On What Would Have Been His 19th Birthday, Nolan Wells’ Death Resonates in Annapolis as Mississippi Investigation Continues

Nolan Wells should have been celebrating his 19th birthday today. Instead, his family marked the day by celebrating the life and memory of the young man they affectionately called “Nono,” while continuing to await answers about his death in Mississippi.

Although Mr. Wells lived and died more than 1,000 miles away, his story has resonated deeply with many in Annapolis, particularly family members who know the pain of losing a loved one and, in several cases, have spent years waiting for answers and justice.

For civil rights leaders and community activists, Mr. Wells’ death has also renewed a larger conversation about justice, accountability, and the experiences of Black families in America.

Carl Snowden, convener for the Caucus of African American Leaders and a longtime civil rights activist, said Mr. Wells’ death should not be viewed only as a Mississippi story.

“The death of Nolan Wells is part of the American saga,” Mr. Snowden said. “The death of young black men under suspicious circumstances is a poignant reminder that the struggle for racial equality is far from over.”

Mr. Snowden drew a historical comparison to Emmett Till, the 14 year old Black teenager whose 1955 murder in Mississippi became a defining moment in the American civil rights movement.

“The fact that Nolan Wells died in Mississippi and that his death has received national attention should be a catalyst for an energized and organized movement similar to that of Emmett Till,” Mr. Snowden said. “Till, a 14 year old black teenager murdered in Mississippi by racists, became a cause celebre.”

Mr. Snowden emphasized that the circumstances of Mr. Wells’ death remain under investigation and conditioned his call for accountability on what investigators ultimately determine.

“If it is determined that Nolan Wells was murdered, those responsible for his death must be apprehended, and justice must prevail,” Mr. Snowden said.

“The Caucus of African American Leaders offers its condolences to his family.”

Mr. Snowden’s comments carry a particular resonance for Report Annapolis News.

Nearly 15 years ago, the March 23, 2012 inaugural Report Annapolis News story, which can be read by clicking here, examined another case involving the death of a Black teenager hundreds of miles from Annapolis and asked what that tragedy meant for families here in Annapolis.

That story centered on the February 2012 shooting death of 17 year old Trayvon Martin in Sanford, Florida, and the national questions about race, policing, self defense laws, and accountability that followed.

George Zimmerman, who acknowledged shooting Mr. Martin but claimed self defense, had not been charged when the Report Annapolis News story was published. Mr. Zimmerman was subsequently charged with second-degree murder and later acquitted at trial.

But even before the criminal case reached its conclusion, the impact of Mr. Martin’s death had already traveled well beyond Florida.

The inaugural Report Annapolis News story opened with the anguish of Mr. Martin’s mother, Sybrina Fulton, learning that her son had been killed. It then brought the story to Annapolis through the voice of local resident Michelle Parker, whose son was close in age to Mr. Martin at the time.

Related: Report Annapolis News Inaugural Story; March 23, 2012 - Locals Weigh-In On The Slaying Of A Florida Teen

“Now, and more than I ever have, when my son leaves the house, I am concerned that he won’t return back home to me, the same way Trayvon did not return back home to his mother,” Ms. Parker said at the time.

The story also sought perspectives from Maryland civil rights and legal leaders as the nation debated what had happened and what justice would require.

Nearly 15 years later, the circumstances, evidence, individuals, and legal questions surrounding the death of Nolan Wells are different, and no conclusion has been reached that Mr. Wells was murdered.

Yet there is a human connection that transcends the differences between the cases, a family has lost a young man they loved, and they are seeking answers about what happened to him.

Report Annapolis News Publisher Timothy Boston said that connection is one reason Mr. Wells’ story deserves attention in Annapolis, even though his death occurred more than 1,000 miles away.

“When Report Annapolis News published its first story nearly 15 years ago, we began by telling the story of a young Black teenager who died hundreds of miles from Annapolis, but we also asked what his death meant to people right here in our community,” Mr. Boston said. “Today, as Nolan Wells’ family marks what should have been his 19th birthday, I am reminded that geography does not determine whether we should care about another family’s search for answers.”

