By admin 
What happened to Nolan Xavier Wells may be a question that is never truly answered, according to findings from a Jackson County grand jury.
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The Mississippi State Medical Examiner’s Office ruled Wells’ cause and manner of death undetermined and inconclusive — the same finding reached by an independent pathologist who performed an autopsy on Wells on behalf of his parents, Elmore and Christine Wonsley, according to the grand jury report released Monday by District Attorney Angel Myers McIlrath. She spoke about the report in a video released Monday evening.
However, neither the Mississippi State Medical Examiner’s Office nor the independent pathologist could rule out drowning as a possible cause of death.
In fact, the grand jury said in its report that it “finds that the position of, the condition of, time of discovery, and location of Mr. Wells’ body is consistent with drowning.”
The grand jury ultimately 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.
The grand jury issued 132 subpoenas during its investigation and heard from 43 witnesses as it reviewed whether criminal wrongdoing had occurred.
As part of that review, the grand jury considered physical and digital evidence and heard testimony from witnesses brought by investigators, including those from local, state and federal agencies.
The evidence reviewed included cell phone data and forensic reports, along with photographs, videos and GPS data, according to the report. In addition, the state medical examiner and the independent pathologist disagreed about bruising found on Wells’ buttocks and shoulder.
In other testimony before the grand jury, a witness reported seeing Wells slip “awkwardly” off the side of a boat around 3:30 p.m. July 4. The witness said there was no way to know whether Wells struck his head at the time.
The injury to Wells’ neck was not fatal, according to the report. The witness said that after the incident, Wells continued to socialize and did not appear injured, the report said.
The grand jury concluded its investigation into Wells’ death on Friday, Sept. 18.
The grand jury report also addressed public allegations against some of the young men and women who were with Wells the day he went missing on Horn Island.
Allegations of misconduct and racial targeting involving Wells’ friends — including Warren Hudson, Jax Pitalo and Morgan Seymour, and others — were determined to be false and malicious, according to the report.
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The grand jury also addressed false “social media claims,” including the misinterpretation of emergency calls, such as one made to Sea Tow, a marine assistance company that provides boat towing and emergency services to boaters.
On the return trip from the island, one of the three boats the friends and Wells had taken to Horn Island began taking on water, prompting a call to Sea Tow that was ultimately canceled.
In its findings, the grand jury said it found no “credible evidence” of criminal activity related to Wells’ death. The report also addressed claims that it was unusual for friends to place personal items on other boats when they decided to ride back with other groups.
The grand jury also rejected social media speculation that Wells was the only Black person celebrating on Horn Island on Independence Day. The report did not include the results of toxicology testing, but it said Wells did not have cocaine in his system, contradicting rumors that he had cocaine in his system at the time of his death.
In addition, the grand jury reviewed evidence showing Wells had used a fake ID to buy the alcohol he drank the day he went to Horn Island. The report said an adult had not provided him with alcohol.
Wells was reported missing July 4 after traveling with a large group of friends aboard one of three boats to Horn Island, about 10 miles off the Mississippi coast, to celebrate Independence Day. His body was found two days later off the northwest tip of the island. Wells’ friends returned to the mainland without him, saying he had stayed behind to talk to a girl.
The friends said Wells had left his cellphone with them when they left, something his parents have questioned because of the island’s distance from the mainland. The grand jury report said it wasn’t unusual for individuals to return from the island on boats they didn’t travel to the island on and Wells’ wasn’t the only cell phone that day that returned to the mainland without the owner.
The grand jury had unrestricted access to the full investigative file from the Jackson County Sheriff’s Department, which included all materials from assisting law enforcement agencies in the death investigation.
In its review, the grand jury considered a comprehensive range of evidence and sources:
- Sworn testimony from 43 witnesses, including individuals invited by the grand jury and recorded statements from those unable to appear.
- Testimony from forensic pathologists, including an independent expert retained by the Wells family.
- Physical and digital evidence, including cell phone extractions, GPS and location data, images, videos and recordings:
- Forensic reports, such as the family’s forensic examiner’s mobile device reports and a Snapchat conversation report.
- Other reports generated during the investigation, including those from law enforcement a
In addition, the grand jury requested and received relevant evidence from the Wells family’s legal team, including forensic reports and correspondence.
Sun Herald reporter Mary Perez contributed to this report.
This story was originally published September 21, 2026 at 6:07 PM with the headline “Grand jury report into death of Nolan Wells released. Here are the details.”
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