DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. — The family and attorney of Nolan Wells say they will keep fighting for justice after a grand jury decided not to pursue criminal charges in the teenager’s death.
The family spoke earlier at New Birth Missionary Baptist Church and said they have more questions than answers after reading the grand jury report.
Lawyers for Wells’ family, including civil rights attorney Ben Crump, accused the district attorney of ending the investigation without determining what caused blunt force trauma to the back of Wells’ head and body.
“All other causes must be ruled out prior to certifying a death as drowning,” Crump said at the news conference. “What is another cause the district attorney failed to rule out? Blunt force trauma.. Common sense tells you that this child did not just drown.”
PREVIOUS COVERAGE:
- No charges in Nolan Wells’ death following grand jury review
- Nolan Wells’ family, Rev. Al Sharpton speak about search for answers on teen’s death
- ‘Nothing adds up’: Family questions official story in Mississippi teen’s drowning death
- Nolan Wells’ autopsy completed; will go to grand jury
Crump’s team released the final version of the independent autopsy report Tuesday.
The grand jury report said a witness testified that he saw Wells slip awkwardly off the side of a boat around 3:30 p.m. on July 4. The report said Wells kept socializing after the fall and did not appear injured.
The panel said it could not determine whether that fall caused the bruising on Wells’ body.
Crump and others renewed their request Tuesday for the U.S. Department of Justice to open an independent investigation. They also called on McIlrath to release the investigation file and the state medical examiner’s full autopsy report.
Information from the Associated Press contributed to this report.