The dying of Mississippi teen Nolan Wells has left his closest pals grieving and looking for solutions, however they are saying the loss has additionally deepened their religion and introduced them nearer to God.
“I discovered to lean on the Lord,” Warren Hudson, one in all Wells’ pals, advised Fox Information’ Kayleigh McEnany in an unique interview. “I do know my pals did as nicely. And I do know that’s what Nolan would need me to do.”
One other buddy, Jax Pitalo, described Wells’ dying as a turning level for the group.
“Proper after the primary three days or so, I used to be like, if this did something, it obtained us all nearer to God,” Pitalo mentioned.
Wells, 18, disappeared July 4 after taking a ship journey with a gaggle of pals to Horn Island, a barrier island off Mississippi’s Gulf Coast. Search crews combed the world for 2 days earlier than a Nationwide Park Service ranger found his physique on the island’s northwestern tip on July 6.
Months later, a Jackson County, Mississippi, grand jury returned a “no true invoice” in Wells’ dying investigation, declining to indict anybody after discovering inadequate proof of legal wrongdoing. The grand jury discovered his dying was in line with drowning.
However for the chums who knew Wells lengthy earlier than his dying grew to become the topic of headlines and on-line hypothesis, the months since have been about grieving somebody they beloved whereas leaning extra deeply into their Christian religion.
“We began going to church extra,” Morgan Seymour, a 3rd buddy, advised McEnany. “The whole lot from that second on was like for God, for Jesus,” he continued, prompting Hudson so as to add, “For Nolan.”
McEnany mentioned the younger males have confronted intense on-line scrutiny and accusations in the months since Wells’ dying, at the same time as they tried to course of the loss.
Right here’s the newest on the disappearance and dying of Mississippi teen Nolan Wells:
“These younger males, sadly, had been demonized and dragged by way of lots, they usually beloved Nolan,” McEnany advised “Fox & Pals Weekend,” noting that one had been pals with Wells since elementary faculty.
The scrutiny intensified as theories about Wells’ disappearance unfold on-line, together with unsubstantiated claims that his pals had been liable for his dying and that the incident was racially motivated.
Jackson County District Legal professional Angel Myers McIlrath mentioned, nevertheless, that the grand jury discovered “completely no proof” to help allegations that Wells’ dying was motivated by race.
“Nolan’s pals beloved Nolan and Nolan beloved them,” McIlrath mentioned following the grand jury’s choice. “Nolan selected to remain on the island that day, and there’s not a scintilla of proof to contradict that.”
Wells’ household and civil rights legal professional Ben Crump have challenged the grand jury’s choice, pointing to bruising and blunt-force accidents described by the household’s impartial pathologist and calling for additional investigation into how he died, together with an impartial federal evaluation by the Justice Division.
Fox Information’ Adam Sabes contributed to this report.
