Folks, I almost spilled my coffee reading this one. Three people have been charged with threatening a judge, a witness, and local officials connected to the investigation into the death of Nolan Xavier Wells, an 18-year-old who was found dead after a July Fourth boat trip with friends to an island off Mississippi’s Gulf Coast. I mean, what’s going on here? None of the three appear to know Wells, his family, or the boating group, or be part of the investigation. It’s just getting weirder by the minute.
The threats came amid rampant speculation and scrutiny of the investigation, deepened in part by uncertainty surrounding Wells’ final hours, distrust of law enforcement, and the state’s long history of racist violence. I can understand why people are getting frustrated, but threatening others is not the answer. The teenager, who was Black, had traveled to the uninhabited island with a group of friends from high school, all of whom were white. He did not return with his friends to the mainland that evening, and his body was found two days later off the island’s coast.
Authorities have not made any arrests or named any suspects. An independent autopsy commissioned by Wells’ family found the 18-year-old’s cause of death to be “undetermined” pending further investigation. I’m no expert, but it seems like they’re still trying to figure out what happened. Attempts to reach the defendants for comment were unsuccessful, which doesn’t surprise me. I mean, if I were in their shoes, I’d probably be laying low too.
One of the defendants, Edward James Porter of Illinois, allegedly called an unnamed witness on July 31 and threatened to kill them and their family. Porter also allegedly told another person in Mississippi in a phone call that he would cut them up and put them “into a suitcase.” Porter was charged on July 31 in federal court for the Southern District of Mississippi for the threat. This guy sounds like a real charmer. An Ohio woman was also charged with allegedly placing bomb threats at the George County Chancery Clerk’s Office and the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office on July 23.
A California man, Joseph Alfredo Vasquez Dumarce, was charged on July 14 for allegedly sending a threatening Facebook message to a Jackson County Chancery Court judge with ties to the Wells investigation. According to an affidavit, a Facebook user believed to be Dumarce sent a message to the judge’s account that constituted a “threat that a bomb would be mailed to the judge’s office.” I don’t know what’s more disturbing, the fact that these people are making threats or the fact that they think they can get away with it.
Judge Ashlee Cole posted a screenshot of Dumarce’s threatening message on Facebook on July 9. Cole wrote in an earlier Facebook post that her son last saw Wells on July Fourth around 3 p.m. and decided to “stay on the island and return inland later with another group of friends.” Cole wrote that she deactivated her Facebook and that she fears for the safety of her children. I don’t blame her one bit. “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.
In conclusion, this whole situation is just a big mess. You have people making threats, others fearing for their safety, and still, no one knows what really happened to Nolan Wells. I just hope they can get to the bottom of this soon and bring some closure to the family. And to all the keyboard warriors out there, let’s just take a deep breath and let the authorities do their job, okay? 🙄
Armchair patriot. Believes in the free market, cold beer, and that there’s always a guy named George behind every CNN segment.
Former remote-throwing champion turned #1 couch commentator on liberal panic in the media. Born in Texas (or so his mug says), he earned a degree in Fake Newsology & Beer Philosophy from YouTube University.
