Sept. 22, 2026
UPDATE: Grand Jury Finds NO Criminal Wrongdoing In Death Of Nolan Wells
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RSS Feed A Jackson, Mississippi grand jury returned a unanimous, “no true bill” in the death of 18 year old Nolan Wells. The jury determining there was not enough evidence to find anyone criminally responsible for the death of the black teen who was last seen partying with friends on an island off the Mississippi coast on the Fourth of July. Instead, the grand jury found that Wells’ death was consistent with drowning, but his official cause of death remains undetermined. Wells’ attorney said “Nolan’s family will not rest until we know what happened to him, and neither will we.”
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00:00:02
Speaker 1: Hey there, folks. It is Tuesday, September 22nd. We have the answer. There will be no charges against anyone in the death of Nolan Wells. But we still don't exactly have the answer as to how he died. And with that, welcome to this episode of Amy and TJ Robes. This is the answer a lot of people have been waiting for. A lot of people of the country, you could argue. Robes, no charges. Nobody's going to be charged with a crime.
00:00:28
Speaker 2: And as you point out, There is no definitive answer as to how he died, why he died, when he died. There are basically no answers that would satiate anyone's curiosity, let alone his family, his attorney, folks who are desperate to know what happened. It appears we're never going to actually know.
00:00:50
Speaker 1: No. We don't know how he died, but nobody was responsible for it, is what we've been told. And, Robes, that is not an answer that the family is going to be okay with. Let's get you caught up here, folks. We just got word yesterday that a grand jury that was looking into Nolan Wells' death has come back with what they call no bill. And what that means is that they don't have sufficient evidence to charge anyone with a crime. They just technically call it no true bill. So, essentially, Robes, this case is over unless something else comes to light down the road. Yes.
00:01:18
Speaker 2: I mean, it is, they did state that it remains open in the sense that if any new information comes out, if any new evidence appears, they would obviously be able to reconsider any sort of charges in this case. But as of right now, you are correct. No one will be held criminally responsible for the death of Nolan Wells. And the cause of death remains undetermined officially, but the jury... after looking at the medical examiner's reports and the reports from the Nolan Wells medical examiner as well, who reviewed, I guess there were multiple autopsies done, they came to the conclusion that his death was consistent with drowning.
00:02:04
Speaker 1: By exclusion is what they're calling it.
00:02:06
Speaker 2: By exclusion.
00:02:07
Speaker 1: It's a process of elimination. This is the only thing we got left. But even though, Rogues, we are not, or we've gotten the answer that nobody's going to be held criminally responsible, we learned a lot. from this grand jury report, which is now out. Much of it is redacted, but you can certainly see what they were trying to say. And Robes, they addressed a lot of rumors, a lot of allegations, a lot of accusations. They acknowledged, really, the public back and forth that's been out there, and they cleared some stuff up, Robes, that has been out there in the public. So it's fascinating. They did meet September 14th through the 18th. We've got 23 jurors here. Robes of the age range 27 to 68. 13 men, 10 women. The racial breakdown was 12 whites, 5 blacks, 2 Hispanics, 2 Native Americans, 1 Asian, and 1 other. As they put it, they heard from 43 witnesses. And robes, they went through damn near everything. They had access to everything.
00:02:59
Speaker 2: They went through... We heard so much about all of this cell phone data, these photos, messages, anything that was being sent or what... wasn't sent. There was these allegations of photos being deleted, maybe messages being deleted, but they reviewed all of the evidence from all of those cell phones. They reviewed GPS data as well. And this all led to them coming to this conclusion. They heard from, as you mentioned, 43 witnesses. That's a significant amount of folks. And look, this was a diverse jury by all accounts.
00:03:36
Speaker 1: I mean, 23 folks have had to decide unanimously that there was nothing to see here, if you will. But let's go through some of the report. We have some excerpts that we will share with you, but we pulled out what certainly are, and I say certainly, the most significant parts of this. And they, again, address a lot of stuff that's been out there in the public. Start with this, though, folks. Robes, they pointed out very early on in this report, it's not just us. We actually asked Nolan Wells' family, his camp, his attorney, give us anything you got that points to criminal activity. They addressed that in particular.
00:04:11
Speaker 2: They certainly did. And they said that the grand jury made written requests to the family of Mr. Wells and their legal team to produce any evidence collected in their independent investigation into the death of Mr.
00:04:22
Speaker 1: Wells.
00:04:23
Speaker 2: We were advised that their investigation revealed no witness or evidence that the legal team reasonably believed possessed information germane to potential criminal activity.
00:04:36
Speaker 1: That's a hell of a statement.
00:04:36
Speaker 2: That's significant.
00:04:37
Speaker 1: We asked you all, give us anything you got that could point us in the direction of criminal activity, and they are saying in this grand jury report that that wasn't the case. Robes, the, maybe the key or the thing that I could not believe when they started talking about these autopsies. One was done independently by Nolan Wells' family. The other was by the medical examiner. We got the results of the one from the independent one earlier on.
