Three people face charges in separate federal cases in connection with investigation into Nolan Wells’ death

Three people have been charged in three separate federal cases for allegedly making threats tied to the investigation into the death of 18-year-old Nolan Wells, whose body was found on Mississippi’s Horn Island after a July Fourth boating trip. The defendants are accused of threatening a witness, a judge and public offices connected to the investigation, while it has been clarified that the individuals have nothing to do with Wells’ death itself. The cases emerged as investigators continue to examine the circumstances surrounding the teenager’s death, which remains unsolved more than a month later.

Alleged threats tied to the Nolan Wells investigation

According to reports, the three defendants do not appear to know Wells, his family, the boating group or anyone directly involved in the investigation. Prosecutors say the cases instead involve alleged intimidation directed at individuals connected to the ongoing inquiry, amid heightened public scrutiny fueled by unanswered questions about Wells’ final hours, public distrust of law enforcement and Mississippi’s history of racial violence.

Edward James Porter of Illinois was charged in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Mississippi on July 31 after allegedly threatening an unnamed witness and that person’s family. According to a federal affidavit, Porter also allegedly told another Mississippi resident he would cut them up and put them “into a suitcase.” Family attorney Russell Latino said the threatened individuals are relatives of Bart Edminston Jr., a 21-year-old who knew Wells and helped the boating group on July 4, with one relative serving as a witness in the investigation.

A federal judge in the Northern District of Illinois initially granted bond to Porter despite objections from prosecutors. However, U.S. District Judge Louis Guirola Jr., in the Southern District of Mississippi, ordered that the defendant remain jailed pending a detention hearing.

Bomb threat allegations against Ohio and California defendants

California resident Joseph Alfredo Vasquez Dumarce was charged on July 14 after allegedly sending a threatening Facebook message to Jackson County Chancery Court Judge Ashlee Cole that investigators said amounted to “a threat that a bomb would be mailed to the judge’s office.” Cole’s stepson, Warren Hudson, was among a group of friends who spent July 4 with Wells before his disappearance.

Separately, Michelle Francine Edwards of Ohio faces charges after allegedly making bomb threats against the George County Chancery Clerk’s Office and the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office on July 23. According to court documents, Edwards allegedly called the clerk’s office 21 times and warned that “the clock is ticking.”

Judge Ashlee Cole speaks out as investigation continues

Cole previously shared a screenshot of an alleged threat on Facebook after posting that her son last saw Wells around 3 p.m. on July 4 before deciding to remain on Horn Island with another group. She later deactivated her Facebook account, citing concerns for her children’s safety. “No one in our family is trying in any way to impede with the investigation by law enforcement or to otherwise hamper the family and law enforcement’s quest for answers,” Cole wrote, adding that her son “cooperated fully” with the sheriff’s investigation.

Investigation remains ongoing

Wells disappeared after traveling by boat to Horn Island, off Mississippi’s Gulf Coast, with a group of friends on July 4. When the group returned to the mainland, he was missing. A U.S. park ranger found his body on the island’s northwestern tip on July 6. An independent autopsy commissioned by Wells’ family concluded that both the cause and manner of death remain “undetermined pending further investigation.”

During a July 22 news conference, civil rights attorney Ben Crump, who represents Wells’ family, said the findings neither confirmed nor ruled out foul play. The family has continued to raise concerns about inconsistencies in witness accounts and unanswered questions regarding Wells’ cellphone and other belongings.

Authorities have not identified any suspects or announced arrests related to Wells’ death. Jackson County Sheriff John Ledbetter has said investigators did not initially suspect foul play, while officials continue reviewing evidence, witness statements and digital records. They have also warned that online harassment and threats risk complicating the active investigation, as Crump has said the family expects the case to be presented to a grand jury once investigators complete their work.