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Sacramento Man Arrested for Violent Threats Linked to Nolan Wells’ Death · Murder Files Unsealed

0:00
Speaker 1: So in the summer of twenty twenty six, you have
0:02
this twenty seven year old man, Right, He's sitting in Sacramento, California,
0:06
and he fires off a Facebook message under a completely
0:09
fake name, right, and he's basically two thousand miles away
0:13
from his target. He probably thought he was perfectly anonymous,
0:15
just totally insulated by the vast distance. Oh.
0:18
Speaker 2: Absolutely, he assumed he had this untraceable digital mask.
0:21
Speaker 1: Yeah, exactly. I mean, he assumed the screen would protect
0:24
him from the blast radius of his own words. But
0:27
less than a week later, federal agents were literally kicking
0:30
down his.
0:30
Speaker 2: Door, which is just wild to think about.
0:32
Speaker 1: It really is so Welcome to this deep dive. Today,
0:35
we are looking at the exact digital breadcrumbs that shattered
0:39
this guy's anonymity and how a tragic, really unexplained death
0:44
on a remote Mississippi island triggered this massive nationwide digital
0:49
man hunt.
0:50
Speaker 2: Yeah. It really is the ultimate collision of physical tragedy
0:54
and digital consequence.
0:55
Speaker 1: It is, and we have a massive stack of official
0:58
sources here for you today. We're looking at charging documents,
1:01
investigative reports, detailed timelines, public statements, all of.
1:05
Speaker 2: It all centering around the recent arrest of Joseph Alfredo
1:09
Vosca's dumarshe.
1:10
Speaker 1: Right, and of course the underlying, just deeply heartbreaking case
1:14
of eighteen year old Nolan Wells. So our mission for
1:16
this deep dive is to unpack this intense tangled web.
1:20
We're going to look at how an isolated local tragedy
1:23
on a Barrier island morphed into a national social media
1:28
phenomenon Mailstrom. Yeah, and we're going to examine the very
1:32
real criminal consequences of crossing the line into online threats
1:36
and break down the complex parallel investigations that are currently underway. So, okay,
1:42
let's untack this because to understand the massive scale of
1:44
what's happening right now in July twenty twenty six, we
1:47
actually have to start at the explosive culmination of these events.
1:51
Speaker 2: The arrest itself, right, the arrest, which is how we
1:53
find ourselves in Sacramento looking at a man who is
1:56
now sitting in federal custody back in Mississippi facing incredibly serious.
2:00
Speaker 1: Yeah, Joseph Alfredo Voskas Dumars. He's twenty seven years old,
2:03
and he was just arrested by federal authorities for sending
2:06
a series of graphically violent threats over social media.
2:09
Speaker 2: And the target of these threats was Jackson County Chancery
2:13
Judge Ashley Cole, located all the way in Mississippi.
2:16
Speaker 1: Right. And you know, sending a message like this on
2:19
social media, it isn't just shouting into the void. It's
2:21
like throwing a digital Molotov cocktail across state lines.
2:25
Speaker 2: And that analogy gets right to the heart of the
2:27
legal reality here. I mean, the modern Internet is often
2:30
treated as this boundaryless vacuum for grief and speculation and outrage.
2:36
Speaker 1: People feel completely insulated exactly.
2:38
Speaker 2: They think, you know, I'm just typing on my phone
2:40
in my living room. Yeah, but Dumars crossed a very specific,
2:44
very rigid legal line.
2:46
Speaker 1: Yeah. And the specific messages he allegedly sent are just
2:50
chilling looking at these federal charging documents. He used an
2:53
anonymous Facebook account with the username yeah yea nine to
2:56
six to two. Right, And I want to read one
2:58
of the most detailed messages directly from the because you
3:00
really have to hear the exact escalation to understand why
3:04
the federal government stepped in.
3:05
Speaker 2: Right, Because the exact phrasing is what pushes this from
3:08
protected speech into.
3:10
Speaker 3: A criminal act exactly.
3:11
Speaker 1: So, he allegedly wrote, and I'm quoting here, there will
3:15
be a package coming to your guy's office in the
3:16
next few days. It's going to blow you away when
3:18
you see it, a loel. Probably best to have the
3:21
boys there to see as well. Blood so much blood everywhere,
3:25
hard to clean, especially from a boat. But yours will
3:28
be quick. I promise, I got all you info. Not
3:30
even the FBI can stop this. Once that package is opened,
3:34
the timer will start, and then you have maybe ten
3:37
seconds or list to ask God for forgiveness.
3:39
Speaker 2: Wow. I mean, if you pause and analyze the extreme
3:43
specificity of that threat, you immediately realize why this triggered alarms.
3:47
Speaker 1: It's so specific, Right, This.
3:49
Speaker 2: Wasn't generic internet trolling. This wasn't someone just typing I
3:52
hate you in a moment of passing frustration. Yeah, the
3:55
sender deliberately surgically intertwined deeply personal threats. It gets to
3:59
Judge's family, specifically mentioning her boys with calculated references to
4:04
a boat and.
4:04
Speaker 1: Blood, right, which means they were paying close attention exactly.
4:07
Speaker 2: It indicates that the person writing this was closely consuming
4:10
the public discourse surrounding a specific local case and weaponizing
4:15
those details.
4:15
Speaker 1: And he also allegedly sent photos of Judge Cole's children
4:19
like he threatened to strangle her son's He used phrases
4:23
like open up your insides and explicitly threatened to send
4:26
a bomb to.
4:27
Speaker 2: Her office, which is terrifying.
4:29
Speaker 1: It is now, according to the documents, Judge Cole and
4:32
her husband, doctor Benjamin Hudson, received thousands of threats after
4:36
the disappearance of No One Wills.
4:38
Speaker 2: Thousands, and yet, out of a sea of thousands of angry,
4:43
vitriolic messages, this specific set of messages from this specific
4:48
anonymous account triggered an elite federal response.
4:51
Speaker 1: Yeah, the FBI's Safe Streets Test Force took the lead
4:54
on tracking this down. They didn't, which brings up a
4:57
massive question for you listening to this. Right, this guy
5:00
was using a fake name yeah ya ya nine six'
5:03
to two and sitting in a transient situation In, Sacramento.
