Trump Considers FBI Probe Into Nolan Wells Death

President Donald Trump announced Wednesday that he is considering asking the Federal Bureau of Investigation to launch an independent probe into the death of Nolan Wells, an 18-year-old Black college freshman. Wells disappeared during a July 4 boating trip, and his body was discovered two days later on Horn Island, Mississippi.

A Jackson County grand jury previously declined to indict any individuals, determining that Wells drowned. However, an independent autopsy performed by forensic pathologist Roger A. Mitchell Jr. found no evidence of drowning and instead noted bruising on the head, back, shoulder, and buttocks of the teenager.

The family of the deceased, represented by civil rights lawyer Ben Crump, has demanded federal intervention. They argue that local officials' handling of the case was influenced by race and point to the fact that much of Horn Island is federally designated land as a basis for FBI jurisdiction.