00:05:05
Speaker 2: Yes.
00:05:06
Speaker 1: The medical examiner was holding on to his results. Robes, the key from the independent autopsy was what? That they didn't have all the body parts, all the organs. So therefore, the report can't be complete. And you and I immediately thought, well, We need the lungs. Wouldn't that tell you if he drowned?
00:05:26
Speaker 2: Right. We were confused how or why an autopsy would have even been done if you didn't have the organs necessary to rule out certain things and to maybe even rule in... drowning, etc. And yes, the lungs, your throat, the neck, all of these body parts that were reportedly missing, it was super confusing as to why an autopsy would even be done at that point.
00:05:50
Speaker 1: What's the point if you can't even determine anything if the lungs and the organs are gone? Well, the grand jury addressed this, Robes, in a significant way, saying that what we have been told publicly was wrong. So we're going to read this next excerpt, and you're going to hear, they had his name redacted, but his name is Dr. Roger Mitchell. His name has been out there attached to the family. So Dr. Mitchell is who they're referring to. Robes, they said, what you all have been told in public is not the real deal. This is shocking. This was shocking to me.
00:06:34
Speaker 2: It reads, the grand jury is aware that Dr. Mitchell was retained by the Wells to conduct an independent autopsy. The grand jury is aware that Dr. Mitchell was provided with complete access to all investigative materials.
00:06:50
Speaker 1: Dr.
00:06:50
Speaker 2: Mitchell also visited Horna Island with law enforcement and district attorney staff and met with the chief medical examiner for the state of Mississippi. At the Mississippi Forensic Laboratory, Dr. Mitchell was given full access to examine Mr. Wells' internal neck structure retained by the medical examiner at his request.
00:07:11
Speaker 1: It goes on. Dr. Mitchell confirmed that the retention of this tissue is appropriate and best practice in forensic pathology. Dr. Mitchell also dispelled rumors. about various other organs, including the lungs and stomach, being retained. Dr. Mitchell confirmed that he received all of Mr. Wells' body parts, except for the internal neck structure appropriately retained by the medical examiner. And, of course, he was able to see that later. Robes, bottom line, the independent autopsy had everything the medical examiner did. The independent autopsy also did not conclude... that he was killed or had a fatal injury. Robes, we didn't know that.
00:07:54
Speaker 2: That's not what we heard from Ben Crump.
00:07:56
Speaker 1: We heard something very different. I remember that press conference. That was key.
00:08:02
Speaker 2: So are they saying, by releasing this, that Ben Crump was intentionally deceptive with the public?
00:08:07
Speaker 1: They are saying that. I'm not saying that about the grand jury, but already the DA's office is already pointing to folks and saying, yes, You misled the public. You knew this stuff, and you still fanned those flames. Rogues, that is enormous. Because if they would have come out after the independent autopsy, say, yeah, we had his lungs, his heart, we found nothing. That would have put all of this.
00:08:38
Speaker 2: Suspicion and all. And look, a lot of people have had death threats. A lot of people have had to alter their lives because of these insinuations. Colin Kaepernick, and generously donated his money, correct, to pay for this autopsy? And so that is deeply concerning if this was all known at that time.
00:09:01
Speaker 1: We didn't miss something.
00:09:03
Speaker 2: That we were deliberately misled, that the public was deliberately misled, and that did fan the flames of racial tension.
00:09:10
Speaker 1: Robes, we didn't miss something or think they were being cute or we missed some detail in how they were explaining it.
00:09:17
Speaker 2: No, no, no, no, no.
00:09:18
Speaker 1: And the grand jury themselves addressed that. Dispelled rumors. We need to dispel rumors that that autopsy didn't have all his body parts. But, babe, that was huge.
00:09:29
Speaker 2: That is significant. And it has to be addressed, does it not, by Ben Crump?
00:09:37
Speaker 1: Maybe, maybe not. I don't know. But they have a press conference, we should say. They do have something scheduled for later today. But as of this recording, it hasn't happened. So we will Certainly be listening very closely to that. So how exactly did Nolan Wells die? The grand jury put it this way. Both the state of Mississippi chief medical examiner and Dr. Mitchell opined that the cause and manner of Mr. Wells' death is undetermined and that drowning is a diagnosis of exclusion. So they both say, hey, we can't exactly say for several reasons, but based on our history, our experience, based on what we're looking at in the condition of the body, this is what we believe.
