Three individuals have been federally charged for issuing threats against officials and witnesses connected to the investigation into the death of Nolan Xavier Wells, an 18-year-old found deceased following a Fourth of July boating trip off the Mississippi Gulf Coast.

Among those charged is Edward James Porter of Illinois, who is accused of making multiple death threats. According to court affidavits, Porter allegedly called an unnamed witness on July 31, threatening to kill the person and their family. He also reportedly telephoned another individual in Mississippi and said he would dismember them and place their remains “into a suitcase.” Porter’s threats targeted two family members of Bart Edminston Jr., a 21-year-old acquaintance of Wells who assisted with the boat used on the July 4 outing. One threatened relative serves as a witness in the ongoing investigation into Wells’ death, according to Russell Latino, the family attorney.

Porter faces charges in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Mississippi. Efforts to contact him and the other defendants for comment were unsuccessful, with phone numbers listed in court documents inactive or unresponsive, and emails remaining unanswered.

In a separate development, Michelle Francine Edwards, an Ohio resident, was charged in connection with bomb threats made against public offices involved in the investigation. Court records indicate Edwards called the George County Chancery Clerk’s Office 21 times on July 23, warning that “the clock is ticking." She also made threats targeting the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office.

Additionally, a California man, Joseph Alfredo Vasquez Dumarce, was charged on July 14 for sending a threatening message via Facebook to a Jackson County Chancery Court judge linked to the Wells case. The affidavit states that Dumarce’s message implied a bomb would be mailed to the judge’s office. Judge Ashlee Cole, whose son last saw Wells on July 4, publicly shared a screenshot of the threat on social media and disclosed concerns for the safety of her family. In earlier statements, Cole emphasized that her family is cooperating fully with the investigation and is not obstructing law enforcement efforts.

The threats emerge amid heightened public scrutiny and speculation regarding Wells’ death. Wells, who was Black, was part of a group of predominantly white high school friends who traveled to an uninhabited island off Mississippi’s coast on July 4. He did not return with the group, and his body was discovered two days later in nearby waters. Authorities have not arrested any suspects or released details on the cause of death. An independent autopsy commissioned by Wells’ family concluded his cause of death as “undetermined,” pending further inquiry.

Distrust in law enforcement and the historical context of racial violence in the region have intensified community tensions around the case. Officials continue to investigate but have not publicly identified any suspects associated directly with Wells or his companions.