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.
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.
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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.
