The Nolan Wells case will be presented to a grand jury once the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office completes its investigation, District Attorney Angel Myers McIlrath confirmed Wednesday during her first meeting with the Wells family and attorney Ben Crump. Officials were clear: convening a grand jury is standard procedure for unnatural or suspicious deaths in the county and does not by itself indicate investigators suspect a crime occurred.
Both sides agreed to a mutual inspection of Wells’ cellphone, with independent experts and law enforcement reviewing it together — addressing the family’s concerns about missing content or location history. The Congressional Black Caucus has since called for a "full, transparent, independent, and timely investigation."
Crump also addressed misinformation head-on, revealing that AI-generated videos falsely depicting Nolan’s mother, Christine Wonsley, have circulated online, and clarifying that his team reposting content (like a viral pool photo) is not the same as confirming its authenticity. Co-counsel Eric Hertz urged the public to "keep an open mind until we get to the truth."
The independent, family-commissioned autopsy results are still pending, expected soon after Nolan’s funeral, set for July 20 at Center Point Church in Ocean Springs, with Rev. Al Sharpton officiating. Tyler Perry covered funeral costs, and Colin Kaepernick helped fund the independent autopsy.
⚖️ In this video:
What "grand jury" actually means in this case
The new cellphone inspection agreement
How the family is fighting AI-generated misinformation
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