Nolan Wells case: DA promises to present grand jury 'thorough' investigation in latest statement
The district attorney overseeing the investigation into the death of Mississippi teenager Nolan Wells pushed back against public "pressure" to release information amid the high-profile probe and promised to present a "thorough" case to the grand jury.
Jackson County District Attorney Angel Myers McIlrath said she is not able to publicly share information or address what has been released by others amid the investigation into Wells' death.
"I understand that a void is perceived when some are speaking publicly about a matter while others do not. I would be stepping outside the bounds of the law if I were to fill that void and share information publicly," McIlrath said in a statement on Tuesday.
"With all of the public 'pressure' being placed on my office, filling the void would only serve to get 'pressure' off of me. Nolan deserves better. There is no pressure that can be placed on me and no force that is greater than the weight of the oath I took and my responsibility to the people I serve," she continued.
Wells vanished after going on a Fourth of July boat trip with friends to one of the Gulf Coast's barrier islands, officials said. Wells was last seen on Horn Island, a barrier island about 10 miles from the Gulf Coast, according to authorities. His body was recovered two days later.
Once local authorities complete their investigation, the case materials, including the state medical examiner's completed autopsy report, will be presented to a grand jury, which will decide whether Wells' death involved a crime. The findings from the state's autopsy have not been released.
The Jackson County District Attorney's office has previously said convening a grand jury does not mean there is any criminality and is standard procedure for most unnatural or suspicious deaths in the county.
"My obligation and commitment is to present the Grand Jury with all the evidence collected in this case in order for them to reach a decision based on a thorough investigation, complete evidence presentation, the actual truth, and an understanding of the law," McIlrath said Tuesday. "I am obligated to do so in keeping with the law and the rules of the court."
McIlrath previously addressed the case on July 23, urging patience as authorities continue their work. She said in a statement at that time that investigators must protect the integrity of the case despite "the public's urgency to know what happened."
"There is nothing more to be shared at this time," McIlrath said Tuesday. "I caution the public about assigning trustworthiness to things they read and see online. I also ask that, rather than those individuals demanding that I step outside the bounds of the law and make public statements, we all step back, allow the process to work and allow us to do the job we were elected to do."
Wells would have turned 19 on Wednesday. His family plans to attend a prayer rally that day to "honor Nolan’s life while continuing the family’s call for truth, transparency, and accountability surrounding his death," the office of their attorney, Ben Crump, said.
"The Wells family continues to seek answers about what happened to Nolan and is calling for the release of the official autopsy findings and full transparency from state investigators," Crump's office said in a statement on Tuesday. "The prayer rally will bring together faith leaders, advocates, family, and community members to remember Nolan and stand with his family in their pursuit of the truth."
Speaking to reporters last week, Wells' mother, Christine Wonsley, said his loss is getting harder for her as his birthday approaches.
"That realization is really sinking in that we don't have our son physically here anymore, and I think a lot of people have forgotten," Wonsley said. "Only thing we want to know is what happened."
A private autopsy commissioned by Wells' family preliminarily found that his cause and manner of death are "undetermined pending investigation," with the independent pathologist acknowledging multiple limitations in the report, the family's attorney said last month.
ABC News' Sasha Pezenik and Tesfaye Negussie contributed to this report.
