Nolan Wells case raises questions as claims of rushing to "protect other parties" come to light

Ocean Springs, Mississippi - It's been a week of twists in the Nolan Wells case by way of information dumps and eye-opening OpEds as the legal team for the late teen's family continues to push for a federal investigation into his strange disappearance and death.

A poster with a picture of Nolan Wells is placed near a podium at a July press conference. The late teen's family continues to search for answers as forensic data comes to light.
A poster with a picture of Nolan Wells is placed near a podium at a July press conference. The late teen's family continues to search for answers as forensic data comes to light.  © OCTAVIO JONES / AFP

It's been roughly one week since a Mississippi grand jury found there was not enough evidence to pursue criminal charges, but things have been all but quiet.

On Thursday, days after attorney Ben Crump and his team – who are representing Wells' family – shared over 200 pages of extracted cellphone data on the website justicefornolanwells.com, an OpEd penned by Dr. Ivory Phillips was published in the Jackson Advocate.

In the article, Phillips sheds light on his belief, which he shares with a plethora of social media users, that there might have been a "rush" by Jackson County District Attorney Angel Myers McIlrath to "protect other parties." The local sheriff's department also, in Phillips' opinion, issued a premature statement indicating Wells may have drowned.

Although Phillips states that further investigations may not happen – given that the grand jury failed to find enough evidence to press charges – Crump, the Wells family, and members of the public continue to push for answers.

On Wednesday, the Chicago Teachers Union spoke out, sharing their stance on Wells' case: "The Chicago Teachers Union stands with the family of Nolan Wells. Our hearts are with his loved ones, his school community, and everyone who is grieving him. We join them in demanding answers, accountability, and justice for Nolan."

Last week, Crump and his team of legal and forensic experts announced at a press conference that they'd be releasing the forensic reports related to cellphone and Snapchat data, which have been published online.

The forensic cellular data was compiled by Garrett Discovery, an independent digital forensics firm working with Crump and Wells' family.

Crump previously announced that they'd be releasing the full independent autopsy results after the grand jury's ruling, saying, "This grand jury result leaves us with more questions than answers. Nolan’s family will not rest until we know what happened to him, and neither will we," per reports by the Sun Herald.

Crump and his team are still pushing for the Justice Department to conduct its own investigation into Wells' mysterious death.

Cover photo: OCTAVIO JONES / AFP

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