Mr. Boston said the connection should not be interpreted as equating the circumstances surrounding Mr. Martin’s death with those surrounding Mr. Wells’ death.

“Trayvon Martin and Nolan Wells are two young men, two families, and two very different sets of circumstances,” Mr. Boston said. “Journalistic responsibility requires us to recognize those differences. It also requires us to recognize the humanity that connects them. A mother and father lost their son, a family is grieving, and there are questions they deserve to have answered through a thorough, fair, and credible process.”

Mr. Boston said Report Annapolis News will continue to approach the Wells investigation with the same principle that has connected national issues to the Annapolis community since the publication’s beginning.

“Our responsibility is not to decide what happened before the evidence does,” Mr. Boston said. “Our responsibility is to pay attention, ask responsible questions, distinguish allegations from established facts, and follow the truth wherever it leads. We can respect the investigative process without becoming indifferent to the family waiting for answers.”

For Mr. Boston, Wednesday also provided an important reason to look beyond the investigation.

“Today, Nolan should not simply be remembered as a case, an investigation, or a headline,” Mr. Boston said. “He should have been celebrating his 19th birthday with the people who loved him. Before there was a national story, there was Nolan. Before there were press releases and questions about evidence, there was a son, a brother, a grandson, a nephew, and a friend. His family deserves answers, his life deserves to be remembered, and his story deserves both journalistic scrutiny and human compassion.”

The intersection of race, the death of a young Black man, and questions about justice is also part of Anne Arundel County’s own history.

More than two decades ago, the death of 17 year old Noah Jamahl Jones, a rising senior at Northeast High School, brought those difficult conversations directly to the county.

Mr. Jones suffered fatal brain injuries during a large altercation outside a house party in Pasadena on July 24, 2004. Four young white men were initially charged with murder in his death, and the case quickly drew significant public attention surrounding its racial dynamics and the circumstances of the altercation.

The Anne Arundel County Branch of the NAACP subsequently called for a federal hate crimes investigation, and the U.S. Department of Justice opened a civil rights investigation.

The case ultimately ended without a conviction. One defendant was acquitted following a 2005 trial, and prosecutors subsequently dismissed the remaining manslaughter charges against the other defendants. In 2006, federal authorities closed their investigation after concluding there was insufficient evidence to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the conduct was racially motivated or constituted a prosecutable violation of federal criminal civil rights laws.

The circumstances surrounding Mr. Jones’ death, the legal proceedings that followed, and the questions raised by the case are distinct from the death of Nolan Wells. But more than 20 years later, Mr. Jones’ story remains part of Anne Arundel County’s history of confronting difficult questions involving race, young Black lives, community trust, and the criminal justice system.

Mr. Jones was 17 years old.

Like Mr. Wells, and like the young men whose families continue waiting for justice in Annapolis, his life was much larger than the investigation and public debate that followed his death.

Among those still awaiting justice are the families of Charles King, Charles Edward Carroll, Jr., Collin Flannigan, Elijah Mekhi Wilson, Shawn McGowan, Camarin Wallace, and Kenneth Gray, Jr.

Their stories are included here not to suggest that their deaths occurred under the same circumstances as Mr. Wells’ death. They did not, and authorities have not publicly concluded that Mr. Wells was murdered.

Rather, their stories speak to something shared by families separated by hundreds of miles, the difficult experience of grieving someone they love while important questions remain unanswered.

On April 24, 2016, at 8:39 p.m., Annapoqqqqlis Police Department officers responded to the 600 block of Tuckahoe Creek Court after receiving a report of a deceased person in a wooded area. Officers found 27-year-old Charles King, of Annapolis. Police determined that Mr. King’s death was a homicide.

His family continues to await justice.

Three months later, another Annapolis family experienced a devastating loss.

