# Grand Jury Clears All in Nolan Wells Death, Family Rejects Findings

- URL: https://twotakes.us/stories/grand-jury-clears-all-in-nolan-wells-death-family-rejects-findings
- Published: 2026-09-23T19:14:44.961849+00:00
- Topics: nolan-wells, grand-jury, race, crime, mississippi, ben-crump

## What the left says
- The Wells family's independent autopsy found unexplained blunt-force injuries to the back of Nolan's head and body that neither the grand jury report nor official conclusions adequately address.
- A grieving mother learning her son's case was closed via a text message the night before public release reflects a broader pattern of institutions treating Black families' losses with insufficient care and transparency.
- The circumstances remain deeply troubling: a Black teenager was left behind on an island by white friends who departed early, and no one has offered a clear account of what happened to him afterward.
- Both medical examiners listed the cause and manner of death as undetermined, so a legal finding of 'no charges' should not be mistaken for a definitive answer about how Nolan actually died.

## What the right says
- A thorough investigation involving 132 subpoenas and 43 witnesses, reviewed by a 23-person grand jury, found no credible evidence that a crime occurred.
- The narrative pushed early on, that three white friends abandoned a Black teen and were responsible for his death, was factually inaccurate and inflamed racial tensions without evidence to support it.
- The district attorney says Ben Crump's team privately acknowledged there was no evidence of a crime as early as August, yet continued promoting false claims about withheld evidence and lung/stomach samples.
- Public officials and investigators followed proper legal process, and the grand jury explicitly left the door open to revisit the case if credible new evidence ever emerges.

## Common ground
- Nolan Wells, 18, died after a July 4th gathering on Horn Island and was found dead on July 6.
- Both the state medical examiner and an independent forensic pathologist listed the cause and manner of death as undetermined.
- The grand jury reviewed extensive evidence, including 132 subpoenas and 43 witnesses, before concluding there was no evidence of criminal conduct.
- Everyone involved wants the true circumstances of Nolan Wells' death fully understood, even as they disagree on whether that has been achieved.

## Sources
- [Just The News](https://justthenews.com/government/courts-law/grand-jury-no-evidence-wrongdoing-nolan-wells-death?utm_source=justthenews.com&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=external-news-aggregators) (Right)
- [NBC News](https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/nolan-wells-death-family-ben-crump-demand-answers-mississippi-grand-ju-rcna599181) (Lean Left)
- [Newsweek](https://www.newsweek.com/nolan-wells-death-independent-autopsy-shows-blunt-force-trauma-12474294) (Lean Right)
- [PBS NewsHour](https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/mississippi-grand-jury-finds-no-cause-for-charges-in-the-july-death-of-nolan-wells) (Lean Left)
- [RedState](https://redstate.com/terichristoph/2026/09/22/ms-da-unleashed-on-ben-crump-n2207227) (Unknown)
- [RedState](https://redstate.com/terichristoph/2026/09/22/grand-jury-makes-blockbuster-decision-in-nolan-wells-death-case-n2207222) (Unknown)

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