By admin 
Ben Crump, the attorney hired by the family of Nolan Wells, and the Rev. Al Sharpton, the civil rights activist each have spoken against the Jackson County grand jury investigation into the death of Nolan Xavier Wells.
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During a press conference streamed live on Crump’s Facebook page Tuesday, he said Jackson County District Attorney Angel Myers McIlrath called the state’s investigation exhaustive.
“Was it exhaustive, or were they just exhausted?” Crump asked.
“The grand jury left us with questions. Nolan Wells’ family deserves answers,” he said, including what caused blunt force trauma to his head and did it contribute to his death. He said the investigation should remain open and active “… until we get to the truth.”
Crump is asking for the state’s autopsy report to be released and said another press conference will be held in two days in Orlando to continue to address blunt force trauma to Wells’ body.
The grand jury found no evidence that criminal wrongdoing had occurred. The case has resulted in no criminal charges against those who were with Wells the day he went missing. Additionally, the Mississippi State Medical Examiner’s Office ruled Wells’ cause and manner of death undetermined and inconclusive
Crump accused Jackson County District Attorney Angel Myers McIlrath of “attempting to close the chapter on Wells’ death without getting to the bottom of what caused the blunt force trauma to the back of his head and body.”
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“In my eulogy at Nolan’s funeral, I called for every stone to be rolled back and every veil torn away so that the truth could come out. That demand did not expire with this grand jury,” Sharpton said. “While we strongly disagree with the conclusion that there was no criminal wrongdoing, we will not allow today’s decision to become the final word on Nolan’s death. We will continue to demand answers, pursue accountability, and mobilize with even greater resolve until justice is served.”
Late Monday, the legal team representing Wells’ parents, Christine and Elmore Wonsley, released the full independent autopsy and requested that McIlrath release the full autopsy report from the state’s medical examiner. The legal team is also calling on the District Attorney’s office to keep the investigation open and active and to release the investigative file.
Crump says the family also is renewing its request that the U.S. Department of Justice open the independent federal review sought by the Congressional Black Caucus in August.
“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. Transparency and accountability matter. The truth matters. Nolan’s life mattered,” Sharpton said. “I stood with Christine and Elmore when they buried their son, and I stand with them now. They deserve compassion. They deserve dignity. And most of all, they deserve the truth. “
This story was originally published September 22, 2026 at 7:07 AM with the headline “Crump, Sharpton insist investigation into Nolan Wells’ death must continue.”
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