Third person charged with allegedly threatening witnesses in Nolan Wells investigation


Three people have been charged with allegedly threatening witnesses in the investigation surrounding the death of Mississippi teen Nolan Wells in three different instances.

One of the three defendants, Edward James Porter, is accused of making multiple threats to two witnesses July 31, according to court documents obtained by NBC News.

According to a probable cause affidavit, Porter made multiple calls to two witnesses, threatening to kill them and their families. He said he knew where they lived, and told the second witness he would cut them up and put them into a suitcase, the documents said.

Wells was found dead July 6 at the northwest tip of Mississippi’s Horn Island, two days after he ventured to the area with a large group of friends to celebrate the July 4 holiday.

His friends have told officials that they needed to leave the gathering early because their boat was taking on water, and that Wells had told them he wanted to stay behind and catch a later ride with other people. They say that’s when they last saw their friend.

Nolan Xavier Wells outside on a boat smiling for a photo
Nolan Wells on Horn Island off the Mississippi coast, on July 4.Jackson County Sheriff’s Department

When he never returned home, Wells’ mother and one of his friends reported him missing to the authorities.

The family’s lawyer, civil rights attorney Ben Crump, has since questioned the circumstances surrounding his death — calling into question whether race was a factor, as it appeared Wells was one of a few Black people there that day.

Crump has also rejected notions from law enforcement officials that Wells may have drowned, citing the teenager’s ability to swim well and his athletic past.

NBC News has reached out to Crump for comment.

Officials in Mississippi have also charged Joseph Alfredo Vasquez Dumarce, after he allegedly sent messages on Facebook to a Jackson County Chancery Court judge July 11, according to a probable cause affidavit.

A screenshot of the purported messages included in the court documents shows someone with the username “yaeyae962” threatening to send a bomb to the judge’s office.

“There will be a package coming to your guys office in the next few days. It’s gonna blow you away when you see it lol,” the messages said. “Once that package is opened the timer will start. And then you have maybe 10 seconds or less to ask god forgiveness.”

Authorities then tracked the Facebook account to Dumarce.

The mother of one of Wells’ friends who was with him the day he died, Ashlee Cole, posted on Facebook about the teen’s death and said that her son was cooperating with authorities. Cole is a Jackson County judge, and grand jury charging documents for Dumarce identify the victim in this case as having initials “A.C.”

Cole has since posted screenshots of Instagram and Facebook messages from “yaeyae962” showing the same threatening messages that were included in the court documents.

State completes autopsy of Mississippi teen Nolan Wells

00:0000:00

A third person, Michelle Francine Edwards, was charged with making a bomb threat to the George County chancery clerk’s office July 23. Edwards then sent a second bomb threat to the Jackson County sheriff’s office later that day, according to a probable cause affidavit.

Edwards allegedly called the George County chancery clerk more than 20 times in eight minutes July 23 and said “do not go outside,” “the clock is ticking,” and “die,” according to the court documents.

She then called the Jackson County sheriff’s office eight times in a nearly 20-minute period and said, “y’all got a bomb outside, don’t come outside b—-,” the probable cause affidavit said.

No attorney was listed as representing Porter, Dumarce or Edwards. NBC News has reached out to the Jackson County public defender’s office for comment on the three cases.



Source link

  • Related Posts

    Hundreds missing in Nepal after massive flash flood

    IE 11 is not supported. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. Now Playing Hundreds missing in Nepal after massive flash flood 03:37 UP NEXT CIA director…

    Meta reaches $16.7B US settlement over social media harms to children

    Listen to this article Estimated 4 minutes The audio version of this article is generated by AI-based technology. Mispronunciations can occur. We are working with our partners to continually review…

    Leave a Reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    You Missed

    LEGO Batman: Legacy Of The Dark Knight DLC Trailer Showcases All-New Arkham Mission

    LEGO Batman: Legacy Of The Dark Knight DLC Trailer Showcases All-New Arkham Mission

    US Open 2026: Serena and Venus Williams to play women’s doubles in New York

    US Open 2026: Serena and Venus Williams to play women’s doubles in New York

    Xbox announces disc-to-digital feature that digitizes your physical games

    Xbox announces disc-to-digital feature that digitizes your physical games

    Airport Worker Dies Of Malaria After Mosquito Arrives On Flight: 5 Others Infected

    Airport Worker Dies Of Malaria After Mosquito Arrives On Flight: 5 Others Infected

    WATCH: Looking back at Dolly Parton on ‘GMA’ over the years

    WATCH:  Looking back at Dolly Parton on ‘GMA’ over the years

    Hundreds missing in Nepal after massive flash flood

    Hundreds missing in Nepal after massive flash flood