Friends of Nolan Wells say his death deepened their faith after grand jury declines to indict
Three friends of Mississippi teen Nolan Wells told Fox News their Christian faith grew after his death on Horn Island. A grand jury declined to indict anyone, while his family and attorney Ben Crump seek further investigation.
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The story, neutrally told
Right · 2Three friends of Nolan Wells, an 18-year-old from Mississippi who died on Horn Island, told Fox News' Kayleigh McEnany in an exclusive interview that his death deepened their Christian faith. Fox NewsR “they say the loss has also deepened their faith and brought them closer to God” Read at Fox News ↗ New York PostR “told Fox News’ Kayleigh McEnany in an exclusive interview” Read at New York Post ↗ Right · 2Warren Hudson said, "I learned to lean on the Lord," and Jax Pitalo called the death a turning point for the group, saying it got them "all closer to God." Fox NewsR “"I learned to lean on the Lord," Warren Hudson” Read at Fox News ↗ New York PostR ““Right after the first three days or so, I was like, if this did anything, it got us all closer to God,”” Read at New York Post ↗ Right · 1A third friend, Morgan Seymour, said they started going to church more. New York PostR ““We started going to church more,” Morgan Seymour, a third friend, told McEnany.” Read at New York Post ↗
Right · 2Wells disappeared July 4 after a boat trip with friends to Horn Island, a barrier island off Mississippi's Gulf Coast; a National Park Service ranger found his body at the island's northwestern tip on July 6 after a two-day search. Fox NewsR “Search crews combed the area for two days before a National Park Service ranger discovered his body at the island's northwestern tip on July 6.” Read at Fox News ↗ New York PostR “Wells, 18, disappeared July 4 after taking a boat trip with a group of friends to Horn Island” Read at New York Post ↗ Right · 2Months later, a Jackson County grand jury returned a "no true bill," declining to indict anyone after finding insufficient evidence of criminal wrongdoing, and found his death consistent with drowning. New York PostR “The grand jury found his death was consistent with drowning.” Read at New York Post ↗ Fox NewsR “declining to indict anyone after finding insufficient evidence of criminal wrongdoing” Read at Fox News ↗ Right · 1The friends faced intense online scrutiny, including unsubstantiated claims that they were responsible for his death and that it was racially motivated; McEnany said they were "demonized and dragged through a lot." New York PostR “including unsubstantiated claims that his friends were responsible for his death and that the incident was racially motivated”““These young men, unfortunately, were demonized and dragged through a lot, and they loved Nolan,”” Read at New York Post ↗
Right · 2District Attorney Angel Myers McIlrath said the grand jury found "absolutely no evidence" of a racial motive and that "Nolan chose to stay on the island that day." Fox NewsR “the grand jury found "absolutely no evidence" to support allegations that Wells' death was motivated by race” Read at Fox News ↗ New York PostR ““Nolan chose to stay on the island that day, and there is not a scintilla of evidence to contradict that.”” Read at New York Post ↗ Right · 2Wells' family and civil rights attorney Ben Crump have challenged the decision, citing bruising and blunt-force injuries described by the family's independent pathologist and calling for further investigation, including a Justice Department federal review. New York PostR “pointing to bruising and blunt-force injuries described by the family’s independent pathologist” Read at New York Post ↗ Fox NewsR “including an independent federal review by the Justice Department” Read at Fox News ↗
Every sentence links to the reporting it rests on. The pill in front of each says where its sources sit: Left, Centre or Right when one side supplies at least half of them, Mixed when they are evenly split. The number is how many outlets it cites.
Left0 outlets
No left outlet in our sources has covered this story yet.
Centre0 outlets
No centre outlet in our sources has covered this story yet.
Right2 outlets
- Framing
- Sympathetic human-interest piece centred on the friends' faith and the scrutiny they faced, built on a Fox News exclusive interview; the New York Post copy is bylined Fox News and reads the same.
- Emphasis
- Friends' grief and Christian faith, online accusations against them, the grand jury's no-indictment finding and the district attorney's statements.
- Leaves out or plays down
- The family's and Crump's challenge appears only in the final paragraph; no family member or Crump is quoted directly, and the pathologist's findings get a single clause.
- Charged language
- “demonized and dragged through a lot”“unsubstantiated claims”
- For example
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“These young men, unfortunately, were demonized and dragged through a lot, and they loved Nolan” — Fox News
“including unsubstantiated claims that his friends were responsible for his death” — New York Post
What every side reports
- Nolan Wells, 18, disappeared July 4 after a boat trip to Horn Island and his body was found July 6.
- A Jackson County grand jury returned a no true bill and found his death consistent with drowning.
- The family and Ben Crump have challenged the decision and want further investigation.
Where accounts differ
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Cause and circumstances of Wells' death
- Right
- Both articles report the grand jury's drowning finding and the district attorney's statement that there was no evidence of a racial motive, and note the family and Crump cite bruising and blunt-force injuries and seek a federal review.
Left0 articles
No coverage yet.
Centre0 articles
No coverage yet.
Right2 articles
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Nolan Wells' friends open up about Christian faith journey after Horn Island death
Sympathetic Fox News frames the friends as wrongly maligned young men who found comfort in faith, with the grand jury outcome as backdrop and the family's challenge last.
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Sympathetic New York Post runs the Fox News report with a headline stressing faith helping the friends through 'public scrutiny' after the 'tragic death'.
- 3 Oct 19:26 First Fox NewsR Nolan Wells' friends open up about Christian faith journey after Horn Island death
- 3 Oct 23:40 +4h 14m New York PostR Nolan Wells’ friends share how Christian faith has gotten them through public scrutiny after the tragic death
Times are when each article was published, or when we first saw it if the outlet gave no time.