00:10:14
Speaker 2: Wow. And look, the grand jury did acknowledged this bruise on the back of his neck. We remember seeing that look, and there's a lot of ways that that could have happened, but there's no way to actually determine it. But they did, um, acknowledge that there was bruising on the back of Mr. Wells head, which was not a fatal injury. Further, the grand jury found no evidence of any fatal injury or organic disease to Mr. Wells' body. They went on to say the grand jury considered credible evidence concerning the circumstances of how Mr. Wells sustained the injury to the back of his head, but the exact cause of the injury remains. remains uncertain a witness testified under oath that he saw mr wells slip awkwardly off the side of a boat around the time of 3 30 p.m on july 4th but could not say whether mr wells struck his head during the fall that's interesting The witness testified that Mr. Wells continued to socialize after the fall and did not appear injured. The grand jury understands that neither forensic expert has ruled out accidental drowning as a cause of Mr. Wells' death. While the grand jury found no other evidence to explain the bruising on the back of Mr. Wells' head or the suspected bruising on his buttocks and shoulder, the grand jury cannot say with absolute certainty that this fall caused this bruising.
00:11:41
Speaker 1: We still don't know. It was there. We're aware of it. They said it wasn't fatal, but there's a suggestion here of how that bruise might have happened, but they do not know. But the idea, they just put it in there that, hey, we were told he fell. Maybe that was it. Yep. But we don't know. Wow. They thought it was worth noting here two things as well, Robes. Questions came up about his drinking and about possible cocaine in his system, but they did determine there was no cocaine in his system based on the toxicology report. Also, it was key to note, Robes, that he bought liquor using his fake IDs. That's important to note because if somebody else had provided liquor to a minor, then maybe you had a different situation, but they determined it was worth it. pointing that out. They also thought it was worth pointing out. Remember that video that was online? Look, they thought some shouting and he was in a fight with somebody.
00:12:25
Speaker 2: And look, there was one of his friends said that was me shouting and had described the situation in which he was shouting. It said it had nothing to do with Nolan Wells. Well, the grand jury, after all of this testimony and all of this investigation said that they, the grand jury finds that Nolan Wells was not in any physical altercation or argument on July 4th.
00:12:46
Speaker 1: They also made note, Rose, they thought it was worth noting what's been going on with Nolan Wells, the people he was with that day to his friends. They said, quote, the grand jury finds that the public attacks on the people who were with Wells that day, as well as their family and friends are malicious, false and have no truth in fact or evidence. And this is what, haven't they hired lawyers? Haven't they threatened to have defamation suits? They have been in hiding to a certain degree. And Robes, a lot of them are friends. We're genuinely good friends of Nolan Wells. And they have been attacked as damn near killers and people who are covering up a crime. A lot of this stuff in the Grand Jury Report, I don't read a lot of them, but they are addressing TikTok. They are addressing stuff people are saying on social media.
00:13:32
Speaker 2: They are because they realize that, yes, it might seem like what rumors. We've talked about this in the Patrick Clancy case when people make suggestions that someone's responsible for a murder with no evidence. it can have real life impact on folks. And we've already seen charges in the Nolan Wells case, but it's been charges about people threatening friends or family members of friends who were with Nolan that day. Those are the only charges that have actually come out of this case. And look, this is real. One of his friends, I remember... speaking out, saying he couldn't even go to one of his best friend's memorial services out of fear of physical bodily harm, that he didn't feel comfortable going to Nolan Wells' funeral. That's incredibly sad and tragic.
00:14:18
Speaker 1: And, Ro, again, will this help at all? Some people will never believe it or never want to listen. But, Ro, those things get going like crazy online. And people who aren't looking into this case, who aren't diving into it, who aren't paying attention, Just see somebody on TikTok or on Twitter or whatever putting this stuff up, and you start to believe it. Patrick Clancy said that in his interview on 60 Minutes. Lie after lie after lie after lie. At some point, people just start to believe it. And what can you do? And it looks like the grand jury tried to address this. Two other things, Robes, that were really, really, really, really, really big deal. One had a lot to do with his phone. The other had to do with him being the only black guy out there. And Robes, because we see that picture. I saw it this morning even being put up. Sitting on a boat, his shirt off. There's white folks around him handing out with his boys. No big deal. The grand jury addressed both of those things.
00:15:03
Speaker 2: Yes, we'll start with the phone. The grand jury finds that it is not unusual or suspicious for individuals to return from the island on boats they did not travel to the island on. nor is it unusual for individuals to place their phones and personal items on other boats they visit and socialize on. The grand jury finds that Mr. Wells' phone was not the only phone to travel back to the mainland without its owner.
00:15:26
Speaker 1: That's interesting. And I'm listening. It sounds crazy to me. Who would leave their phone? What kid would leave their phone? Yes, he caught a ride with these people out there. He caught a ride with somebody else going back. They pointed out nothing to see here almost like that's not uncommon.
00:15:40
Speaker 2: And I think when you've got enough kids saying, yeah, you've got all these different boats, everybody's friends, you leave your phone, you know, you'll get it back. You're having fun. You're drinking, you're socializing. And if, yeah, cause it did seem strange to us too. That was one of the more glaring weight who would leave.
00:15:54
Speaker 1: Their phone, especially 18 year.
00:15:55
Speaker 2: Old, right. But when you start to hear that this is common and that many folks did it, it makes it seem less unusual.
