An Illinois man accused of threatening a former football teammate of Nolan Wells and the individual’s father has been indicted on federal charges.
Edward James Porter was indicted in the U.S. District Court in Southern Mississippi for allegedly making threatening calls to Bart Edmiston Jr. and his father on July 31. Edmiston and Wells were formerly teammates on the Ocean Springs High School football team. Wells went missing on July 4 after going to Horn Island with a group of friends and was discovered dead on the barrier island two days later. Edmiston is said to have assisted the group Wells went to the island with a boating issue.
Since then, however, online conspiracies have attempted to link Edmiston to Wells’ death, with allegations that he had a motive to kill Wells over an unfounded claim of jealousy.
A federal complaint revealed that Porter allegedly threatened to kill a witness, later identified as Edmiston, and his family during a phone call. He is said to have later texted Edmiston his home address while claiming he was outside the residence.
Porter allegedly made another phone call that day and threatened to kill the recipient, along with the individual’s entire household and any law enforcement personnel who happened to arrive at the scene. The threat reportedly grew dimmer, with Porter allegedly expressing plans to dismember the witness and place his body parts in a suitcase.
The defendant will appear in court in Gulfport on Sept. 4. He faces up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release, and $250,000 in fines. Porter is one of three people currently facing charges for allegedly threatening witnesses or officials investigating the case. Ohio native Michelle Francine Edwards and California native Joseph Alfredo Vasquez Dumarce face similar charges.
The arrests and indictment come as Mississippi Attorney General Lynn Fitch said threats toward investigators and law enforcement officials assessing Wells’ death would be taken seriously. In the meantime, Wells’ mother, Christine Wonsley, said her family has been subjected to hateful messages and harassment.
As for Wells’ case, the investigation into the circumstances surrounding his death continues. Jackson County District Attorney Angel Myers McIlrath has urged the public to be patient as the legal process plays out and assured the public that officials are handling this case professionally.