In a troubling incident, authorities have arrested a man from California who faces accusations of sending threatening messages to a woman connected to the mysterious disappearance of Nolan Wells. The individual targeted was the mother of a friend who accompanied Wells on the day he vanished.
Eighteen-year-old Wells went missing on July 4 following a boat outing with friends to Horn Island, a scenic barrier island situated off Mississippi’s Gulf Coast. After a frantic two-day search, rescue teams halted their efforts when a National Parks Service ranger located his body on the island’s northwestern edge on July 6.
Joseph Alfredo Vasquez Dumarce, aged 27, was apprehended on Thursday for allegedly making interstate threats, as detailed in federal court filings. The criminal complaint reveals that Dumarce used Facebook Messenger to send multiple menacing messages to Jackson County Chancery Court Judge Ashlee Cole, including a grave claim of intending to dispatch a bomb to her office.
The alleged suspect, Dumarce, hails from Sacramento, California.
Judge Ashlee Cole of the Jackson County Chancery Court is notably the mother of Warren Hudson, who accompanied Nolan Wells on the day of his disappearance. (Ashlee Cole/Facebook)
“There will be a package coming to your guys office in the next few days,” Dumarce allegedly sent Cole on July 11. “It’s gonna blow you away when you see it lol. probably best to have the boys there to see as well.”
“Blood. So much blood everywhere. Hard to clean. Especially from a boat. But yours will be quick I promise. I got all your info. Not even the FBI can stop this. Once that package is opened the timer will start. And then you have maybe 10 seconds or less to ask god forgiveness,” Dumarce allegedly messaged Cole.
A screenshot of the threatening Facebook messages allegedly sent to Jackson County Chancery Court Judge Ashlee Cole, warning that a package would be sent to her office. (DOJ)
Dumarce also allegedly called numbers associated with the office of the Jackson County Chancery Court on July 11 at 1:27 a.m.
Dumarce was identified by authorities through the email associated with his Facebook account. The charge Dumarce faces carries a maximum of five years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.
Nolan Wells, 18, disappeared July 4 after a boat trip with friends to Horn Island off Mississippi’s Gulf Coast. His body was found two days later by a National Park Service ranger. (Christine Wonsley/Facebook and Jackson County Sheriff’s Department)
Cole is the mother of Warren Hudson, who was with Wells the day he disappeared. Hudson hasn’t been accused of any wrongdoing, and records from the Mississippi Department of Marine Resources indicate Wells chose to stay on Horn Island rather than return to the coast with him.
During a July 22 news conference, attorney Ben Crump revealed that an area of “red discoloration” was found on Wells’ head, but said Dr. Roger Mitchell, who performed an independent autopsy, couldn’t come to a conclusion on a cause or manner of death “pending further investigation.” Official autopsy results for Wells’ death have not been released.
Judge Ashlee Cole allegedly received threats through Facebook Messenger, including one stating a bomb would be sent to her office. (Ashlee Cole/Facebook)
Wells was a wide receiver at Southwest Mississippi Community College and had hopes to play at the Division I level, according to Crump, an attorney for his family.
The FBI declined to comment.