00:16:02
Speaker 1: All right, folks, we'll stay with us. When we come back, you'll hear what the grand jury said about Nolan Wells being the only black guy out there that day. They also made a mention, even though they're not bringing charges, they left open the possibility that charges could come later. All right, we continue here on Amy and TJ discussing the grand jury. Just came back saying they are not going to bring any criminal charges against anyone. There is not sufficient evidence to charge anyone in the death of Nolan Wells. They believe he, at least the evidence, point to a drowning. But, Robes, one of the things, and this is a part that's been a big issue, this did. Look, you've got a black kid out there with majority white kids in Mississippi. Dead under suspicious circumstances, the sheriff's department immediately says they believe it was a drowning, which set people off. And then you get folks, certain camps involved, and now we have a big racial story that's worked up. And a big part of that road, we saw all the pictures, and yes, it was majority white kids out there. And we see that picture. I don't see Nolan Wells with a black kid in any picture out there. So there's this impression. He's literally out there by himself as a black. kid amongst these white kids. The grand jury decided to address that.
00:17:29
Speaker 2: Yeah, they put this in writing. The grand jury recognizes that there have been public assertions that Mr. Wells was the only African-American individual on Horn Island on July 4th, 2026. The grand jury finds that Mr. Wells was not the only African American on Horn Island that day. These false assertions have led to misidentification, speculation, and rumors concerning the death of Mr.
00:17:53
Speaker 1: Wells. Okay, fine and dandy, but... Okay, that's the one thing I took a little issue with. It clearly wasn't a lot of black folks.
00:18:03
Speaker 2: There weren't a lot. There might have been... Like sometimes you'll look around and go, wow, I am literally the only black person in this room.
00:18:10
Speaker 1: Yes.
00:18:10
Speaker 2: And I might be like, like 10 minutes ago, there was one other one. That's kind of what you're saying the jury was saying. Okay.
00:18:17
Speaker 1: It's all good. That was another one. If you look really close, it's fine. That one was a little silly to me. But yes, he wasn't the only, but it doesn't mean it all. It was a diverse group. Correct. You know what we should say? Even if it was nothing but white people, it doesn't mean that any of them had any ill will towards him. Correct.
00:18:38
Speaker 2: They were just saying by saying he was the only one, it further fanned the flames of racial tension, which it certainly did, without a doubt, in those pictures. I will say that consistently, every single friend... spoke of him as just so lovingly. He was not a kid who would have been targeted in any way. It didn't appear. It seemed like you couldn't find one person. And I know when someone has been murdered, no one wants to admit to being an enemy of said person. But I was blown away by how many people, everyone just spoke about how wonderful this kid was, how incredibly loving and kind this kid was. His own mother even asked for the racial tensions to please end. tamped down because he wouldn't have wanted this to be the case.
00:19:27
Speaker 1: You know, they also don't have it in here in front of us, but they mentioned, you remember that picture that was out there of him in a swimming pool at a pool party? Yes. They actually addressed that in saying that was from the day before, July 3rd. They put the exact date where he was and said, stop, because a lot of people were pointing to that and said, look, he was at a party later that night. So that means he came back from the out. No, the picture was from the day before. so again they're addressing a lot of rumors that are out there but they did robes even though they didn't bring charges there is no statute of limitations on homicide so they did suggest that yes if evidence comes back in the future that shows it was not accidental then this should be brought up again before a grand jury for further consideration rope this doesn't feel good um don't have an answer. You don't know. Still, why does a healthy 18-year-old kid just end up dead, just end up drowning? That doesn't make sense. Accidents happen, all kinds of stuff, but no, we just don't have it. I agree. They haven't presented anything that shows that this kid was murdered, that anyone did him any harm. But man, this doesn't feel good, baby.
00:20:30
Speaker 2: It's unsatisfactory. I know that's a terrible word, but for the parents, It's just never going to feel good because you're not ever going to really understand or know. There's no video. There's no footage to show.
00:20:42
Speaker 1: Like, could he?
00:20:43
Speaker 2: We've talked about this. They're drinking. They're having fun. These boats are closed. He could have, if he slipped once, he could have slipped again, quietly, just gone under and never to be seen again.
00:20:51
Speaker 1: Nobody. He's not missing.
00:20:53
Speaker 2: Nobody. It's weird to me that.
00:20:55
Speaker 1: Where's Nolan?
00:20:56
Speaker 2: Nolan.
00:20:56
Speaker 1: Did he go to pee.
00:20:58
Speaker 2: And then just never came back and then no one noticed he didn't come back?
00:21:01
Speaker 1: All that stuff is possible. It's just strange. It's not likely and it's just not a satisfactory answer. No, we have the answer that nobody is going to be charged with a crime. We don't have the answer of how he died. He drowned, we think, by process of elimination. That is not going to help anybody.
00:21:19
Speaker 2: How, when, where, none of that will, it seems like, ever be known.