5:06
California how did federal agents actually find him sitting two
5:10
thousand miles.
5:11
Speaker 3: Away it's a great.
5:11
Speaker 2: QUESTION i, Mean i'm.
5:12
Speaker 1: Looking at this digital footprint and what strikes me is
5:14
that they didn't catch him by hacking some mainframe with
5:17
green code falling down a. Screen they caught him through
5:19
like corporate, bureaucracy didn't?
5:21
Speaker 2: They that is exactly. It law enforcement in the modern
5:24
era is heavily reliant on the data structures built by tech. Companies,
5:28
okay that transition from an anonymous screen name to a
5:31
physical set of handcuffs is a masterclass in modern digital.
5:35
Forensics oh for. Sure what's fascinating here is how quickly
5:39
the illusion of social media anonymity shatters the moment behavior
5:44
crosses a criminal.
5:45
Speaker 1: Threshold, right because all that data is just sitting there.
5:48
Speaker 2: Exactly the platforms that provide everyday users with a sense
5:51
of cover are fundamentally built on data, collection and those
5:54
structures are highly visible to law enforcement once a federal
5:58
subpoena is.
5:58
Speaker 1: Issued so trace the actual mechanics of these birdcrumbs for, Us,
6:02
like how do they physically get from A facebook handle
6:05
to adore In?
6:06
Speaker 2: Sacramento, Okay so it starts with the platform, Itself, meta
6:09
the parent company Of. Facebook when THE fbi looked at
6:11
the ACCOUNT yii nine sixty, two they served a subpoena To.
6:15
Meta got. It every single social media account requires back
6:19
end contact information to. Function you, know an email address
6:22
or phone number for account, recovery.
6:24
Speaker 1: Right like when you forget your password.
6:26
Speaker 2: Exactly so in this, case agents trace the handle to
6:29
associated email addresses provided By. Meta specifically one that stood.
6:34
Out it was a MONEY Budgyo joe nineteen sixteen At
6:37
gmail dot.
6:38
Speaker 1: Com, okay so they Subpoena, meta And meta hands over
6:41
The gmail address used to create the. Account BUT i,
6:44
mean people fake email nresses all the. TIME i could
6:46
go make a Fake gmail right.
6:47
Speaker 2: Now you, could, absolutely but that email address still has
6:51
to communicate With google, servers and every time it, does
6:54
it logs AN ip, address The Internet protocol address. Right
6:58
this is the unique string of numbers that identifies the
7:01
specific router or device connecting to The.
7:03
Speaker 1: Internet, okay just to give a visual for the. Listener
7:05
AN ip address is basically the digital street address of
7:08
the router you're currently connected, to like if you're on
7:10
your Home Wi, fi YOUR isp Like comcast or at
7:14
AND t assigns that router AND ip address.
7:16
Speaker 2: Exactly so investigators took That gmail address and served a
7:20
subpoena To. Google google handed over THE ip address information
7:23
link to that specific.
7:24
Speaker 1: Account, Okay but AN ip address alone isn't a, person,
7:27
Right it's just a piece of, hardware Right.
7:29
Speaker 2: Exactly they needed to know who was sitting behind that,
7:31
hardware so they started cross. Referencing they took the data
7:35
connected to that digital footprint ecosystem and found a day of,
7:38
birth a specific phone, number and physical.
7:41
Speaker 1: Addresses, yeah the charging documents explicitly mentioned they Pulled google
7:45
records that pointed directly to a physical address In. Sacramento
7:49
so they're basically piggybacking on consumer surveillance pretty much like
7:54
he had to register an. Email google LOGS ips to
7:57
serve ads and maintain account, security and the THE fbi
8:00
just taps into that existing.
8:02
Speaker 2: Architecture that is the reality of digital investigations. Today you
8:06
start layering the. Data you have a recovery, email AN ip,
8:09
address logging, connections a phone number used for two factory,
8:12
authentication and a physical location derived From google's location.
8:16
Speaker 1: Services, wow it all just stacks.
8:19
Speaker 2: Up it, does but to put the final nail in
8:21
the coffin to prove in court that the specific person
8:23
holding the phone is the person setting the threats at
8:26
that exact. Moment they matched all that historical digital footprint
8:30
data with real time physical cell phone.
8:32
Speaker 1: Data you mean cell tower, Triangulation, yes.
8:35
Speaker 2: Exactly once they had his phone number from The google,
8:38
records they could subpoena the cellular. Provider, Okay, see when
8:42
your phone is powered, on even if you aren't making a,
8:45
call it is constantly pinging nearby cell towers to ensure
8:49
it has a. Signal by measuring the signal strength and
8:51
time delay from multiple, towers the cellular provider can triangulate
8:56
the phone's physical location with incredible accuracy that it's. Razy,
9:00
yeah they use this data to pinpoint his actual physical
9:03
location In sacramento in real time to execute the.
9:06
Speaker 1: Arrest, WAIT i have to push back, here just for
9:08
the sake of the listener's tech. Curiosity couldn't someone just
9:12
use A vpn or a fake email at a public
9:15
library to completely hide THEIR ip and cover their. Tracks
9:19
it seems like there are tools designed to prevent exactly.
9:21
Speaker 2: This it's a very common misconception that one tool like
9:25
A vpn makes you. Invisible what you have to understand
9:28
is The Swiss cheese model of digital. Anonymity, Okay Swiss
9:32
cheese explain that A vpn is like plugging one hole
9:35
in a piece Of swiss. Cheese it creates an encrypted
9:38
tunnel that hides your traffic from your local internet service.
9:41
Provider but what happens when you emerge from that?
9:44
Speaker 1: Tunnel you still have to interact with the.
9:46
Speaker 2: Platforms right you log into A google, Account google immediately
9:50
knows it's, you regardless of the VPN's ip. Address or
9:53
maybe your phone's weather app refreshes in the background and
9:56
pings a Local Wi fi.
9:58
Speaker 1: Network AH i, see or.
10:00
Speaker 2: Your Device's bluetooth beacon pings a nearby smart. Device you've
10:04
plugged one hole with THE, vpn but you've left ten others.
