The still-unresolved death of 18-year-old Nolan Wells has taken another disturbing turn - and this time, the mystery stretches hundreds of miles from Mississippi to suburban Chicago.
NBC Chicago's investigative team has uncovered new details about Edward James Porter, the 33-year-old Berwyn, Illinois, man now facing federal charges for allegedly making terrifying death threats against witnesses connected to the Wells case.
And Porter's alleged threats are only part of the story.
According to NBC Chicago, investigators digging into Porter's background discovered a lengthy history of arrests involving alleged violence, threats and violations of court protection orders. Authorities have reportedly described him in previous cases as a "threat to safety."
Yet one huge question remains: Why would a man with no known connection to Nolan Wells or Mississippi allegedly insert himself into one of the country's increasingly scrutinized death investigations?
That question is adding yet another layer of intrigue to a case already surrounded by unanswered questions.
Wells disappeared during a July 4 boating outing with friends at Horn Island, Mississippi, as the region endured a heat index reportedly reaching 105 degrees. He did not return home with the group.
Two days later, the teenager was found dead, face down in the water.
With the circumstances surrounding his death still unresolved, Wells' family and civil rights leaders have publicly raised questions about whether his death could have been racially motivated. Authorities have not established that Wells was murdered or that his death was racially motivated, making the distinction particularly important as speculation around the case continues.
Then came the alleged threats.
Federal prosecutors accuse Porter of contacting witnesses connected to the investigation and threatening not only to kill them, but also people inside their homes and law enforcement officers.
One allegation is especially chilling: prosecutors claim Porter threatened to cut up a witness and place the person's remains inside a suitcase.
Now NBC Chicago says it has obtained the first publicly reported jail photograph of Porter while also digging into his history.
According to records obtained by the station, Porter's encounters with law enforcement date back to 2011 and include approximately two dozen arrests involving allegations such as domestic violence, theft and violations of protection orders.
NBC Chicago also reports that Porter previously possessed an Illinois Firearm Owner's Identification card and a handgun. Police allegedly confiscated the weapon after he threatened an ex-girlfriend by saying, "I'm going to shoot you." Those charges were later dropped after the woman did not proceed with the case, and NBC Chicago reported that it remains unclear whether the firearm and FOID card were eventually returned.
Other allegations involving guns, assaults and threats reportedly followed over the years, with many charges later dropped when alleged victims did not testify.
But the Wells case has now put Porter in very different territory.
He is facing his first federal charge after prosecutors accused him of inserting himself into the Mississippi investigation for reasons that, at least publicly, remain unexplained.
Investigators reportedly believe they have digital evidence connecting Porter to the alleged threats, including cellphone calls made to Mississippi witnesses and IP-address information allegedly tracing activity back to Porter and the Berwyn apartment where he was staying.
Federal agents with the FBI's Chicago Field Office apprehension team arrested Porter with assistance from Berwyn police. According to police records obtained by NBC Chicago through a Freedom of Information request, Porter did not resist arrest.
He is now being transferred from Chicago to Mississippi by U.S. Marshals and is expected to remain in federal custody ahead of a Sept. 2 hearing in Gulfport.
And that leaves the Nolan Wells case with two increasingly unsettling mysteries.
The first remains the biggest: What exactly happened to the 18-year-old after that Fourth of July boating trip?
The second is newer but no less bizarre: Why was a man hundreds of miles away allegedly contacting people connected to the case and threatening them?
For now, prosecutors have accused Porter of making the threats - not of involvement in Wells' death - and NBC Chicago reports there are no known ties between Porter, Wells or Mississippi.
But as investigators continue following the digital trail and Wells' family continues searching for answers, a case that was already raising difficult questions has just become considerably stranger.
