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Mississippi

All articles tagged with #mississippi

Data Highlights Horn Island Drownings Are Rare as Nolan Wells Case Probes Unfold
news5 days ago

Data Highlights Horn Island Drownings Are Rare as Nolan Wells Case Probes Unfold

New data suggests drownings around Horn Island, Mississippi are rare, even as 18-year-old Nolan Wells’ disappearance during a large July 4 party and subsequent July 6 death trigger ongoing investigations. Authorities initially warned of drowning possibilities but are reassessing the case amid parental and public scrutiny; an independent autopsy could not determine cause of death or rule out foul play, and the official autopsy results have not been released. Both official and independent investigations are ongoing, with findings expected to be presented to a grand jury.

Wells Family Urges Fair Forensic Process in DA Investigation
crime11 days ago

Wells Family Urges Fair Forensic Process in DA Investigation

The Wells family and their attorney Ben Crump say they have cooperated with the DA’s probe into 18-year-old Nolan Wells’s death, noting a July 15 plan to jointly examine Wells’s phone with the Digital Forensics Lab and possibly the FBI has stalled due to an unresolved forensic protocol and a rushed deadline issued while the family was out of state; they request a mutually agreed process to preserve evidence and ensure a fair investigation.

Family urges federal review into Nolan Wells’ death after Mississippi boating trip
national11 days ago

Family urges federal review into Nolan Wells’ death after Mississippi boating trip

At the NABJ convention, Nolan Wells’ parents and civil rights leaders pressed for a federal, independent review of the 18-year-old’s July death after a boating trip in Ocean Springs, Mississippi; authorities say no foul play is suspected and the official autopsy has not yet been released, while a family-commissioned autopsy is inconclusive, fueling calls for transparency amid race-related scrutiny.

Mississippi Woman Found Hanging: Authorities Probe Circumstances
us-crime-and-justice14 days ago

Mississippi Woman Found Hanging: Authorities Probe Circumstances

Jackson, Miss.—The body of 29-year-old Tasia Fortune was found hanging in the backyard of an abandoned Jackson home, with police saying they are working to determine the circumstances and have not yet labeled the death suspicious. Fortune, a mother of four who had traveled to Kentucky for a family reunion, was mourned by her mother who says Fortune did not take her own life. An autopsy will determine the cause and manner of death. Fortune's death follows two other hangings in Mississippi within a year, drawing scrutiny of how authorities handle deaths in Black communities, with scant information about suspects or persons of interest. A memorial has grown at the site, and civil-rights voices have urged transparency as investigations continue.

Mississippi's new Black death cases spark renewed fears of racial violence
us-news14 days ago

Mississippi's new Black death cases spark renewed fears of racial violence

Recent, suspicious deaths of three Black Mississippians—Tasia Fortune and Demartravion “Trey” Reed, plus Nolan Wells—have rekindled fears in Black communities that deaths tied to racial violence may not be thoroughly investigated or fully explained, highlighting Mississippi’s painful history and ongoing concerns about justice.

Three charged over threats to Nolan Wells case officials
national19 days ago

Three charged over threats to Nolan Wells case officials

Three people were charged with threatening witnesses, officials and a judge connected to the Nolan Wells case, a Black teenager who died after a July 4 celebration off a Mississippi island. The alleged threats were made via phone, text messages and social media as authorities continue investigating Wells’s death and his family questions how the case has been handled.

Three Charged in Threats Linked to Nolan Wells Death Probe
crime20 days ago

Three Charged in Threats Linked to Nolan Wells Death Probe

Three people have been charged in federal court with threatening a judge, a witness and local officials tied to the investigation into the death of Nolan Xavier Wells, an 18-year-old who died after a July Fourth boat trip off Mississippi's Gulf Coast. Edward James Porter of Illinois allegedly called and threatened to kill a witness and their family; Michelle Francine Edwards of Ohio is accused of bomb threats at the George County Chancery Clerk’s Office and Jackson County Sheriff’s Office; Joseph Alfredo Vasquez Dumarce of California was charged for sending a threatening Facebook message to a judge tied to the Wells investigation. Authorities have not released arrests or suspects in Wells’ death, and an independent family autopsy found the cause undetermined; the threats occurred amid public speculation and distrust surrounding the probe.