10:06
Speaker 1: Open because it's all, interconnected.
10:08
Speaker 2: Exactly it's rarely one single piece of isolated data that
10:12
catches the. Suspect it's the cross. Referencing maybe you use
10:16
A vpn, today but did you use it three years
10:18
ago when you created the recovery email.
10:19
Speaker 1: Account probably not.
10:20
Speaker 2: Right law enforcement is looking at the entire interconnected ecosystem
10:24
of your digital. Life achieving, true flawless anonymity is nearly
10:30
impossible for the average user because our devices are literally
10:33
designed to constantly share location and identity data to function.
10:37
Speaker 1: Properly that makes a lot of, sense and once they
10:40
pierced that veil and aggregated all that. Data they didn't
10:43
just find an anonymous. Troll they found a physical. Person
10:46
Joseph Alfredo vascos Du.
10:48
Speaker 3: Mars they, did and.
10:49
Speaker 1: According to the public records detailed in the, reports he
10:52
is a transient in The sacramento area with a very,
10:55
serious highly documented prior criminal.
10:58
Speaker 2: History, yes the record provide a very clear picture of
11:02
his background In, california specifically involving severe offenses against.
11:06
Speaker 3: Miners.
11:07
Speaker 2: Yeah to be, precise the records outline and arrest In
11:10
april twenty nineteen by The Sacramento. Police this followed a
11:14
terrifying incident in The metaview neighborhood Of.
11:15
Speaker 1: Sacramento, yeah the details of that incident are just. DISTURBING
11:20
a thirteen year old girl reported that she was walking
11:22
Near John Still Elementary. School a man driving a Silver
11:26
sedan pulled, up asked her for, directions and then exposed
11:29
himself and began, masturbating and it escalated beyond.
11:32
Speaker 2: That the police report states he actually got out of
11:34
the vehicle and attempted to physically pull the thirteen year
11:37
old girl inside his.
11:38
Speaker 3: Car oh my.
11:39
Speaker 2: God fortunately she managed to escape his grasp and ran
11:42
to the safety.
11:43
Speaker 1: Of the, school and then through surveillance video in the
11:45
area and the detailed description provided by the, victim police
11:49
located and Arrested, dumars who was twenty years old at the.
11:51
Time the court records show he was convicted in twenty
11:54
nineteen of annoying or molesting a child under, eighteen and
11:58
it didn't stop. There in twenty he faced another, conviction
12:01
this time for sending harmful matter with the intent of
12:04
seducing a. Minor as a result of these, convictions he
12:07
is currently registered On California's Meghan's law sex offender, registry
12:11
and he was recently released from A california state prison
12:13
in twenty twenty.
12:14
Speaker 2: Three, now it is absolutely critical that we make a
12:17
very clear distinction.
12:18
Speaker 1: Here, yes very.
12:19
Speaker 2: Important these past convictions In, california the twenty nineteen and
12:22
twenty twenty cases involving, miners are entirely separate from the
12:26
current federal charge he is facing In.
12:28
Speaker 1: Mississippi RIGHT i want to underline that for you, listening
12:31
authorities have explicitly not Linked dumars to any actual physical
12:36
involvement in the events On Horn. Island correct the federal
12:39
charge he is in custody for right now focuses solely
12:41
and exclusively on the alleged digital communications directed At Judge.
12:45
Speaker 2: Cole and that distinction is legally. Paramount the federal justice
12:50
system is dealing With dumars strictly regarding the EIGHTEEN. Usc
12:54
section eight seventy FIVE c, charge which we will dissect
12:58
the mechanics of, later The statute for interstate. Threats, however
13:03
understanding his, background his history of escalating predatory, behavior and
13:06
recent prison, release it explains exactly why law enforcement treats
13:10
an individual making specific violent threats about blood and strangling
13:14
children with such immediate overwhelming. Urgency, yeah that context matters
13:18
on THE fbi profile is a threat cast behavior is
13:21
a massive indicator of future.
13:22
Speaker 1: Risk, Okay so we thoroughly understand the, suspect the incredible
13:26
speed of the digital forensics that led to his, arrest
13:29
and the absolute intensity of the. Threats but to really
13:33
grasp this entire, situation we have to connect the dots.
13:35
Backward we. Do THE fbi moved with that kind of
13:38
blinding speed because they knew exactly what can happen when
13:41
online rage boils. Over but to understand why the internet
13:45
was so enraged in the first, place and Why Judge
13:47
Ashley cole was targeted by this guy In. California you
13:50
have to look at the massive void of official information
13:54
left behind On july.
13:55
Speaker 2: Fourth which pivots are focus from the digital realm back
13:58
into the physical world to a profound local tragedy on
14:02
The Gulf.
14:02
Speaker 1: Coast, yeah the Reason Judge cole received thousands of threats
14:06
is because her step, Son Warren, hudson was on a
14:09
boat with eighteen year Old Nolan. Wells so let's talk
14:12
About Nolan Xavier. Wells the reports and the statements from
14:15
his community paint a picture of a young man with a,
14:17
massive bright.
14:18
Speaker 3: Future they really.
14:19
Speaker 1: Do he was an eighteen year old From Ocean, Springs.
14:21
Mississippi he had just graduated in twenty twenty five From
14:24
Ocean Springs High, school and he was playing as a
14:27
wide receiver At Southwest Mississippi Community.
14:29
Speaker 2: College and by all, accounts his, friends his, family and
14:32
his coaches described him as, hardworking deeply, humble and incredibly well.
14:37
Like he was a young athlete with his whole life.
14:39
Speaker 1: Ahead of, him and the timeline leading up to his
14:41
disappearance is heavily documented in the investigative. Reports starting the
14:45
night Before july, three twenty twenty. Six, right the documents
14:49
offer such a, vivid heartbreaking glimpse into an entirely ordinary holiday.
14:54
Weekend that, Evening nolan makes a salmon dinner for his.
14:57
Family he hugs and kisses his, Mother Christine, wansley, goodbye
15:01
and then heads out to spend the night with friends
15:03
to kick off The fourth Of july.
