Three Charged With Threats in Mississippi Teen Death Case

Three people have been charged with threatening a judge, a witness and local officials involved in the investigation into the death of Nolan Xavier Wells, an 18-year-old found dead after a July Fourth boat trip with friends to an island off Mississippi's Gulf Coast. The three individuals do not appear to have any connection to Wells, his family, the group he was with or the investigation itself. The threats emerged amid widespread speculation and heightened scrutiny surrounding the case, fueled by unanswered questions about Wells' final hours, mistrust of law enforcement and Mississippi's history of racial violence.

Wells, who was Black, had traveled to the uninhabited island with several white classmates from his high school. He did not return to the mainland with the group that night, and his body was discovered two days later in waters near the island. Authorities have not announced any arrests or identified suspects in Wells' death.

An independent autopsy requested by his family determined his cause of death was "undetermined" pending further investigation. Attempts to reach the defendants for comment were unsuccessful.