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Family and Ben Crump demand answers after Mississippi grand jury declines charges

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Nolan Wells’ parents and their attorneys called on Mississippi to continue pursuing a fuller picture of the “truth” in the teenager’s death at a press conference Tuesday. The press conference was held a day after the Jackson County district attorney said a state grand jury will not pursue charges in the teenager’s July Fourth death.“Jackson County District Attorney Angel Myers McArthur will have you accept that Nolan Wells’ death can be summarized in three words: ‘We’ll never know,’” attorney Ben Crump said. “But Nolan’s family offers three other words: ‘We’ll never stop.’”Crump, in his remarks, insinuated that the district attorney’s investigation was not exhaustive and should continue until the cause of Wells’ death is made clear. Wells’ mother, Christine Wells-Wonsley, said she received a text message from the district attorney at 7:54 p.m. Monday, and that the report was released shortly after. “To me, that action shows a lack of empathy,” she said. Wells-Wonsley continued: “What we have learned is that we still have no answers, and the report reinforced the fact that Nolan was not given a thorough, transparent and honest investigation.” Wells, 18, was last seen celebrating the July 4 holiday with friends on Horn Island, a barrier reef off Mississippi accessible only by boat. The friends he was with that day have said they had to leave the island early because their boat was taking on water, and that Wells opted to stay behind for the rest of the day. His mother has said he never returned home, even though his friends said that he told them he planned to catch a ride back to the mainland with others. His body was found at the northwestern tip of the island July 6, Crump has said.In the aftermath of Wells’ death, Crump pointed the blame toward the friends Wells was with on that day, all of whom are white, and alleged that race was involved. Wells appeared to be one of the few Black people on the island that day, according to photos and videos shared of the celebrations. District Attorney Angel Myers McIlrath attempted to put that idea to rest with Tuesday’s statement.In a video message, she said the grand jury returned a “no true bill,” meaning it did not find sufficient evidence to indict anyone with a crime. A partially redacted copy of the grand jury report was also posted to the DA’s Facebook page.“There is absolutely no evidence to support the allegations that Nolan’s disappearance and death were racially motivated,” Myers McIlrath said. “Nolan’s friends loved Nolan, and Nolan loved them. Nolan chose to stay on the island that day, and there is not a scintilla of evidence to contradict that.”She also took aim at Crump and his team in the statement, saying they also previously informed her office that they’d found no evidence a crime had been committed against Wells.Crump, in turn, said in a statement: “This grand jury result leaves us with more questions than answers. Nolan’s family will not rest until we know what happened to him, and neither will we.”The Rev. Al Sharpton, who has been an advocate for the family, said skepticism is warranted from Wells’ parents and those following the case. “Mississippi’s history painfully teaches us exactly why families should never be expected to simply accept unanswered questions surrounding the death of a young Black person,” the civil rights advocate said in a statement Tuesday.Crump, along with Wells’ parents, commissioned an independent autopsy, which found the cause of the teenager’s death was “undetermined.” It did, however, find two bruises on the back of Wells’ head. “To this day, not one person has explained how they got there,” Crump added in the statement. “We don’t know how Nolan died, and neither does the state of Mississippi. Mississippi must keep investigating.”Crump and Wells-Wonsley both spoke about the apparent blunt force trauma again Tuesday at the news conference and called for answers. Crump called on the district attorney to release the full autopsy report from the medical examiner’s office.Coroner Bruce Lynd will not be releasing the state’s autopsy report, telling Jattvibe News “the autopsy report, which may include a toxicology report, cannot be released because the release of autopsy reports” is limited by Mississippi law. The grand jury, which investigated the case, concluded that there was no evidence that Wells had any sort of physical altercation or argument with anyone the day he was last seen. It added “that the position of, the condition of, time of discovery, and location of Mr. Wells’ body is consistent with drowning.”Crump and Wells’ parents have previously rejected the theory that he simply drowned, citing the teenager’s athleticism and ability to swim. Those who know the area well, though, told Jattvibe News it is not uncommon for even a good swimmer to be swept away by the currents. The state’s chief medical examiner and a forensic pathologist retained by Wells’ family both “opined that the cause and manner of Mr. Wells’ death is undetermined and that drowning is a diagnosis of exclusion,” according to the grand jury report. It noted, however, that neither has ruled out accidental drowning as a cause.Crump said there will be another press conference in Orlando, Florida, later this week to discuss the investigation into Wells’ cellphone. The friends on the boat had his phone and brought it back to the mainland from Horn Island on July 4. They said Wells accidentally left it with them, but his parents have refuted that assertion, asking what teenager would leave their phone behind?

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