Unlike in a trial, a grand jury does not need to have a unanimous vote to indict someone, and the evidence only needs to show probable cause. In this case, jurors listened to testimony from 40 witnesses, along with evidence gathered by prosecutors and attorneys for Wells’ family.
Former Florida state prosecutor Dave Aronburgh says this will likely be the end of criminal prosecution for now.
“Although there’s still some holes, that’s normal for an investigation.”
Aronburgh continued, “I feel for the family; I can see why they still want answers. Because they didn’t give all the answers. But the grand jury’s job isn’t to provide all the answers. It’s just to determine whether anyone committed a crime. And here, they determined there wasn’t any probable cause.”
Matt Steffey, Professor of Law at Mississippi Christian University School of Law, said if any new evidence of homicide is found in the future, prosecutors could reopen the case and file charges.
“A different grand jury could be empaneled and presented the new evidence and come to a different conclusion. But I think it’s important to note that this investigation by all accounts has been thorough and in good faith. If further evidence comes forward, I’m certain the investigation would be reopened.”
Attorneys representing the family of Wells have indicated they may pursue civil lawsuits against people who were with the teen around the time he died. Steffey said civil cases are usually more effective if a criminal case is successful.
“What we know now, and what we know is just what the public knows, a civil lawsuit would face significant hurdles,” said Steffey. “But it does have significant tools not available in a criminal investigation. The Fifth Amendment, for example. So, we need to stay tuned for whether there will be a civil suit or not.”
Attorneys for Wells’ family say they plan to release evidence shared in the grand jury when the information is available to them.