On July 28, 2016, at approximately 9:30 p.m., officers responded to the 900 block of Royal Street following reports of shots fired. Police located a vehicle that had crashed into a residential structure. Inside was Charles Edward Carroll, Jr., known to family and close friends as “Buddah” or “CJ,” suffering from multiple gunshot wounds.

Mr. Carroll was transported from the vicinity and pronounced deceased moments later at a nearby hospital.

His family, too, continues to wait for answers.

On May 13, 2020, at 3:08 p.m., Annapolis Police Department officers responded to the 1100 block of Madison Street following a report of shots fired. Officers found 23-year-old Collin Flannigan seriously injured.

Mr. Flannigan was transported to a hospital. Two days later, on May 15, he succumbed to his injuries.

His homicide also remains among the cases for which loved ones continue to seek justice.

The loss of young lives to gun violence has also touched families whose children were still in their teenage years.

On July 1, 2019, at approximately 12:14 a.m., Annapolis Police Department officers received a report of shots fired in the Harbor House community. During the investigation, officers located a juvenile victim who had been shot and was flown to a local trauma center.

The victim was identified as Elijah Mekhi Wilson, 16, of Annapolis.

Mr. Wilson’s death left another family grieving the loss of a teenager whose life should have extended far beyond his 16th year. His loved ones remain among the families waiting for justice.

Camarin Temont Wallace, known affectionately as “Peeboo,” had graduated from Bates Middle School only weeks before his death. He was looking ahead to his freshman year at Annapolis High School.

On July 27, 2020, at approximately 10:30 p.m., Annapolis Police Department officers responded to a reported shooting in the 1800 block of Bowman Court. Officers found Camarin suffering from gunshot wounds. He was transported to a nearby hospital, where he died.

Camarin was just 14 years old.

About nine days later, family, friends, and community members gathered to remember the rising Annapolis High School freshman before he was laid to rest.

More than six years later, his loved ones are still waiting for an arrest in his homicide.

An obituary remembered Camarin not for how his life ended, but for how he lived it.

He was described as sociable and happy, a young man who loved telling jokes and making other people laugh.

“His smile could get him anything,” his obituary read.

Camarin was also remembered as a kind son and brother who helped with his younger siblings, enjoyed doing his laundry, and loved spending time with his friends.

Less than three months after Camarin’s death, another family was left grieving and seeking answers following gun violence in Annapolis.

Gunfire erupted in the 100 block of Clay Street shortly after midnight on Oct. 18, 2020.

 Responding Annapolis Police Department officers located a man behind a residence suffering from injuries consistent with having been shot.

The victim was identified as 28-year-old Shawn McGowan, of Baltimore. Mr. McGowan died from his injuries.

His name is now among those remembered as families and community members continue calling attention to unresolved Annapolis homicides and the loved ones who continue waiting for answers.

In February 2025, another Annapolis family experienced the loss of a teenager whose life was only beginning.

On Saturday, Feb. 8, 2025, at approximately 7:56 p.m., Annapolis Police Department officers responded to a shooting report at 101 Holeclaw Street.

Upon arriving, officers found Kenneth Gray, Jr. suffering from gunshot wounds. The Annapolis Fire Department pronounced him deceased at the scene.

Kenneth was 16 years old.

His loved ones have now spent more than a year without him and without an arrest in his homicide. An Annapolis Police Department spokesperson was unable to provide Report Annapolis News with any specific updates on the investigation.

Those who knew Kenneth, affectionately called “Kenny,” remembered a teenager whose life was filled with much more than the circumstances that ultimately brought his name into a police investigation.

According to an online obituary, Kenneth had a relentless passion for sports.

“Football and basketball brought him great joy, and he played with heart, determination, and a tenacious energy that inspired his teammates and coaches,” the obituary said.

His obituary also remembered the person behind the athlete.

“Beyond athletics, Kenny was known for his kind soul and the way he made others feel valued. His smile could light up any room, and his presence was a gift to all who knew him. His love for life, his boundless energy, and his desire to bring people together will never be forgotten.”

