Nolan Wells case update: Court hears disturbing allegations before judge orders suspect jailed without bond

A federal judge in Mississippi has ordered Edward James Porter to remain in custody without bond after prosecutors challenged his release in a case involving alleged threats against a witness connected to the investigation into Nolan Xavier Wells’ death. The ruling followed an emergency hearing where an FBI agent described repeated calls and threats allegedly directed at Bart Edmiston Jr. and his family.Edward James Porter remains jailed after alleged threatsU.S. District Judge Taylor McNeel ruled that Porter should remain behind bars while his federal case proceeds. Prosecutors had sought an emergency hearing after another federal judge in Illinois had granted him bond.During the Sept. 9 hearing, FBI Task Force Agent Christopher Kloc testified about a series of calls allegedly made by Porter on July 31. According to the testimony reported by the Sun Herald, Porter allegedly used Pinger to disguise his actual phone number and make the calls appear to originate from Moss Point, Mississippi.Kloc said Porter made 12 calls to Bart Edmiston Jr. and his father over roughly three hours. Prosecutors allege that the calls included threats against the family.Edmiston Jr., 21, is a friend of Nolan Wells and currently plays football at the University of Wyoming. His name appeared in a Mississippi Department of Marine Resources incident report after he helped tow a boat connected to the events surrounding Wells' disappearance.The threats came weeks after Wells, 18, disappeared following a Fourth of July trip to Horn Island off Mississippi's Gulf Coast. His body was found on July 6. Authorities have not charged anyone in connection with Wells' death.What the court heard about the alleged threatsThe testimony presented a troubling picture of the alleged communications. Kloc told the court that Porter had Edmiston Jr.'s childhood address in Ocean Springs and allegedly sent it to him by text.According to testimony, Porter also contacted Edmiston Sr. while he was undergoing a medical procedure. The FBI agent said Porter allegedly threatened the older man, his household and responding police officers.Porter later allegedly told Edmiston Jr. that he was outside the family's Ocean Springs home and threatened to kill the family, according to the testimony.The judge also considered Porter's previous criminal record. The court was told that he had faced numerous violent criminal charges over the years, including allegations involving assault, assault with a deadly weapon and domestic violence. The pretrial report also showed that he had forfeited bond 13 times and had a pending fugitive-from-justice charge.Porter was unemployed and living at a homeless shelter when he was arrested in Illinois. His sister offered to let him stay with her, but she told the court she would be away at work during the day and could not supervise him.McNeel ultimately determined that Porter presented a flight risk and a danger to the victims and community. The judge concluded that detention was necessary because available release conditions could not reasonably guarantee safety or ensure Porter's appearance in future proceedings.Porter is not the only person facing federal allegations connected to threats surrounding the Wells investigation. Brandon Ephriam Washington of Jacksonville, Florida, is separately accused of sending threatening messages to Edmiston Jr. and remains free on bond pending his case in Wyoming.The Wells investigation itself remains separate from these federal threat cases. No one has been charged with causing Wells' death, and authorities continue to investigate what happened after he disappeared during the July Fourth trip.Get the latest Sports News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.