Ben Crump Slams Nolan Wells District Attorney For Closing Investigation With Open Questions

Ben Crump isn’t buying the official line from Mississippi authorities that Nolan Wells simply drowned to death, saying the District Attorney never explained the injuries the teen sustained to the back of his head.

Crump — the Wells family attorney — issued a statement Monday night, claiming Jackson County District Attorney Angel Myers McIlrath is trying to close the chapter on Nolan’s death “without getting to the bottom of what caused the blunt force trauma to the back of his head and body.”

Crump also released the results of Nolan’s second and final independent autopsy, finding that the 18-year-old’s cause and manner of death were undetermined. 

Earlier Monday, McIlrath released a video statement insisting there was “absolutely no evidence” to support the idea that Nolan’s death was “racially motivated.” 

She also said outsiders and influencers attempted to exploit Nolan’s death to divide and create chaos in their community. 

In addition, the Mississippi State Medical Examiner on Monday released Nolan’s official autopsy report after a Grand Jury was convened to investigate if there was criminality in the case.

The report stated, “The Grand Jury finds that the position of, the condition of, time of discovery, and location of Mr. Wells’ body is consistent with drowning.” Nolan’s manner of death was listed as undetermined.

The Grand Jury ultimately found no evidence that a crime was committed and voted “no true bill,” dismissing the case. 

As you know, Nolan’s body was discovered on July 6, 2026, near Horn Island off the Mississippi Gulf Coast, after the Black teen disappeared two days earlier while out on a boat trip with his friends.

The grim discovery, mixed with the fact that he was the only Black teen on the boat trip, touched off wild speculation that Nolan might have been killed in a racially motivated attack.

As a result, Nolan’s family hired Crump as their attorney, and they launched their own investigation into the matter. Crump pointed out that Mississippi’s medical examiner found injuries to Wells’ head early in the probe.

Crump also said the results of the independent autopsy conducted by forensic pathologist Dr. Roger A. Mitchell Jr. found that Nolan “sustained recent unexplained blunt force injuries to the back of the head and additional areas of his back.” Mitchell noted red discoloration on Nolan’s body was confirmed to be blood and was reported as two contusions by the original Mississippi pathologist.

Crump said “the cause of those injuries and their contribution to Nolan’s death remain unexplained,” adding that the state medical examiner neglected to take photographs of the back of Nolan’s head.