00:21:24
Speaker 1: It's not over. We will monitor what his family says today and see what the next steps might be. But I wanted to hop on and give you this update, a major one in this case. We appreciate you as always spending a little time with us. I'm TJ. On behalf of my dear Amy Robach, we'll talk to you all soon.
Speaker 1: Hey there, folks. It is Tuesday, September 22nd. We have the answer. There will be no charges against anyone in the death of Nolan Wells. But we still don't exactly have the answer as to how he died. And with that, welcome to this episode of Amy and TJ Robes. This is the answer a lot of people have been waiting for. A lot of people of the country, you could argue. Robes, no charges. Nobody's going to be charged with a crime.
00:00:28
Speaker 2: And as you point out, There is no definitive answer as to how he died, why he died, when he died. There are basically no answers that would satiate anyone's curiosity, let alone his family, his attorney, folks who are desperate to know what happened. It appears we're never going to actually know.
00:00:50
Speaker 1: No. We don't know how he died, but nobody was responsible for it, is what we've been told. And, Robes, that is not an answer that the family is going to be okay with. Let's get you caught up here, folks. We just got word yesterday that a grand jury that was looking into Nolan Wells' death has come back with what they call no bill. And what that means is that they don't have sufficient evidence to charge anyone with a crime. They just technically call it no true bill. So, essentially, Robes, this case is over unless something else comes to light down the road. Yes.
00:01:18
Speaker 2: I mean, it is, they did state that it remains open in the sense that if any new information comes out, if any new evidence appears, they would obviously be able to reconsider any sort of charges in this case. But as of right now, you are correct. No one will be held criminally responsible for the death of Nolan Wells. And the cause of death remains undetermined officially, but the jury... after looking at the medical examiner's reports and the reports from the Nolan Wells medical examiner as well, who reviewed, I guess there were multiple autopsies done, they came to the conclusion that his death was consistent with drowning.
00:02:04
Speaker 1: By exclusion is what they're calling it.
00:02:06
Speaker 2: By exclusion.
00:02:07
Speaker 1: It's a process of elimination. This is the only thing we got left. But even though, Rogues, we are not, or we've gotten the answer that nobody's going to be held criminally responsible, we learned a lot. from this grand jury report, which is now out. Much of it is redacted, but you can certainly see what they were trying to say. And Robes, they addressed a lot of rumors, a lot of allegations, a lot of accusations. They acknowledged, really, the public back and forth that's been out there, and they cleared some stuff up, Robes, that has been out there in the public. So it's fascinating. They did meet September 14th through the 18th. We've got 23 jurors here. Robes of the age range 27 to 68. 13 men, 10 women. The racial breakdown was 12 whites, 5 blacks, 2 Hispanics, 2 Native Americans, 1 Asian, and 1 other. As they put it, they heard from 43 witnesses. And robes, they went through damn near everything. They had access to everything.
00:02:59
Speaker 2: They went through... We heard so much about all of this cell phone data, these photos, messages, anything that was being sent or what... wasn't sent. There was these allegations of photos being deleted, maybe messages being deleted, but they reviewed all of the evidence from all of those cell phones. They reviewed GPS data as well. And this all led to them coming to this conclusion. They heard from, as you mentioned, 43 witnesses. That's a significant amount of folks. And look, this was a diverse jury by all accounts.
00:03:36
Speaker 1: I mean, 23 folks have had to decide unanimously that there was nothing to see here, if you will. But let's go through some of the report. We have some excerpts that we will share with you, but we pulled out what certainly are, and I say certainly, the most significant parts of this. And they, again, address a lot of stuff that's been out there in the public. Start with this, though, folks. Robes, they pointed out very early on in this report, it's not just us. We actually asked Nolan Wells' family, his camp, his attorney, give us anything you got that points to criminal activity. They addressed that in particular.
00:04:11
Speaker 2: They certainly did. And they said that the grand jury made written requests to the family of Mr. Wells and their legal team to produce any evidence collected in their independent investigation into the death of Mr.
00:04:22
Speaker 1: Wells.
00:04:23
Speaker 2: We were advised that their investigation revealed no witness or evidence that the legal team reasonably believed possessed information germane to potential criminal activity.
00:04:36
Speaker 1: That's a hell of a statement.
00:04:36
Speaker 2: That's significant.
00:04:37
Speaker 1: We asked you all, give us anything you got that could point us in the direction of criminal activity, and they are saying in this grand jury report that that wasn't the case. Robes, the, maybe the key or the thing that I could not believe when they started talking about these autopsies. One was done independently by Nolan Wells' family. The other was by the medical examiner. We got the results of the one from the independent one earlier on.
00:05:05
Speaker 2: Yes.
00:05:06
Speaker 1: The medical examiner was holding on to his results. Robes, the key from the independent autopsy was what? That they didn't have all the body parts, all the organs. So therefore, the report can't be complete. And you and I immediately thought, well, We need the lungs. Wouldn't that tell you if he drowned?
