Nolan Wells death: Students march as friends face death threats

Students at the Atlanta University Center held a march in solidarity with the family of Nolan Wells, an 18-year-old who died under suspicious circumstances in Mississippi this past July. The demonstration, organized by Spelman and Clark Atlanta chapters of the NAACP, followed a Jackson County grand jury decision to decline criminal charges in the case.

Wells went missing during a boat trip to Horn Island over the Fourth of July weekend; his body was discovered two days later. While the grand jury report described the evidence as consistent with drowning and found no credible evidence of criminal conduct, Wells’ family and their attorney, Ben Crump, have contested the findings.

In addition to the protests, friends of Wells who were present during the trip report receiving significant harassment. Those involved have stated they are facing thousands of death threats and bomb threats stemming from online theories regarding the circumstances of his death.