Woman accused of making bomb threats to government offices after Nolan Wells’ death

GULFPORT, Miss. (WLOX/Gray News) — An Ohio woman faces a federal charge after authorities say she made dozens of bomb threat calls to Mississippi government offices last month following the death of Nolan Wells.

Michelle Francine Edwards was charged Thursday in United States District Court for the Southern District of Mississippi, Southern Division, with one count of transmitting a threatening communication in interstate commerce.

According to the complaint, Edwards made two sets of calls on July 23 using a blocked number.

Authorities said between 1:34 p.m. and 1:42 p.m. that day, the George County Chancery Clerk’s Office received 21 calls from a blocked number, with the caller stating such phrases as “Do not go outside,” “the clock is ticking,” and “die.”

Investigators added that between 2:06 p.m. and 2:24 p.m., the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office dispatch also received eight calls placed using *67 to mask the caller’s identity.

That caller reportedly said, “y’all got a bomb outside, don’t come outside b**ch,” and later, “y’all still in there?”

According to authorities, the threats triggered a building lockdown and a bomb sweep with K-9 units.

Investigators submitted an emergency disclosure request to C-Spire and Verizon, which identified the phone number used.

Open-source searches on Cash App linked the number to accounts associated with the name Michelle Edwards, investigators noted. Cincinnati Police Department records also listed Edwards as the owner of the number.

Authorities said cell tower data from the night of the incident showed the device associated with the number had “bedded down” near Edwards’ known addresses in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Edwards’ charge carries the maximum penalty of five years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years’ supervised release.

The death of Wells from the Fourth of July weekend has garnered national attention, with people questioning the investigation and what happened on the day of his disappearance.