15:05
Speaker 2: Celebrations the following, Morning july fourth is when the physical
15:08
timeline becomes the, absolute critical focal point for the ongoing,
15:12
Investigations nolan joins a group of friends for a boat.
15:16
Trip their planned destination Is Horn.
15:18
Speaker 1: Island, now for you listening who might not be familiar
15:21
with the geography of The Mississippi Gulf, coast we need
15:24
to talk about What Horn island actually is because the
15:26
geography plays a massive role in why this investigation is so.
15:30
Speaker 3: Complex it's vital.
15:31
Speaker 1: Context Horn island is a, long extremely, narrow undeveloped barrier.
15:35
Island it's part of The Golf Island's national. Seashore it
15:39
sits about ten miles offshore from the, mainland.
15:41
Speaker 2: And that ten mile distance is. Crucial it isn't like
15:45
driving to a local public. Beach it is an isolated
15:48
shifting sandbar ecosystem.
15:51
Speaker 1: Exactly think about the logistics of a barrier island ten miles.
15:54
Offshore it is only accessible by. Boat you are entirely
15:58
at the mercy of the golf, currents idle, shifts and
16:01
sudden weather.
16:01
Speaker 2: Swalls which can roll in fast. Fast.
16:03
Speaker 1: Yeah, furthermore on a major holiday like The fourth Of,
16:06
July Horn island draws massive chaotic crowds of recreational. Boaters
16:12
it becomes a pop up city on the water with
16:14
a constantly shifting population of people dropping anchor partying and.
16:17
Speaker 2: Departing it creates a nightmare scenario for any missing person's. Investigation,
16:22
yeah you have a highly transient, population no fixed or veillance,
16:26
cameras on an undeveloped, island and an environment where physical
16:29
evidence can literally wash away with the next high. Tide
16:33
but despite, that authorities were able to lock down a
16:35
preliminary timeline of their.
16:37
Speaker 1: Arrival, Right how exactly was that? Logged did the friends
16:40
just tell them the time later or is there a
16:42
system tracking this?
16:43
Speaker 2: Well The Mississippi department Of Marine resources maintains logs and
16:47
observational data on maritime, traffic especially on high volume. Holidays
16:51
between official logs and subsequent corroborating statements from the, boaters
16:55
the timeline. Solidified the group's boat departed a private dock
16:59
in The Ocean springs area at exactly nine five six.
17:02
Speaker 1: Am, okay so they are navigating out into The.
17:05
Speaker 2: Gulf, Yes and they arrived at the western tip Of
17:07
Horn island at approximately eleven to fourteen, am.
17:11
Speaker 1: Over an hour on the open. Water and then we
17:13
moved to the afternoon and the last known sighting Of.
17:16
Nolan according to the statements gathered by, Investigators nolan was
17:21
last seen around three. Pm he was near the northwestern
17:24
end of the, island which is on the sound side
17:26
facing the. Mainland witnesses described him wearing blue swim, trunks,
17:30
sunglasses and no.
17:31
Speaker 2: Shirt and this is where the sequence of physical events
17:34
becomes the absolute center of public and legal. Scrutiny. Yeah
17:37
according to the statements given by the friends who traveled
17:40
with him to the, island which Included Judge pole's Stepson Warren,
17:43
hudson the group's boat began experiencing significant mechanical.
17:46
Speaker 1: Issues the reports specifically cite a problem with the bilge.
17:50
Pump for anyone who hasn't spent time on, boats what
17:54
does a bilge pump failure actually mean in this?
17:56
Speaker 2: Context, so the bilge is the lowest inner part of
18:00
a ship's hull where water naturally. COLLECTS a bilge pump
18:04
is designed to continuously pump that excess water out of
18:08
the boat to keep it. Afloat, Okay if the pump,
18:11
fails or if he can't keep up with a, leak
18:13
the boat actively begins taking on. Water it becomes incredibly
18:16
dangerous very.
18:17
Speaker 1: Quickly so if the bilge pump, fails you're essentially sitting
18:21
in a fiberglass bathtub that's slowly. Sinking precisely that completely
18:25
explains a, sudden frantic panic to leave the island and
18:29
get back to the mainland before the boat.
18:30
Speaker 2: Founders because of this escalating mechanical, failure the group decides
18:35
they have to leave the island. Immediately they depart around
18:38
four thirty, Pm but according to the statements the friends
18:41
gave to, Investigators nolan chose to remain behind on the,
18:44
island and.
18:45
Speaker 1: The stated reasons and the reports were that he told
18:47
them he would catch a ride back later with another
18:49
group of people he knew on the, island or that
18:52
he was talking with a girl and didn't want to leave, yet,
18:55
Right but if you zoom out and look at the
18:56
psychology of that, moment leaving one guy behind on an
19:00
offshore sandbar as the sun starts going, down here's where
19:04
it gets really, interesting because that's the specific point The
19:08
internet latched, onto isn't it?
19:09
Speaker 2: It? Absolutely, yeah imagine the stark contrast of that. Environment
19:14
at three, pm you have the, festive, loud crowded party
19:19
atmosphere of A july Fourth barrier.
19:21
Speaker 1: Island, right thousands of. People but as.
19:23
Speaker 2: The afternoon turns into, evening the boats pull their anchors
19:26
and head, home the crowds. Vanish the reality of an
19:30
eighteen year old being left behind on an island ten
19:33
miles offshore with the sun setting becomes deeply isolating and inherently.
19:38
Speaker 1: Dangerous that, evening back on the, mainland the gravity of
19:40
the situation sets. In one of the friends who had
19:43
been on the boat Contacts nolan's family to inform them
19:45
he didn't come back with. Them. Yeah by eleven pm that,
19:48
night his, Mother Christine, wansley officially reports her son missing
19:52
to the.
19:52
Speaker 2: Authorities and the initial digital clues start trickling in that
19:55
very same, night the, family desperate for. Answers manages to
20:00
Track nolan's cell. Phone they discovered it had been left
20:02
behind Oh. Man Utilizing snapchat's location tracking, features they trace
20:08
the phone to a gathering of.
