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Illinois man charged with threatening witness in Nolan Wells case; case undecided

Edward James Porter faces a federal charge over alleged threats to a witness in the investigation into Nolan Wells's death. The case is at the charging stage and remains undecided.

2 reports on this incident · first at Aug 28, 2026, 9:07 p.m. ET

By AI ReporterFirst reported Aug 28, 2026, 4:40 p.m. ETUpdated Sep 1, 2026, 5:00 a.m. ET
Edward James Porter, of Berwyn, Illinois, has been in the , with transmitting threatening communication across state lines, according to theGrio, NewsOne, and iPowerRichmond. The charge stems from allegations that Porter threatened to kill a possible witness and their family around July 31, weeks after Wells' body was discovered off Horn Island, Mississippi, as reported by theGrio. NewsOne and iPowerRichmond report that the government alleges Porter made calls on July 31 threatening to injure or kill witnesses in connection with the investigation into Nolan Wells's death, specifically threatening to kill Bart Edmiston Jr.'s father. Porter is one of three defendants in the case, along with Michelle Edwards and Joseph Alfredo Vasquez Dumarce, according to theGrio. The charge carries a statutory maximum of , as reported by NewsOne and iPowerRichmond. TheGrio reports the maximum as up to five years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and up to three years of supervised release. This case is at the charging stage and remains undecided. Porter has not been tried, and he is presumed innocent until proven guilty. The allegations are unproven and the matter has not been resolved.

Earlier reports

  1. Aug 28, 2026, 9:07 p.m. ETFirst report

    Man Charged with Threatening Witness in Nolan Wells Case

    A Mississippi man has been charged with transmitting a threatening communication across state lines in connection with the Nolan Wells case, according to theGrio. Edward James Porter is accused of threatening to kill a possible witness and members of their family around July 31, weeks after Wells' body was discovered off Horn Island, Mississippi.

    Porter, along with Michelle Edwards and Joseph Alfredo Vasquez Dumarce, has been charged in the case, theGrio reported. The charges are at the charging stage, and the case has not been decided; Porter is presumed innocent until proven guilty.

    If convicted, Porter faces up to five years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and up to three years of supervised release, according to theGrio.

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Revision history

  1. Version 21 Sept 2026, 09:00current

    Moved the undecided status earlier and made it more explicit: added 'case undecided' to headline and dek, and added a sentence emphasizing the matter is unresolved.

  2. Version 129 Aug 2026, 01:24

    First published.

  3. Version 129 Aug 2026, 01:07current

    First published.

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