District Attorney Angel Myers McIlrath
- “Public commentary does not make the speaker transparent, just like exercising restraint consistent with the law does not make the process corrupt. The fact that something is said does not necessarily mean it’s actually true,” District Attorney Angel Myers McIlrath said of social media and the ongoing investigation into the death of Nolan Wells.
Jackson County District Attorney Angel Myers McIlrath released a statement late Tuesday regarding the ongoing investigation into the death of 18-year-old Nolan Wells.
The statement came after attorneys representing the parents of Wells pushed back on claims that they have failed to cooperate with the Jackson County District Attorney’s Office even as they have not turned over the deceased teen’s cellphone to local law enforcement since his body was found on Horn Island on July 6.
READ MORE: Attorney confirms Wells’ parents have still not provided local law enforcement with his cellphone
As McIlrath has previously said, as District Attorney, she does not have “the same freedom to share information publicly that private individuals may have.”
“For example, I do not have the freedom to release letters I’ve sent in this investigation, discuss witness cooperation, or the testing of evidence. I do not have the freedom to identify what information is verified and what information is false,” McIlrath stated. “I do not have the freedom to publicly adopt a narrative and choose one fact over another. Nor do I control the information released by private individuals who are not part of the investigative team.”
The District Attorney went on to say that she cannot control whether private individuals release letters they have sent to her, just as she cannot prevent them from releasing letters her office has sent to them.
“I cannot control which facts or bits of information are shared or whether that information is being shared in context, twisted, or misconstrued,” McIlrath said. “Public commentary does not make the speaker transparent, just like exercising restraint consistent with the law does not make the process corrupt. The fact that something is said does not necessarily mean it’s actually true.”
McIlrath pointed out that prosecutors are held to “the highest ethical standard under the law, as we should be.”
“The people we serve deserve no less. I understand that a void is perceived when some are speaking publicly about a matter while others do not,” she continued. “I would be stepping outside the bounds of the law if I were to fill that void and share information publicly. With all of the public ‘pressure’ being placed on my office, filling the void would only serve to get ‘pressure’ off of me. Nolan deserves better.”
McIlrath said there is no pressure that can be placed on her and no force that is greater than the weight of the oath she took and her responsibility to the people she serves.
“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. I am obligated to do so in keeping with the law and the rules of the court,” she added.
McIlrath concluded by saying while there is nothing more to be shared at this time regarding the investigation and proceedings, “I caution the public about assigning trustworthiness to things they read and see online.”
“I also ask that, rather than those individuals demanding that I step outside the bounds of the law and make public statements, we all step back, allow the process to work and allow us to do the job we were elected to do,” the District Attorney said. “I stand firmly on the rule of law and my ethical obligations. 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.”