20:09
Speaker 1: People let's talk about how That snapchat tracking actually, works
20:12
because it's a huge part of modern. Investigations they use, SnapMap, Right.
20:16
Speaker 2: Yes SnapMap allows users to share their real time location with.
20:20
Friends it updates periodically when the app is open or
20:24
in the, background depending on device. Settings the family was
20:27
able to see the last ping the location of his,
20:29
device which confirmed he did not have his phone with
20:32
him on the, island adding another layer of deep.
20:35
Speaker 1: Concern this immediately triggers a massive multi agency search effort
20:39
at first light the next, Day july. Fifth you have
20:42
The Jackson County Sheriff's, office The department Of Marine, resources
20:46
THE Us Coast, guard and The National Park.
20:48
Speaker 2: Service and it wasn't just official. Agencies volunteer groups like
20:51
The United Cajun navy deployed resources. Too.
20:54
Speaker 1: Right they are running systematic search. Grids they are using
20:58
specialized marine, boats launching drones with, cameras putting helicopters in the,
21:02
air sweeping the entire length of this. Barrier island and
21:06
the surrounding, waters.
21:07
Speaker 2: And, tragically the search came to an. End on the
21:10
morning Of july, six just before eight forty five, am
21:14
A National Park service ranger patrolling the area discovered a
21:18
body in the water near the shoreline on the northwestern end.
21:21
Speaker 1: Of Horn, island such a horrible.
21:23
Speaker 2: Moment the following, day utilizing dental records for absolute, certainty
21:27
the body was officially identified As Nolan.
21:30
Speaker 1: Wells the discovery of his body naturally and immediately leads
21:33
to the most agonizing question of family and a community
21:36
can ask how did he? Die and the lack of a, clear,
21:41
immediate definitive answer to that specific question is the gasoline
21:44
that fueled the massive public outrage and the threats we discussed.
21:48
Speaker 2: Earlier when a body is recovered from the, water the
21:50
initial scene evaluation is. Crucial Jackson county Corner Bruce lynde
21:54
examined the body and initially noted that there were no,
21:57
obvious glaring signs of physical injury or, trauma no gunshot,
22:01
wounds no massive. Lacerations based on this preliminary, View Sheriff
22:06
John ledbetter stated publicly that the friends were cooperating with
22:09
the investigation and there was no immediate obvious indication of a.
22:12
Crime he floated drowning as a possible explanation for the.
22:16
Speaker 1: Tragedy but for a grieving family desperately seeking the truth
22:20
and a watching public deeply suspicious of the, circumstances preliminary
22:24
statements from a sheriff are rarely enough.
22:26
Speaker 2: Right which brings us to the science of forensic pathology
22:30
and the. Autopsies the official state autopsy was performed On july,
22:34
seven but the results of that, autopsy including the highly
22:38
detailed toxicology, findings were completely sealed by the.
22:42
Speaker 3: State sealed.
22:43
Speaker 2: Entirely, Yes district attorney officials stated explicitly that these records
22:46
will remain entirely sealed until a grand jury has the
22:49
opportunity to review a, full comprehensive.
22:52
Speaker 1: Investigation, NOW i want to stop here because to the
22:55
average person or someone scrolling social, media sealing an autopsy
22:58
looks incredibly, suspicious a cover. Up why seal the?
23:01
Speaker 2: Autopsy it's a very common reaction to view it that,
23:04
Way but this raises an important question about the mechanical
23:07
philosophy of the justice, system and specifically the grand jury.
23:10
Process we need to explain what a grand jury actually
23:14
is and why secrecy is built into its.
23:16
Speaker 3: Foundation let's break it.
23:18
Speaker 1: DOWN a grand jury isn't a, trial right.
23:21
Speaker 2: CORRECT a grand jury is a, preliminary secretive proceeding where
23:25
a prosecutor presents evidence to a panel of. Citizens there's
23:28
no judge, present and, crucially there is no defense attorney.
23:32
Present the sole purpose is to determine if there is
23:36
enough probable cause to indict someone and bring criminal.
23:39
Speaker 1: Charges so why does that require keeping the autopsy a
23:42
secret from the.
23:43
Speaker 2: Public it is entirely about preserving the purity and integrity
23:47
of witness. Statements imagine a hypothetical scenario where an autopsy
23:50
reveals a very, specific unusual fracture on a victim's left. Collarbone,
23:54
okay if the state releases that autopsy to the public
23:57
on A, monday everyone reads about the fractured left. Collarbone On,
24:01
tuesday a witness comes forward and, SAYS i saw someone
24:03
strike the victim on the left. Collarbone.
24:05
Speaker 1: Ah the investigators now have a massive. Problem they have
24:09
no idea if that witness actually saw the crime, occur
24:12
or if they just read the autopsy report online and
24:14
are inserting themselves into the narrative or experiencing false memory.
24:19
Speaker 2: Exactly it's called witness. Contamination by sealing the precise physical
24:24
details of the, death investigators maintain holdback. Evidence if a
24:30
witness comes forward and accurately describes the fractured collarbone without
24:34
ever having had access to the, autopsy investigators know they
24:37
have a, credible untainted.
24:39
Speaker 1: Witness that makes perfect.
24:40
Speaker 2: Sense the secrecy is a, standard essential legal safeguard designed
24:44
strictly to protect the viability of potential future criminal.
24:47
Speaker 1: Charges that makes complete logical sense from an investigative. Standpoint
24:51
but you can easily see how that, necessary cold legal
24:54
secrecy inherently clashes with a grieving family's, urgent burning need for.
24:58
Transparency the justice system is telling them to wait months
25:01
for a grand, jury but they want to know what
25:03
happened to their son right, now and.
25:05
Speaker 2: That profound need for immediate answers led the family to
25:09
take parallel. Action nolan's, Parents Elmore wansley And Christine Wells
25:14
wansley retained prominent civil rights Attorney Ben crump right, and
25:19
utilizing financial support that included significant contributions from figures like
25:23
FORMER nfl Player Colin, kaepernick the family commissioned their own independent.