Camarin was 14.

Elijah and Kenneth were 16.

Nolan should have turned 19 Wednesday.

Their circumstances are different, but their young ages are a sobering reminder of lives that families expected to have much more time to share.

Charles King, Charles Carroll, Collin Flannigan, Elijah Wilson, Shawn McGowan, Camarin Wallace, and Kenneth Gray, Jr. are not simply names associated with police case files.

They were sons, brothers, relatives, friends, classmates, teammates, neighbors, and members of families and communities that continue to carry their memories. Their lives mattered before their names appeared in news stories, and they continue to matter while those who loved them wait for justice.

Concerns about the length of that wait have been raised publicly in Annapolis before.

In an Aug. 10, 2025 statement previously released to Report Annapolis News, Ahsun Powell, president of the Capitol Accountability Project and chief strategist for the Coalition for Atonement and Repair, called for greater urgency, transparency, and accountability in cases involving Black victims in Annapolis.

“It saddens me to know that in Annapolis, Black victims have been neglected for generations,” Mr. Powell said. “Atonement means the City admits that truth. Repair means real action resources, transparency, and urgency to solve these cases.”

Mr. Powell called for independent case reviews, public progress reports, and accountability as part of that effort.

“Justice means closure for families and the City holding police accountable through independent case reviews, public progress reports, and consequences for failure,” Mr. Powell said. “Anything less makes the City and its police complicit in the violence.”

Mr. Powell’s comments were directed specifically toward concerns about unresolved cases in Annapolis. They provide additional context to a conversation that has existed locally long before the death of Mr. Wells attracted national attention.

That local experience also gives additional meaning to Mr. Snowden’s observation that the death of a young Black man under unresolved or suspicious circumstances can reverberate far beyond one family.

For Mr. Boston, the connection is not about treating these young men or their deaths as interchangeable.

“When we talk about Nolan Wells, Trayvon Martin, or the young Black men whose families are still waiting for justice right here in Annapolis, we have to be disciplined enough to recognize that these are different cases, involving different facts and different circumstances,” Mr. Boston said. “But there is something painfully familiar about a family having to wake up another morning without their child and without the answers they have been asking for.”

Mr. Boston said the responsibility of community journalism does not end when public attention moves elsewhere.

“In Annapolis, there are mothers, fathers, siblings, grandparents, children, and friends who have been waiting months and, in some cases, years for answers about who took their loved one from them,” Mr. Boston said. “Charles King, Charles Carroll, Collin Flannigan, Elijah Wilson, Shawn McGowan, Camarin Wallace, and Kenneth Gray, Jr. cannot become names we remember only on anniversaries. Their families deserve answers, their lives deserve to be remembered, and their cases deserve continued attention.”

Mr. Boston said that same sense of humanity is why a family’s search for answers in Mississippi can matter to a community in Annapolis.

“Justice should never depend on how many miles separate us from the family asking for it, and compassion should not depend on whether we personally knew the person whose life was lost,” Mr. Boston said. “Whether a family is waiting for answers in Mississippi or right here in Annapolis, we should care enough to remember the person they love, ask responsible questions, and recognize that the passage of time does not make their need for answers any less important.”

For the Wells family, Wednesday was not primarily about investigations, legal processes, or public debate.

It was their son’s birthday.

Nolan Wells should have turned 19.

“Today you are 19 Nono! There are so many things we want to say but we will keep it simple,” his family said in a birthday message. “As we sit here and reflect on what an amazing kiddo you grew up to be, we can’t help but to feel blessed, honored, proud, but most of all thankful.”

The family expressed gratitude for the years they were able to share with Nolan and for the person he became.

“Thankful we were able to experience a glimpse of God’s love in human form. Although you are no longer physically here with us, we will always celebrate you and the legacy you have left for us to protect.”

His family said Nolan taught them about appreciating life and living in the moment.

