The death of the 18-year-old Mississippi college freshman has drawn widespread attention since he was found ᴅᴇᴀᴅ following a boat trip to Horn Island, several miles off the Mississippi Gulf coast, with a group of friends.
Wells’s death has also heightened racial tensions: Wells was Black and three friends he was with were white. The case has prompted speculation on social media, with users questioning whether Wells’s death could have been racially motivated, as well as claims of defamation amid the investigation into the case.
In the weeks since Wells’s death, several threats have been made against Mississippi public officials.
One case centers on allegations against Michelle Francine Edwards of Cincinnati, Ohio. She has been charged with one count of transmitting a threatening communication in interstate commerce.
According to court records, Edwards used a blocked number to call the chancery clerk’s office in George county – which includes Horn Island – approximately 21 times in July. “Do not go outside,” Edwards allegedly said during those calls. She also allegedly said “the clock is ticking” and “die”.
Court records also allege Edwards made several calls to the sheriff’s office in Jackson county, Mississippi. During those calls, Edwards allegedly said, “Y’all got a bomb outside, don’t come outside bitch,” before later asking: “Y’all still in there?”
The alleged calls prompted authorities to place the building on lockdown while canine units conducted a bomb sweep.
If convicted as charged, Edwards could face a maximum penalty of five years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and three years of supervised release.
A separate case centers on allegations against Joseph Alfredo Vasquez Dumarce, from Sacramento, California. Vasquez was arrested on the same charge as Edwards after allegedly threatening chancery judge Ashlee Cole, whose son had been on the boat trip with Wells.
According to court documents and screensH๏τs Cole posted online, a Facebook account traced to Dumarce sent her a message that read: “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.”
The post used an acronym for “laughing at loud” and added: “Probably best to have the boys there to see as well.
“Blood. So much blood everywhere. Hard to clean. Especially from a boat. But yours will be quick I promise. I got all you info. Not even the FBI can stop this. Once that package is opened, the timer will start.”
In response to the messages, the judge said on Facebook: “We realize that the truth will not stop the calls for the death of our small children … We also want to know what happened to Nolan. We will do everything within our power to ᴀssist Nolan’s family in their quest for answers.”
An independent autopsy performed in July listed Wells’s cause and manner of death as “undetermined, pending investigation”, his family’s lawyer, the civil rights attorney Ben Crump, said.
According to Crump, the independent autopsy – paid for by the former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick – found missing neck tissue and unexplained “red discoloration” on the back of Wells’s head.
Black civil rights leaders have called for greater transparency and demanded answers in Wells’s case. Speaking at Wells’s funeral, which was paid for by film-maker Tyler Perry, the civil rights leader the Rev Al Sharpton said: “For an 18-year-old young man to no longer be with us, we want answers, not bias either way – just answers … I think that for the family, the closure can come if there is justice.
“He was not on that island by himself: somebody saw something and knows something.”
Meanwhile, as of Monday, an online fundraiser for some of Wells’s friends had collected about $94,000 for the purpose of defending against any potential litigation in connection with the case. “Instead of being allowed to mourn, what followed was an unprecedented online campaign of accusations, harᴀssment, threats and defamation,” the online fundraiser said.
Wells’ official state autopsy has been completed, officials told NBC. But the results of the autopsy by the Mississippi’s state medical examiner’s office have not been released, with them first being sent to a grand jury investigating Wells’s case.
The Guardian has contacted the state medical examiner’s office for comment.
