Episode
Why Is Nolan Wells' Case Now Headed To A Grand Jury?
- Published
- Jul 25, 2026
- Duration seconds
- 2816
- Processing state
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- https://audioboom.com/posts/8931152
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Summary
A district attorney doesn't send a drowning to a grand jury. So why is that exactly what's happening in the Nolan Wells case? Nolan was eighteen, a wide receiver at Southwest Mississippi Community College from Ocean Springs, Mississippi. On the Fourth of July he went out to Horn Island, an uninhabited barrier island roughly ten miles off the Mississippi coast, with a group of friends. No buildings, no fresh water, no service, just boats until dark, and then everyone heads back to the mainland. His friends made it home. He didn't. A National Park Service ranger found his body in the water off the island's northwestern tip two mornings later, on July 6. Roughly thirteen hours passed before help was requested. A friend reportedly called the Coast Guard that night, and Nolan's mother, Christine Wonsley, called the sheriff's office shortly after. Investigators say they believe Nolan drowned. They've also said they're still working to determine exactly what happened out there. The sheriff's office said early on there was no foul play. His cause and manner of death still haven't been released, and some witnesses have reportedly been too scared to talk about what they saw. None of that explains why the district attorney has now sent the case to a grand jury. Attorney Ben Crump is running a separate, independent investigation for the family, and online, two camps have already dug in — one certain something sinister happened, one certain everyone should calm down. Neither one has seen what the grand jury is about to see. A grand jury doesn't get convened over paperwork. Somewhere between the boat leaving and the ranger finding his body, prosecutors saw something worth putting in front of twelve strangers, and they haven't said what it is. Join Our SubStack For AD-FREE ADVANCE EP…