An Illinois man, Edward James Porter, 40, has been charged in Mississippi with transmitting a threatening message in interstate commerce. Porter allegedly sent death threats to Bart Edmiston Jr., a friend of 18-year-old Nolan Wells, who was with Wells on the day he disappeared.
Wells's body was found floating near Horn Island after a boating trip off the Mississippi Gulf Coast on the Fourth of July. Foul play was initially ruled out in his death, but questions surrounding his disappearance have persisted. Edmiston Jr. and his father were allegedly targeted by the threats.
According to court records, Porter sent text messages to Edmiston Jr. stating his intent to harm him and his family. Porter also allegedly sent Edmiston Jr. his home address, claiming to be outside the residence. Russell Latino, the attorney for Edmiston Jr. and his father, stated that Porter also threatened to kill Edmiston Sr. and dismember his body.
Edmiston Jr. was on the boat with Wells when it began taking on water. The circumstances of Wells's death have drawn national attention, with his family calling for a more thorough investigation, citing a distrust of local law enforcement.
This development follows other charges related to threats made against individuals connected to Wells's case. Joseph Alfredo Vasquez Dumarce faces charges for allegedly threatening the mother of another friend who was on the trip. Additionally, Michelle Francine Edwards of Ohio was charged after allegedly making numerous threatening calls to a Mississippi chancery clerk.
Wells's parents have also reportedly been targeted online. Ben Crump, the family's attorney, stated that negative reviews were posted on the mother's company website. Crump has advocated for a comprehensive investigation into Wells's death, questioning the initial ruling of no foul play. The family's suspicion was heightened after examining Wells's phone, which they found to contain no photos or videos from the day of the incident, an unusual behavior for the teenager.
Conversely, Warren Hudson, a friend of Wells's, has denied any tampering with Wells's phone. He stated in an interview that neither he nor anyone else on the trip accessed Wells's phone to delete content. Hudson explained that he put the phone in his truck and returned it to Wells's mother on the night of July 4th. He maintains that no one had the password to Wells's phone and there was no reason to delete anything.
Hudson also addressed his absence from Wells's funeral, citing safety concerns due to death threats he and his family received. His mother, Chancery Court Judge Ashlee Cole, had previously stated that her son and his friends left the island due to a mechanical issue with their boat. Cole also shared that her family had received death threats, leading them to cease speaking with the media.
Further complicating the investigation, an examination of interior neck parts removed during an initial autopsy, which could be relevant in cases of suspected neck injury, was reportedly not provided for a second procedure. This has led to questions about whether non-accidental factors contributed to Wells's death, according to Dr. Roger Mitchell, chair of pathology at Howard University College of Medicine.