25:27
Speaker 1: Autopsy which is a massive development in this. Timeline that
25:31
independent autopsy was performed On july tenth by Doctor Roger,
25:35
mitchell and just to establish his, Credentials Doctor mitchell is
25:39
a highly respected forensic pathologist and the former chief Medical
25:42
examiner For washington D. C he is an expert in analyzing.
25:46
Speaker 2: Trauma Doctor mitchell's, findings, however did not provide the absolute
25:49
clarity the family was hoping. For, instead they added another
25:52
layer of deep medical. Complexity he classified both the cause
25:56
of death and the manner of death as undetermined pending
25:59
further in. Investigation.
26:01
Speaker 1: Undetermined that is such a heavy agonizing word for a
26:04
family to hear after commissioning an.
26:05
Speaker 2: Expert let's explore what that actually means. Medically in forensic,
26:11
pathology you are looking for microscopic tissue, damage bone, trauma
26:16
or fluid. Anomalies Doctor mitchell's report noted that he found
26:20
no obvious fractures or deep tissue injuries that would clearly
26:23
explain How nolan. Died, Okay, however there was one highly significant.
26:28
Finding Doctor mitchell noted a notable area of red discoloration
26:32
on the back Of nolan's, head specifically in the occipital.
26:35
Speaker 1: Region just to give a visual for the. Listener we're
26:38
talking about the occipital. Region that's the very back lower
26:41
part of the, skull right where the neck meets the,
26:43
head essentially the area that would take the impact if
26:46
you were to fall straight backward onto the ground.
26:48
Speaker 2: Exactly he found discoloration, there but he could not definitively
26:52
determine its. Origin was it a bruise from an. Altercation
26:56
was it an injury sustained while in the. Water was
26:58
it a post mortem artifact from the body resting against
27:01
a heard. Surface he couldn't.
27:02
Speaker 1: Say and there were severe structural limitations on this second,
27:05
autopsy weren't?
27:06
Speaker 2: There, Yes and this is a crucial reality of second.
27:09
Autopsies because Doctor mitchell's examination was conducted after the state,
27:13
autopsy the State Medical examiner had already removed certain vital
27:17
organs and tissues for their own toxicology and histological. Testing
27:22
Doctor mitchell explicitly stated in his report that this significantly
27:26
limited his ability to assess key forensic.
27:28
Speaker 1: Indicators for, example he couldn't fully assess the lungs to
27:31
see if water was, present which is how you confirm
27:34
or rule out, drowning.
27:35
Speaker 2: Right, correct when someone drowned there are specific microscopic changes
27:39
in the lung tissue and often water present in the.
27:41
Airways without the full, lungs he couldn't perform that. Analysis,
27:46
furthermore he couldn't fully examine the deep neck, tissues which
27:49
are critical for determining if any form of strangulation or
27:52
compressive asphyxia.
27:53
Speaker 1: Occurred so because of those missing, pieces he concluded that
27:56
he could not definitively rule out the possibility that non
27:58
accidental factors country atributed to or caused the. Death but
28:02
at the same, time he explicitly noted that the available
28:04
evidence did not allow him to confirm foul play. Either
28:08
it leaves everyone in this agonizing absolute state of.
28:11
Speaker 2: Limbo it, does it leaves a massive question. Mark following this,
28:15
autopsy the, family Alongside Ben crump and supporters Like Reverend Al,
28:19
sharpton held a major press. Conference this took place at
28:23
THE Naacp National convention In chicago On july twenty, two
28:27
to present Doctor mitchell's findings to the.
28:29
Speaker 3: Public and it.
28:30
Speaker 1: Is vital for us on this deep dive to report
28:33
on the involvement of these high profile figures and the
28:36
family's actions with absolute. Neutrality we are looking at the
28:40
factual record they are. Presenting their stated goal has remained
28:44
remarkably consistent throughout this. Ordeal they want the full investigative
28:47
materials released by the, state and they want to know
28:50
exactly what happened to their.
28:51
Speaker 2: Son but the undeniable reality is that the vacuum of official,
28:54
information the state autopsy being sealed behind the wall of
28:57
the grand jury, process combined with the, ambiguous undetermined finding
29:02
from the independent, autopsy created a massive echoing.
29:05
Speaker 1: Void and if there is one universal truth about The
29:08
internet in twenty twenty, six it is that avoid of
29:10
information regarding a traged or does not stay empty for.
29:13
Long nature abhors a, vacuum and The internet will fill
29:16
it with whatever it can.
29:17
Speaker 2: Find that loops us right back to the digital environment
29:20
that Birthed Joseph dumars's. Threats the circumstances the death of
29:25
a young black athlete found dead in the water after
29:28
a day spent with a mixed group of friends on a,
29:30
remote isolated, island sparked an, intense fiery national.
29:35
Speaker 1: Interest it was a viral explosion of. Commentary some of
29:39
the online discussions focus heavily on racial dynamics and historical
29:42
mistrust of the justice system in The, south but much
29:45
of it rapidly morphed into an exercise in massive crowdsourced
29:49
amateur true crime.
29:50
Speaker 3: Investigation which can get out of hand so, fast, oh.
29:53
Speaker 1: Absolutely social media users began amplifying completely unverified. Claims they
29:58
were dissecting photograph of the group from that day pixel by,
30:01
pixel trying to analyze body language or spot hidden clues
30:05
in the background of.
30:05
Speaker 3: Selfies the mechanics.
30:07
Speaker 2: Of this crowdsourced investigation show how quickly speculation hardens into
30:11
perceived fact. Online for, instance the sources mentioned a highly
30:14
debated audio recording of a boat towing call that began
30:17
circulating online.
30:19
Speaker 1: Right people were running this low quality audio through sound enhancing.
30:22
Software listeners were claiming the background noise contained ambiguous. Phrases
30:28
people were parsing every single, syllable arguing over whether someone
30:32
in the background was confessing to a crime or just
30:35
talking about boat.
30:36
Speaker 2: Mechanics this illustrates the immense dual edge sword of intense public.
30:40
Attention on one, hand you have incredible mobilizing community. Support
30:46
the father of one Of nolan's close friends actually stepped
30:48
forward and offered a fifty thousand dollars reward for information
30:52
leading to an arrest in. Conviction that's. Huge it demonstrates
30:55
a local community desperate for justice and willing to put
30:58
up massive resources to find the.
