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'I don't believe he drowned': Former judge's comments on Nolan Wells case spark buzz
Greg Mathis, a former Michigan state court judge, has weighed in on the Nolan Wells case, saying he believes the teen “was killed.”
Greg Mathis, a former Michigan state court judge, prominent civil rights activist, and a Daytime Emmy-winning television personality who presided over popular reality shows, has weighed in on the Nolan Wells case, saying he believes the teen “was killed.” No official report states that anyone is legally responsible for Wells’ death.
The Ocean Springs, Mississippi, teen was found dead in the water on the northwest end of Horn Island on Monday morning, July 6. Wells went missing on July 4 after taking a boat to the island with friends. The search for the teen was called off after a body was found by a park ranger on Monday, July 6.
“I don't believe he drowned. I believe he was killed. But I'm a judge that has to weigh all the evidence,” Mathis said in a video shared on X by The Art Of Dialogue. “Preliminarily, that's what I see. You don't leave your friend on an island seeing that he has left his phone and not at least go back. You came there with him. You left him there, you say, because he wanted to stay. But you notice that he's left his phone. I was here going to get home in the first place.”
Mathis then went on to raise some questions.
“Wouldn't he need his phone in order to call his transportation?” he asked. “Or they should have known some of that. He would have said, ‘ I'm going to get home by such and such way. Hey man, I'm not coming. Y'all go ahead. I got a young lady. Okay, man.’”
Mathis said that if questions were not asked about how Wells would get home, “there's more evidence that I believe contributed to the reasonable suspicion.”
“So I'm with the prosecutor. How about that so far? So you won't have to say that the judge is making conclusions without getting the evidence. The prosecutor has found enough evidence to create a reasonable suspicion that a crime occurred,” Mathis said.
He added, “And now they're going to interview everybody and come up with some answers on whether to indict. So I'm there with the prosecutor so far. Take it to the grand jury. Now I have to wait until what the grand jury comes back with before I support any charge or any lack of charges.”
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Netizens weighed in on Mathis’ remark in the comment section. “What Mathis is saying is wholly ignorant and divisive. He knows nothing about Horn Island, the seagoing lifestyle, etc. He’s just saying divisive cr**. He’s another race hustler,” one user wrote. “With all accidental deaths there is period of reflection. What could’ve or should’ve been done differently. They were all adults, including Nolan. They were all drinking, including Nolan. Hindsight is always 20/20. Not yet seeing evidence intentional wrong doing,” another said.
“He is always saying something stupid,” wrote a user, while another said, “Yeah, killed by the ocean and bad decisions.”
Latest update
Two investigations are underway. On Monday, July 13, Jackson County Sheriff John Ledbetter told ABC News that his department is still working. Meanwhile, attorney Ben Crump’s team is carrying out a private investigation, including a second autopsy.
Also Read | Nolan Wells' death sparks protests in Ocean Springs, Mississippi as hundreds demand answers; videos surface
Crump, who has been hired by Wells’ family, revealed in a July 21 X post his plans to announce the findings of the independent autopsy.
“Tomorrow, I will join the family of Nolan Xavier Wells at the 117th NAACP National Convention to announce the preliminary findings of the independent autopsy conducted on their behalf. As this family continues to seek answers, we remain committed to pursuing the truth and demanding a full and transparent investigation into Nolan's death,” wrote Crump.
