Family of Nolan Wells agrees to cellphone inspection; DA commits to grand jury

• The family of Nolan Wells, a Black teenager who went missing during a July Fourth boat trip off the Mississippi coast, has agreed to work with the district attorney’s office to inspect his cellphone.
• District Attorney Angel Myers McIlrath committed to presenting the investigation to a grand jury once completed, according to family attorney Ben Crump.
• The family had previously alleged that messages appeared to have been erased from the phone before it was returned to them.
• Crump called for a fair and impartial investigation, citing the family’s “lived experience as Black people in America” as a reason to question every aspect of the case.

Attorneys for the family had alleged messages were erased from the phone before its return

Attorneys for the family of Nolan Wells, a Black teenager who went missing during a July Fourth boat trip off the Mississippi coast, said Wednesday they will work with the local district attorney’s office to inspect the contents of his cellphone as the investigation into his death continues.

The family met with District Attorney Angel Myers McIlrath on Wednesday, largely to discuss the inquiry process, according to attorney Ben Crump. Crump said McIlrath committed to presenting the investigation to a grand jury once it is completed. Messages seeking comment from McIlrath’s office were not returned.

“The hope is when this is presented to the grand jury, all relevant witnesses and evidence will be presented to them, so we can have a fair and impartial investigation into the death of Nolan Wells,” Crump said.

The family had previously alleged that messages appeared to have been erased from the phone before they got it back.

Crump said the family’s lived experience shapes their approach to the investigation. “Our lived experiences tell us that we must question everything, everybody’s role, law enforcement’s role,” he said. “That is the lived experience as Black people in America.”

Wells went missing during a July Fourth boat trip off the Mississippi coast. His body was later found, and the investigation into his death continues.