31:00
Speaker 1: Truth but on the other, hand the real world fallout
31:03
from this unchecked online mailstrom has been absolutely. Devastating the
31:07
friends who are on the island With nolan that day
31:09
have been subjected to such severe, harassment, doxing and death
31:12
threats that some have had to retain legal counsel just
31:15
to navigate their daily. Lives the threats were directed at potential,
31:18
witnesses they were directed at public officials Like Judge, cole and,
31:23
terribly the reports indicate threats were even directed at The
31:25
wells family.
31:26
Speaker 2: Themselves Mississippi department Of Public Safety Commissioner Sean tandell had
31:31
to publicly address. This he stated clearly that THE fbi
31:35
and The Mississippi bureau Of investigation are actively investigating threats
31:39
against all these, groups and he attributed much of the
31:42
hostility directly to false information and wild theories circulating.
31:46
Speaker 1: ONLINE i want to pause and ask you to put
31:49
yourself in the shoes of the people. Involved imagine you
31:52
are grieving a lost, child or imagine you are an
31:55
eighteen year old kid who just lost a, friend and
31:57
suddenly the entire machinery of The internet is dissecting your every,
32:01
move analyzing your, photos and sending you death. Threats how
32:04
does a local police department even function under that kind of?
32:07
Speaker 2: Pressure it creates immense operational. Friction let's look at the
32:11
mechanics of the investigation. Itself law enforcement is already trying
32:15
to reconstruct a complex timeline on a remote barrier, island involving, tides,
32:19
weather and missing physical.
32:21
Speaker 1: Evidence that is hard enough on its, own, exactly.
32:24
Speaker 2: But now they have to divert critical resources and manpower
32:28
to track DOWN ip, addresses monitor social media, chatter and
32:31
provide physical protection for potential witnesses who are terrified to
32:35
come forward because of the online. Mob The internet's demand
32:39
for justice actually impedes the mechanics of achieving, it.
32:42
Speaker 1: Which is exactly Why Judge cole's reaction became such a
32:45
significant part of the public. Narrative, initially citing profound concern
32:49
for the safety and privacy of her six children amid
32:52
the deluge of, threats she completely deactivated Her facebook. Account
32:56
she tried to step out of the blast, radius.
32:58
Speaker 2: But eventually she made the decision to return to the
33:00
platform to directly address the swirling. Rumors she posted a,
33:04
detailed factual timeline in an attempt, to as she put,
33:08
it dispel some rumors with.
33:10
Speaker 1: Facts in that, post she confirmed the mechanical reality of what.
33:13
Happened she stated that her Son, warren last Saw nolan
33:16
around three. Pm she confirmed that the boat did indeed
33:20
have mechanical, trouble the bilge pump, failure and That nolan
33:23
elected to stay behind on the.
33:24
Speaker 2: Island she also clarified crucial details about her own. Involvement
33:29
she stated that neither she nor her husband were On
33:33
Horn island that, day contradicting online rumors that tried to
33:36
place them at the. Scene she affirmed that her son
33:39
had fully cooperated with all, investigators and, notably she made
33:44
a specific point to express deep respect For nolan's, mother
33:47
mentioning that they graduated from the same high school and
33:50
came from the same tight knit.
33:52
Speaker 1: Community and in a later, post she wrote a phrase
33:54
THAT i think really resonates at the core of this entire.
33:57
Story right is right and wrong is. Wrong she shared
34:01
screenshots of the extreme threats her family was, receiving including
34:05
the ones referencing her children by name and. Image her
34:08
husband described the sheer volume of the threats as simply
34:11
overwhelming to their family's daily, life.
34:13
Speaker 2: Which brings us back to the stark legal boundaries of
34:16
this digital. Behavior the harassment we are, discussing the dosing
34:19
the thousands of angry messages isn't just, awful, distasteful or morally,
34:24
wrong as we saw with THE fbi raid and the
34:26
arrest of Du mars And. Sacramento it crosses a very
34:29
strict enforceable legal. Boundary.
34:31
Speaker 1: Right so let's get into the legal. Mechanics so what
34:35
does this all mean from a legal? Standpoint let's break
34:38
down the actual federal law that Du mars is being charged.
34:41
Under it's EIGHTEEN. Usc section eight seventy FIVE.
34:44
Speaker 2: C this is the federal statute that explicitly prohibits the
34:48
interstate transmission of any communication containing a threat to injure
34:51
the person of. Another, okay if we connect this to
34:54
the bigger picture Of american, law The First amendment provides
34:57
incredibly robust protection for free speed and it.
35:00
Speaker 1: Should you are absolutely allowed to be angry. Online you
35:04
are allowed to be highly critical of public, officials, judges
35:07
or individuals involved in a major news. Story you.
35:11
Speaker 2: Are you can post that you think an investigation is,
35:13
corrupt you can post that you hate a specific. Judge
35:16
but there is a, massive historically defined exception To First amendment,
35:19
protection and it is called the true threat.
35:21
Speaker 1: Doctrine, okay we'll repack the true threat. Doctrine where exactly
35:25
is the line drawn for you? Listening like IF i
35:27
tweet something vile LIKE i hope you wrot in?
35:29
Speaker 3: Jail is that?
35:30
Speaker 1: Protected what pushes it over the?
35:31
Speaker 2: Edge The Supreme court is grappled with this in cases
35:35
Like elanis. V United. States the legal definition of a
35:39
true threat is a statement where the speaker needs to
35:42
communicate a serious expression of an intent to commit an
35:46
act of unlawful violence to a particular individual or.
35:49
Speaker 1: Group so it's about the intent and the.
35:52
Speaker 3: Specificity, yes hostile, speech even if it is incredibly, offensive emotionally,
35:58
damaging or wishes passive harm upon someone LIKE i hope
36:01
you rod is generally protected under The First.
36:04
Speaker 2: Amendment it is, awful but it's. Legal, Wow. Okay but
36:08
actionable threats are. Different when Du mars allegedly typed out
36:11
a detailed scenario of a package that will cause blood,
36:14
everywhere referenced a boat and threatened to strangle a judge's specific.