00:05:26
Speaker 2: Right. We were confused how or why an autopsy would have even been done if you didn't have the organs necessary to rule out certain things and to maybe even rule in... drowning, etc. And yes, the lungs, your throat, the neck, all of these body parts that were reportedly missing, it was super confusing as to why an autopsy would even be done at that point.
00:05:50
Speaker 1: What's the point if you can't even determine anything if the lungs and the organs are gone? Well, the grand jury addressed this, Robes, in a significant way, saying that what we have been told publicly was wrong. So we're going to read this next excerpt, and you're going to hear, they had his name redacted, but his name is Dr. Roger Mitchell. His name has been out there attached to the family. So Dr. Mitchell is who they're referring to. Robes, they said, what you all have been told in public is not the real deal. This is shocking. This was shocking to me.
00:06:34
Speaker 2: It reads, the grand jury is aware that Dr. Mitchell was retained by the Wells to conduct an independent autopsy. The grand jury is aware that Dr. Mitchell was provided with complete access to all investigative materials.
00:06:50
Speaker 1: Dr.
00:06:50
Speaker 2: Mitchell also visited Horna Island with law enforcement and district attorney staff and met with the chief medical examiner for the state of Mississippi. At the Mississippi Forensic Laboratory, Dr. Mitchell was given full access to examine Mr. Wells' internal neck structure retained by the medical examiner at his request.
00:07:11
Speaker 1: It goes on. Dr. Mitchell confirmed that the retention of this tissue is appropriate and best practice in forensic pathology. Dr. Mitchell also dispelled rumors. about various other organs, including the lungs and stomach, being retained. Dr. Mitchell confirmed that he received all of Mr. Wells' body parts, except for the internal neck structure appropriately retained by the medical examiner. And, of course, he was able to see that later. Robes, bottom line, the independent autopsy had everything the medical examiner did. The independent autopsy also did not conclude... that he was killed or had a fatal injury. Robes, we didn't know that.
00:07:54
Speaker 2: That's not what we heard from Ben Crump.
00:07:56
Speaker 1: We heard something very different. I remember that press conference. That was key.
00:08:02
Speaker 2: So are they saying, by releasing this, that Ben Crump was intentionally deceptive with the public?
00:08:07
Speaker 1: They are saying that. I'm not saying that about the grand jury, but already the DA's office is already pointing to folks and saying, yes, You misled the public. You knew this stuff, and you still fanned those flames. Rogues, that is enormous. Because if they would have come out after the independent autopsy, say, yeah, we had his lungs, his heart, we found nothing. That would have put all of this.
00:08:38
Speaker 2: Suspicion and all. And look, a lot of people have had death threats. A lot of people have had to alter their lives because of these insinuations. Colin Kaepernick, and generously donated his money, correct, to pay for this autopsy? And so that is deeply concerning if this was all known at that time.
00:09:01
Speaker 1: We didn't miss something.
00:09:03
Speaker 2: That we were deliberately misled, that the public was deliberately misled, and that did fan the flames of racial tension.
00:09:10
Speaker 1: Robes, we didn't miss something or think they were being cute or we missed some detail in how they were explaining it.
00:09:17
Speaker 2: No, no, no, no, no.
00:09:18
Speaker 1: And the grand jury themselves addressed that. Dispelled rumors. We need to dispel rumors that that autopsy didn't have all his body parts. But, babe, that was huge.
00:09:29
Speaker 2: That is significant. And it has to be addressed, does it not, by Ben Crump?
00:09:37
Speaker 1: Maybe, maybe not. I don't know. But they have a press conference, we should say. They do have something scheduled for later today. But as of this recording, it hasn't happened. So we will Certainly be listening very closely to that. So how exactly did Nolan Wells die? The grand jury put it this way. Both the state of Mississippi chief medical examiner and Dr. Mitchell opined that the cause and manner of Mr. Wells' death is undetermined and that drowning is a diagnosis of exclusion. So they both say, hey, we can't exactly say for several reasons, but based on our history, our experience, based on what we're looking at in the condition of the body, this is what we believe.
00:10:14
Speaker 2: Wow. And look, the grand jury did acknowledged this bruise on the back of his neck. We remember seeing that look, and there's a lot of ways that that could have happened, but there's no way to actually determine it. But they did, um, acknowledge that there was bruising on the back of Mr. Wells head, which was not a fatal injury. Further, the grand jury found no evidence of any fatal injury or organic disease to Mr. Wells' body. They went on to say the grand jury considered credible evidence concerning the circumstances of how Mr. Wells sustained the injury to the back of his head, but the exact cause of the injury remains. remains uncertain a witness testified under oath that he saw mr wells slip awkwardly off the side of a boat around the time of 3 30 p.m on july 4th but could not say whether mr wells struck his head during the fall that's interesting The witness testified that Mr. Wells continued to socialize after the fall and did not appear injured. The grand jury understands that neither forensic expert has ruled out accidental drowning as a cause of Mr. Wells' death. While the grand jury found no other evidence to explain the bruising on the back of Mr. Wells' head or the suspected bruising on his buttocks and shoulder, the grand jury cannot say with absolute certainty that this fall caused this bruising.
