined to indict anyone in the death of Nolan Wells, issuing a no true bill after finding no evidence of criminal activity. Wells disappeared on July 4, 2026, during a trip to Horn Island and was found dead two days later. Both autopsies ruled the cause and manner of death as undetermined, with accidental drowning consistent with the evidence. An independent autopsy, however, found unexplained blunt-force injuries to the back of Wells’ head and back, and that finding is at the center of his family’s push for continued investigation.
Wells’ parents, Christine and Elmore Wonsley, held a press conference alongside civil rights attorney Ben Crump, saying the grand jury’s decision left them with more questions than answers. Crump says full phone extraction results will be discussed at a Thursday press conference in Orlando. Meanwhile, the NAACP is calling for a federal investigation, pointing out that Horn Island is mainly federal land managed by the National Park Service.
Here on the Suncoast, we know these waters and these islands well. Families cross to barrier islands all summer long, and cases like this raise hard questions about transparency, evidence and how death investigations are handled. For now, the family says they will never stop until they get to the truth. What do you think should happen next in this case? Let us know in the comments.