36:18
Children he crossed into true threat.
36:19
Speaker 3: Territory that makes a lot of. Sense the use of
36:22
a social.
36:22
Speaker 2: Media platform does not grant You First amendment. Immunity when
36:25
the content of the message transforms into a specific violent,
36:28
threat a reasonable person reading that message would interpret it
36:31
as a serious intent to commit.
36:33
Speaker 1: Murder and the stakes for crossing that specific legal line are.
36:36
Severe according to the federal, documents Du mars is facing
36:40
a maximum penalty of five years in federal, prison a
36:43
two hundred and fifty thousand dollars, fine and three years
36:46
of supervised. Release it's a massive, penalty it, is and
36:50
while his prior criminal record In california the horrifying incidents with,
36:54
minors is not part of this specific, charge the reports
36:57
note it will likely factor heavily into a sentencing guidelines
37:00
if he is.
37:01
Speaker 2: Convicted the federal justice system operates on a point system for.
37:04
Sentencing past criminal, history especially predatory, history elevates the baseline.
37:10
Sentence federal prosecutors take this exceptionally.
37:12
Speaker 3: Seriously especially involving a.
37:14
Speaker 2: Judge, exactly the interstate targeting of a sitting judge elevates
37:17
the threat profile. Immensely the involvement of THE, fbi Say
37:21
street's task, force illustrates the massive gravity of the. Situation in,
37:25
court the prosecution will have to prove the mechanics that
37:28
he knowingly used The internet to transmit the threat across state,
37:31
lines and that the text itself meets The Supreme court's
37:35
rigorous definition of a true.
37:36
Speaker 1: Threat it is just a staggering sequence of events to.
37:40
Speaker 2: Trace, okay we make a step back and look at
37:43
the absolute totality of where things stand right now at
37:46
the end Of july twenty twenty, six we basically have two,
37:51
massive dual tracks of a story unfolding.
37:53
Speaker 1: Simultaneously we, do and they are moving at very different.
37:56
Speeds on one, track you have the, rapid, aggressive on
38:00
going federal prosecution of individuals like Du mars for digital.
38:03
Threats right and authorities have explicitly indicated that Du mars
38:07
is just one of multiple individuals currently being investigated for
38:10
sending actionable threatening messages To Judge, cole her, family and
38:14
others connected to the. Case THE fbi is actively hunting
38:17
down the most severe.
38:18
Speaker 2: Offenders but on the other, track you have the, agonizing tortuously,
38:23
slow ongoing wait for the grand jury to review the
38:26
forensic truth of what actually happened To Nolan wells On Hoarn.
38:29
Speaker 1: Island the underlying death investigation remains open and. Active it
38:32
has not produced any. Arrests local law enforcement In Jackson
38:35
county is working in tandem with state agencies and federal.
38:38
Speaker 2: Partners right the friends who are present on the island
38:41
maintain their cooperation with. Authorities The wells, family represented By Ben,
38:46
crump continues their, vital unyielding search for accountability and answers
38:51
regarding their son's.
38:52
Speaker 1: Death it is an incredibly complex web of evidence they
38:56
are trying to. UNTANGLE i, mean think about the. Logistics
38:59
they are man managing physical evidence from a remote island
39:02
that is constantly subjected to weather and eroding.
39:05
Speaker 2: Ties it's a logistical.
39:06
Speaker 1: Nightmare and they are managing digital evidence from cell phones
39:09
and snapchat. Metadata and they are doing all of this
39:12
under the crushing weight of a massive influx of public. Scrutiny,
39:16
meanwhile The Mississippi Gulf coast community is left dealing with the,
39:19
intense raw grief of losing a young football, player combined
39:24
with a, desperate burning desire for.
39:25
Speaker 2: Clarity either, profound real time test of the justice system's
39:30
ability to operate methodically and accurately in an era of
39:33
instant viral, communication.
39:35
Speaker 1: Which really brings us to a central theme that we've
39:37
been dancing around this entire deep. Dive it's a lingering
39:41
thought THAT i think perfectly builds on everything we've looked
39:44
at in these. Documents. Today we've been talking about the
39:46
mechanics of forensic science and the, Law but the real
39:49
friction here is the fundamental clash between what we might
39:52
Call internet time and justice.
39:55
Speaker 2: Time that is a crucial, distinction and it explains the
39:58
psychology of why this case ext exploded the way it.
40:00
Speaker 1: Did think about the digital, world the ecosystem Of, facebook,
40:04
snapchat viral, rumors and twenty four hour news. Cycles it
40:08
is a world that demands instantaneous answers in absolute. Transparency
40:12
the very second a tragedy, occurs you refresh your, feed
40:16
and you expect a. Conclusion you expect a neat narrative
40:19
with clear heroes and.
40:20
Speaker 2: Villains but the justice system is built on a completely
40:23
different temporal.
40:23
Speaker 1: Foundation exactly the justice, system especially one relying on secretive grand,
40:28
juries complex digital, forensics bridging a two thousand mile gap
40:32
Between california And mississippi and, meticulous multi layered medical examinations
40:36
dealing with degraded. Tissues it moves at a necessarily glacial.
40:40
Speaker 3: Pace it has to move slowly in order to be.
40:43
Speaker 2: Accurate the scientific method of pathology and the legal method
40:47
of due process cannot be rushed without risking catastrophic errors
40:50
or wrongful.
40:51
Speaker 1: Convictions, right but it leaves you with this chilling. Realization
40:55
in that inevitable, gap that, vast silent procedural space between
40:59
a sudden tragedy on a quiet barrier island and a,
41:03
final documented legal. Conclusion will The internet always fill the
41:07
silence with a dangerous and sometimes criminal vacuum of.
41:11
Speaker 2: Noise it is a dynamic that is deeply woven into
41:13
the fabric of modern, tragedy and unfortunately it isn't going
41:16
away anytime.
41:17
Speaker 3: Soon, no it.
41:18
Speaker 1: Isn't we want to thank you for bringing your curiosity
41:21
and your time to this deeply complex case with us.
41:23
Today until next, time keep looking past the headlines and
41:25
keep digging. Deeper