00:11:41
Speaker 1: We still don't know. It was there. We're aware of it. They said it wasn't fatal, but there's a suggestion here of how that bruise might have happened, but they do not know. But the idea, they just put it in there that, hey, we were told he fell. Maybe that was it. Yep. But we don't know. Wow. They thought it was worth noting here two things as well, Robes. Questions came up about his drinking and about possible cocaine in his system, but they did determine there was no cocaine in his system based on the toxicology report. Also, it was key to note, Robes, that he bought liquor using his fake IDs. That's important to note because if somebody else had provided liquor to a minor, then maybe you had a different situation, but they determined it was worth it. pointing that out. They also thought it was worth pointing out. Remember that video that was online? Look, they thought some shouting and he was in a fight with somebody.
00:12:25
Speaker 2: And look, there was one of his friends said that was me shouting and had described the situation in which he was shouting. It said it had nothing to do with Nolan Wells. Well, the grand jury, after all of this testimony and all of this investigation said that they, the grand jury finds that Nolan Wells was not in any physical altercation or argument on July 4th.
00:12:46
Speaker 1: They also made note, Rose, they thought it was worth noting what's been going on with Nolan Wells, the people he was with that day to his friends. They said, quote, the grand jury finds that the public attacks on the people who were with Wells that day, as well as their family and friends are malicious, false and have no truth in fact or evidence. And this is what, haven't they hired lawyers? Haven't they threatened to have defamation suits? They have been in hiding to a certain degree. And Robes, a lot of them are friends. We're genuinely good friends of Nolan Wells. And they have been attacked as damn near killers and people who are covering up a crime. A lot of this stuff in the Grand Jury Report, I don't read a lot of them, but they are addressing TikTok. They are addressing stuff people are saying on social media.
00:13:32
Speaker 2: They are because they realize that, yes, it might seem like what rumors. We've talked about this in the Patrick Clancy case when people make suggestions that someone's responsible for a murder with no evidence. it can have real life impact on folks. And we've already seen charges in the Nolan Wells case, but it's been charges about people threatening friends or family members of friends who were with Nolan that day. Those are the only charges that have actually come out of this case. And look, this is real. One of his friends, I remember... speaking out, saying he couldn't even go to one of his best friend's memorial services out of fear of physical bodily harm, that he didn't feel comfortable going to Nolan Wells' funeral. That's incredibly sad and tragic.
00:14:18
Speaker 1: And, Ro, again, will this help at all? Some people will never believe it or never want to listen. But, Ro, those things get going like crazy online. And people who aren't looking into this case, who aren't diving into it, who aren't paying attention, Just see somebody on TikTok or on Twitter or whatever putting this stuff up, and you start to believe it. Patrick Clancy said that in his interview on 60 Minutes. Lie after lie after lie after lie. At some point, people just start to believe it. And what can you do? And it looks like the grand jury tried to address this. Two other things, Robes, that were really, really, really, really, really big deal. One had a lot to do with his phone. The other had to do with him being the only black guy out there. And Robes, because we see that picture. I saw it this morning even being put up. Sitting on a boat, his shirt off. There's white folks around him handing out with his boys. No big deal. The grand jury addressed both of those things.
00:15:03
Speaker 2: Yes, we'll start with the phone. The grand jury finds that it is not unusual or suspicious for individuals to return from the island on boats they did not travel to the island on. nor is it unusual for individuals to place their phones and personal items on other boats they visit and socialize on. The grand jury finds that Mr. Wells' phone was not the only phone to travel back to the mainland without its owner.
00:15:26
Speaker 1: That's interesting. And I'm listening. It sounds crazy to me. Who would leave their phone? What kid would leave their phone? Yes, he caught a ride with these people out there. He caught a ride with somebody else going back. They pointed out nothing to see here almost like that's not uncommon.
00:15:40
Speaker 2: And I think when you've got enough kids saying, yeah, you've got all these different boats, everybody's friends, you leave your phone, you know, you'll get it back. You're having fun. You're drinking, you're socializing. And if, yeah, cause it did seem strange to us too. That was one of the more glaring weight who would leave.
00:15:54
Speaker 1: Their phone, especially 18 year.
00:15:55
Speaker 2: Old, right. But when you start to hear that this is common and that many folks did it, it makes it seem less unusual.
