Berwyn man charged with threatening witnesses in Nolan Wells case

A man from west suburban Berwyn is charged with trying to intimidate witnesses involved in the case of Nolan Wells, the Black teenager found dead after a 4th of July trip with friends in Mississippi.

Federal prosecutors said Edward James Porter sent death threats to two witnesses tied to the investigation into Wells' death.

Wells was found dead after a July 4th boat trip with friends in Mississippi. Wells, who is Black, traveled to an island off the coast with a group of high school friends all of whom are white. He never returned, and his body was found two days later.

His cause of death remains undetermined.

Federal prosecutors have charged Porter and two other people with threatening witnesses and others tied to the investigation.

Prosecutors said Porter repeatedly called one witness on Friday from an apartment building in Berwyn, and said he was going to kill the witness, the witness' family, and that he had the witness' address.

Porter is also accused of threatening a second witness, saying he would kill the witness, saying he would kill them and everyone in the home, as well as any police, and that he would cut up the witness and put them "into a suitcase."

"It's mind-boggling, because he's doing it on his own. Apparently, there's nobody else assisting him," CBS News Chicago legal analyst Irv Miller said.

Investigators said subpoenas served on Boost Mobile helped trace the phone number and IP address used to make the threatening calls and messages, ultimately leading authorities to Porter.

Court records show, at an initial hearing in federal court in Chicago, a judge granted him bond, but prosecutors appealed that ruling.

A federal judge in Mississippi, where the charges were filed, granted prosecutors' request for a stay of the order granting Porter bond. The judge also ordered Porter transferred to Mississippi for a hearing next month on whether or not he should stay in custody.

Meantime, two others also have been charged with making threats in connection with the Wells case.

Michelle Francine Edwards, of Ohio, is accused of placing a bomb threat at the George County Chancery Clerk's Office in Mississippi on July 23. According to the charges, she called the clerk's office 21 times, telling them "do not go outside," "the clock is ticking," and "die."

Joseph Alfredo Vasquez Dumarce, of California, is accused of sending a threatening Facebook message to a Jackson County Chancery Court judge, claiming a bomb would be mailed to the judge's office.

Judge Ashlee Cole posted screenshots of the threats from Dumarce on her Facebook account on July 9. In an earlier Facebook post, Cole said that her son knew Wells and last saw him on the day he disappeared.

"They left around 4:30 pm when the boat was taking on water and they had an issue with the bilge pump. Nolan made a decision to stay on the island and return inland later with another group of friends," she wrote.

Cole wrote that she deactivated her Facebook account after her family received "potential threats to their safety."