Three Charged Over Threats in Nolan Wells Death Investigation
crime20 days ago

Three Charged Over Threats in Nolan Wells Death Investigation

Three Mississippi residents have been charged with threatening witnesses and a court official tied to the investigation into Nolan Wells’ death on Horn Island. Edward James Porter allegedly called two witnesses multiple times, threatening to kill them and their families; Joseph Alfredo Vasquez Dumarce allegedly sent Facebook messages threatening to bomb a judge’s office; Michelle Francine Edwards is charged with bomb threats to the George County chancery clerk’s office and later the Jackson County sheriff’s office. No attorneys were listed for the defendants, and Wells’ family, including civil rights attorney Ben Crump, continues to seek answers about his disappearance and death.

Third Suspect Arrested in Nolan Wells Case Over Threats to Witnesses
true-crime21 days ago

Third Suspect Arrested in Nolan Wells Case Over Threats to Witnesses

Edward James Porter, 40, has become the third person arrested in the Nolan Wells case after authorities say he transmitted threats in interstate commerce, telling a witness he would “come kill” them and sharing the witness’s home address. Wells disappeared July 4 on Horn Island, Mississippi and was found dead July 6; two earlier arrests—Joseph Alfredo Vasquez Dumarce and Michelle Francine Edwards—were for related threats. Wells’ family, represented by Ben Crump, has faced online abuse as the investigation continues, with no charges yet tied to Wells’ death.

Illinois man accused of threatening Nolan Wells witnesses, vowing to stash a body in a suitcase
crime21 days ago

Illinois man accused of threatening Nolan Wells witnesses, vowing to stash a body in a suitcase

An Illinois man, Edward Porter, is charged with transmitting a threatening interstate communication after allegedly telling two witnesses in the Nolan Wells probe he would kill their families and even stuff a body in a suitcase; investigators traced his cell number and Porter now faces up to five years in prison as the third person charged in threats against Wells witnesses.

Cincinnati woman accused of bomb threats during Nolan Wells probe
us-news23 days ago

Cincinnati woman accused of bomb threats during Nolan Wells probe

A Cincinnati woman, Michelle Francine Edwards, is accused of making 29 bomb-threat calls to Mississippi government offices during the Nolan Wells death probe, including the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office and the George County Chancery Clerk’s Office, using blocked numbers and *67 to mask the calls. The threats prompted lockdowns and a bomb sweep. Edwards faces interstate threatening-communications charges with up to five years in prison as authorities continue to investigate Wells’ disappearance and death; civil rights attorney Ben Crump represents Wells’ family, and a separate man, Joseph Vasquez Dumarce, is charged with threats to a Jackson County judge.

Threats tied to Nolan Wells case spark federal charges in two states
crime24 days ago

Threats tied to Nolan Wells case spark federal charges in two states

California man Joseph Dumarce, 27, was indicted in Mississippi federal court for interstate transmission of threatening communications targeting chancery judge Ashlee Cole—whose son was friends with Nolan Wells, whose July disappearance has drawn threats against his family. In a separate case, Ohio woman Francine Edwards is accused of bomb threats against Mississippi officials involved in the Wells investigation. Dumarce is held without bail; Edwards is jailed without bond. The Wells family has faced harassment and pursued transparency and an independent autopsy.

Second arrest tied to Nolan Wells probe: Cincinnati woman charged with bomb threats to Mississippi offices
crime24 days ago

Second arrest tied to Nolan Wells probe: Cincinnati woman charged with bomb threats to Mississippi offices

A Cincinnati woman, Michelle Francine Edwards, has been charged in federal court with making multiple bomb threats targeting two Mississippi government offices—the George County Chancery Clerk’s Office and the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office—in the wake of the Nolan Wells death investigation; she allegedly placed calls using blocked numbers, prompting lockdowns and a bomb sweep, though no device was found.

SpaceXAI to Phase Out Unpermitted Turbines, Replacing With 1.2GW Plant by 2027
technology25 days ago

SpaceXAI to Phase Out Unpermitted Turbines, Replacing With 1.2GW Plant by 2027

SpaceXAI will begin removing 69 unpermitted gas turbines powering its Memphis-area data center, replacing them with a new 1.2GW plant in Mississippi; removal starts August 2026 and is slated to finish by July 2027 under a Clean Air Act permit, amid an NAACP lawsuit alleging pollution; SpaceXAI says air quality currently meets EPA standards, while the DOJ seeks dismissal of the case.

A Coastline Search That Became a National Conversation: The Nolan Wells Case
culture26 days ago

A Coastline Search That Became a National Conversation: The Nolan Wells Case

A missing-teen case on the Mississippi coast becomes a national conversation about race as volunteers search for Nolan Wells after his July 4 disappearance; his body was found July 6, prompting an FBI/sheriff investigation, threats and online harassment toward his family, and ongoing autopsy and toxicology reviews, with discussions about safety of Black youths in predominantly white spaces.