00:16:02
Speaker 1: All right, folks, we'll stay with us. When we come back, you'll hear what the grand jury said about Nolan Wells being the only black guy out there that day. They also made a mention, even though they're not bringing charges, they left open the possibility that charges could come later. All right, we continue here on Amy and TJ discussing the grand jury. Just came back saying they are not going to bring any criminal charges against anyone. There is not sufficient evidence to charge anyone in the death of Nolan Wells. They believe he, at least the evidence, point to a drowning. But, Robes, one of the things, and this is a part that's been a big issue, this did. Look, you've got a black kid out there with majority white kids in Mississippi. Dead under suspicious circumstances, the sheriff's department immediately says they believe it was a drowning, which set people off. And then you get folks, certain camps involved, and now we have a big racial story that's worked up. And a big part of that road, we saw all the pictures, and yes, it was majority white kids out there. And we see that picture. I don't see Nolan Wells with a black kid in any picture out there. So there's this impression. He's literally out there by himself as a black. kid amongst these white kids. The grand jury decided to address that.
00:17:29
Speaker 2: Yeah, they put this in writing. The grand jury recognizes that there have been public assertions that Mr. Wells was the only African-American individual on Horn Island on July 4th, 2026. The grand jury finds that Mr. Wells was not the only African American on Horn Island that day. These false assertions have led to misidentification, speculation, and rumors concerning the death of Mr.
00:17:53
Speaker 1: Wells. Okay, fine and dandy, but... Okay, that's the one thing I took a little issue with. It clearly wasn't a lot of black folks.
00:18:03
Speaker 2: There weren't a lot. There might have been... Like sometimes you'll look around and go, wow, I am literally the only black person in this room.
00:18:10
Speaker 1: Yes.
00:18:10
Speaker 2: And I might be like, like 10 minutes ago, there was one other one. That's kind of what you're saying the jury was saying. Okay.
00:18:17
Speaker 1: It's all good. That was another one. If you look really close, it's fine. That one was a little silly to me. But yes, he wasn't the only, but it doesn't mean it all. It was a diverse group. Correct. You know what we should say? Even if it was nothing but white people, it doesn't mean that any of them had any ill will towards him. Correct.
00:18:38
Speaker 2: They were just saying by saying he was the only one, it further fanned the flames of racial tension, which it certainly did, without a doubt, in those pictures. I will say that consistently, every single friend... spoke of him as just so lovingly. He was not a kid who would have been targeted in any way. It didn't appear. It seemed like you couldn't find one person. And I know when someone has been murdered, no one wants to admit to being an enemy of said person. But I was blown away by how many people, everyone just spoke about how wonderful this kid was, how incredibly loving and kind this kid was. His own mother even asked for the racial tensions to please end. tamped down because he wouldn't have wanted this to be the case.
00:19:27
Speaker 1: You know, they also don't have it in here in front of us, but they mentioned, you remember that picture that was out there of him in a swimming pool at a pool party? Yes. They actually addressed that in saying that was from the day before, July 3rd. They put the exact date where he was and said, stop, because a lot of people were pointing to that and said, look, he was at a party later that night. So that means he came back from the out. No, the picture was from the day before. so again they're addressing a lot of rumors that are out there but they did robes even though they didn't bring charges there is no statute of limitations on homicide so they did suggest that yes if evidence comes back in the future that shows it was not accidental then this should be brought up again before a grand jury for further consideration rope this doesn't feel good um don't have an answer. You don't know. Still, why does a healthy 18-year-old kid just end up dead, just end up drowning? That doesn't make sense. Accidents happen, all kinds of stuff, but no, we just don't have it. I agree. They haven't presented anything that shows that this kid was murdered, that anyone did him any harm. But man, this doesn't feel good, baby.
00:20:30
Speaker 2: It's unsatisfactory. I know that's a terrible word, but for the parents, It's just never going to feel good because you're not ever going to really understand or know. There's no video. There's no footage to show.
00:20:42
Speaker 1: Like, could he?
00:20:43
Speaker 2: We've talked about this. They're drinking. They're having fun. These boats are closed. He could have, if he slipped once, he could have slipped again, quietly, just gone under and never to be seen again.
00:20:51
Speaker 1: Nobody. He's not missing.
00:20:53
Speaker 2: Nobody. It's weird to me that.
00:20:55
Speaker 1: Where's Nolan?
00:20:56
Speaker 2: Nolan.
00:20:56
Speaker 1: Did he go to pee.
00:20:58
Speaker 2: And then just never came back and then no one noticed he didn't come back?
00:21:01
Speaker 1: All that stuff is possible. It's just strange. It's not likely and it's just not a satisfactory answer. No, we have the answer that nobody is going to be charged with a crime. We don't have the answer of how he died. He drowned, we think, by process of elimination. That is not going to help anybody.
00:21:19
Speaker 2: How, when, where, none of that will, it seems like, ever be known.
00:21:24
Speaker 1: It's not over. We will monitor what his family says today and see what the next steps might be. But I wanted to hop on and give you this update, a major one in this case. We appreciate you as always spending a little time with us. I'm TJ. On behalf of my dear Amy Robach, we'll talk to you all soon.