“You have taught us so much about life and how everyday is a blessing and how we have to do better at just living in the moment.”

Their message remembered Nolan through the relationships that defined his life.

“Thank you for being the best son, brother, grandson, nephew, and friend anyone could ever ask for. Thank you for bringing joy, laughter and real happiness to us each and every day.”

“You are truly our angel. You will be missed every second of everyday and you will never be forgotten our sweet sonshine.”

And amid their grief, the family included the kind of loving, familiar message that could only come from those who knew Nono best.

“Happy Heavenly 19th Birthday Nono. Remember don’t eat too much Oreo cake and hug Grandma for us.”

The family concluded in Tagalog, “Mahal na mahal ka namin, aming pinakamamahal na anak at kapatid,” which translates to, “We love you, our beloved son and brother.”

The message was signed, “Love, Mom, Dad, Siblings, and Family.”

Ben Crump, the nationally known civil rights attorney representing the family of Nolan Wells, also marked what would have been Mr. Wells’ 19th birthday with a public message honoring his life and reaffirming support for the family’s continued search for answers.

“Happy heavenly 19th birthday, Nolan Xavier Wells,” Mr. Crump said. “Today, we honor Nolan’s life, his memory, and the future he deserved. We stand with his family as they continue fighting for truth, transparency, and answers. We will keep saying your name.”

Mr. Crump’s message echoed a theme shared by those remembering Nolan on his birthday, that amid the continuing questions surrounding his death, the young man at the center of the investigation should not be lost in the public discussion about what happened to him.

As his family and supporters remembered Nolan and the future he should have had an opportunity to experience, the legal process surrounding his death continued in Jackson County, Mississippi.

Jackson County District Attorney Angel Myers McIlrath addressed the investigation in a press release dated Aug. 18, explaining that ethical and legal restrictions limit what prosecutors can publicly disclose while the investigation proceeds.

“As District Attorney, I do not have the same freedom to share information publicly that private individuals may have,” District Attorney McIlrath said.

She said those limitations extend to releasing correspondence, discussing witness cooperation, identifying what information has been verified, and discussing the testing of evidence.

District Attorney McIlrath also cautioned against assuming that information circulating publicly has been verified.

“The fact that something is said does not necessarily mean it’s actually true,” District Attorney McIlrath said.

The district attorney acknowledged what she described as a perceived void created when some individuals are able to discuss the case publicly while prosecutors remain constrained in what they can disclose.

“With all of the public ‘pressure’ being placed on my office, filling the void would only serve to get ‘pressure’ off of me,” District Attorney McIlrath said. “Nolan deserves better. There is no pressure that can be placed on me and no force that is greater than the weight of the oath I took and my responsibility to the people I serve.”

District Attorney McIlrath confirmed that she intends to present the evidence collected in the investigation to a grand jury.

“My obligation and commitment is to present the Grand Jury with all the evidence collected in this case in order for them to reach a decision based on a thorough investigation, complete evidence presentation, the actual truth, and an understanding of the law,” District Attorney McIlrath said.

She said she previously released a recorded statement on July 23 explaining the process and what the people of Jackson County should expect. In the Aug. 18 release, District Attorney McIlrath said there was “nothing more to be shared at this time.”

“I stand firmly on the rule of law and my ethical obligations,” District Attorney McIlrath said. “That is what the people of Jackson County elected me to do. I will present the Grand Jury with a thorough, complete, and fair investigation into the death of Nolan Wells.”

The decision to present evidence to a grand jury does not, by itself, establish that Mr. Wells was the victim of a crime or that any particular person is responsible for his death. Those questions remain part of the continuing investigative and legal process.

For his family, however, Nolan Wells is much more than the questions surrounding his death.

He is Nono.

He is their son and brother.

And on Wednesday, the day he should have turned 19, his family made certain that the circumstances surrounding his death did not overshadow the life they are determined to remember.

“Happy Heavenly 19th Birthday Nono.”