Why Nolan Wells' Friends Can't Escape The Grand Jury

**Tony Brueski** (0:00)
This is Hidden Killers With Tony Brueski. Here now, Tony Brueski.

**Tony Brueski** (0:07)
The District Attorney in Jackson County, Mississippi, told Nolan Wells' family the case is going to a grand jury. Within hours, social media has already decided what that means. Charges are coming, someone is getting arrested, justice is on the way. Except, that's not what a grand jury referral actually means. Not here to be the bearer of bad news or good news or whatever news, I'm here to be the bearer of fact. And I'm here to explain to you what it actually means that this case is going to a grand jury. And I'm not saying it in a way of haha, I'm saying in a way of here, understand what this actually means, not what somebody's TikTok interprets it as. Okay? Facts matter, reality matters. And especially in a case that is this charged with energy from so many different sides, it's important to be able to take it in, understand why one side is doing this, one side is doing that, why there really shouldn't be sides technically in a perfect world, but we're not in a perfect world. And there's reasons for the feelings, honestly, that people are feeling here. But there are just certain facts and certain things that mean certain things, and that's where we play our game here. We just throw it out to you, explain it to you so you can understand it and make your educated decisions from there. And again, in the case like this, as of this recording, we don't know a whole lot. We don't. That's what a grand jury is actually for. And that's why they're convening one, because they don't know a whole lot either, or they certainly probably know more than we do here on the outside. But a grand jury, that's a fact-finding mission. That is a fact-finding mission. So what does that mean? Let's get into it. And your thoughts in the comment section on Substack and YouTube as we work our way through all of this.
The gap between what the public believes is happening and what is actually about to happen inside that room could determine whether this family ever gets a real answer about what happened to their son on Horn Island. On July 15th of 2026, Attorney Ben Crump and the Wells family sat down with Jackson County District Attorney Angel Myers McClarth. It was the first face-to-face meeting between the family and the DA's office since Nolan's body was recovered on July 6th. Crump described the meeting as respectful. He said both sides were honest and candid, and the DA confirmed that once the Jackson County Sheriff's Office finishes its investigation, the case will be turned over to a grand jury. That confirmation, of course, it made national news. You've heard about it. CNN, NewsNation, ABC, it's all over. But the part that barely registered, the part that should have been the headline was the statement the DA's own office released alongside the confirmation. Jackson County's DA's office said, convening a grand jury does not mean there is any criminality. It is, according to their office, standard procedure for most unnatural or suspicious deaths in the county. Okay, this is good. They're convening one. That's a good thing because all parties involved need answers. The people are being accused. If they did absolutely nothing wrong, then they they need this to help quell down the bloodlust that exists in some people's minds for unconvicted people.
And if there is something to be found, well, then okay, let's find it. Let's figure this out and let's find it. Either way, answers. Answers are what's needed. Not conjecture, not opinion, not feelings of this or that, actual answers that pertain to this specific case. This is standard procedure. That's the phrase. Now, we found evidence of a crime, not we're preparing charges, standard procedure. And that distinction matters more than almost anything else that has been said about this case. So, so what is a grand jury? Because the people hear those two words and they picture a courtroom, they picture a prosecutor laying out the case, they picture someone in handcuffs. And actually none of that is accurate. A grand jury in Mississippi is a panel of 15 to 20 registered voters, voters chosen at random from within the county. They are sworn in by a circuit court judge. They sit for a six month term and meet as often as necessary during that term. Their job is to answer a single question. Is there probable cause to believe a crime was committed and that a specific person committed it? That's the entire scope, not guilt, not innocence, probable cause. It is the lowest evidentiary standard in the criminal justice system. And even reaching that bar does not mean anyone has been convicted of anything. It means that a case can proceed to trial where the actual standard beyond a reasonable doubt applies. The proceedings are entirely secret. Under Mississippi law, only the prosecuting attorney and witnesses are allowed in the room. No defense attorney, no defendant, no family members, no media, no public. When deliberations begin and the grand jurors vote, even the prosecutor leaves. Only the jurors remain. And here's a detail most people don't know. Unlike federal grand juries, Mississippi grand juries generally do not use a court reporter.