OCEAN SPRINGS, MS (GC Wire) – Jackson County Chancery Judge Ashlee Cole, whose step-son was among the group of friends with Nolan Wells on Horn Island before Wells disappeared, says her family has been inundated with harassment and graphic death threats as the investigation into Wells’ death continues to draw national attention.
Wells was last seen alive on Saturday July 4. After a massive multi-agency search, his body was recovered Monday by a Park Ranger on the island.
Cole shared screenshots Thursday that appear to show dozens of threatening messages directed at her family, including explicit threats against her children, references to bombs, and messages promising violence. The images accompanied a statement announcing that her family would not be speaking to the media while the investigation remains ongoing.
“We have decided that we will not be speaking to the press at this time,” Cole wrote. “The Media is not the appropriate forum to further elaborate on the facts of July 4, 2026. We realize that the truth will not stop the calls for the death of our small children.”
Instead, Cole said her family is willing to communicate directly with civil rights attorney Ben Crump and Nolan’s parents, Christine and Elmore Wonsley.
“We will provide them with all the information known to us so their family can rest and properly mourn,” she wrote. “We also want to know what happened to Nolan. We will do everything within our power to assist Nolan’s family in their quest for answers.”
The statement came one day before Crump and civil rights leader Al Sharpton held a nationally televised press conference in New York City calling for answers in Wells’ death.
Threats Against the Family
The screenshots published by Cole depict a barrage of threatening messages allegedly sent through Instagram and Facebook.
Several messages included explicit threats against her children, while others claimed to possess her personal information, including her home address and phone number.
One message stated, “I’m gonna get you when you leave work.”
Another claimed, “There’s gonna be a bomb sent to your office.”
Perhaps the most disturbing messages warned of a package arriving at her office in the coming days.
“There will be a package coming to your guys office in the next few days,” one direct message reads. “It’s gonna blow you away when you see it.”
The sender then continued with messages stating:
“Blood.”
“So much blood everywhere.”
“Hard to clean.”
“Especially from a boat.”
Additional messages claimed the sender had obtained her personal information and concluded with a warning that once the package was opened, “the timer will start,” leaving “maybe 10 seconds or less” to ask God’s forgiveness.
Other screenshots showed messages threatening to strangle her children, kill members of her family, and accusing her family of involvement in Wells’ death without presenting evidence.
Earlier Statement Sought to Address Rumors
Thursday’s post follows a statement Cole published on July 7 after deactivating her Facebook account amid mounting public speculation.
In that statement, she said concerns for her family’s safety prompted the decision.
“My husband and I have six children and we covet their privacy,” Cole wrote. “We do not believe it is appropriate for our minor children’s photographs to be circulated throughout the Internet, presenting potential threats to their safety.”
Cole also expressed sympathy for the Wells family, noting that she graduated from high school with Nolan’s mother, Christine Wells-Wonsley.
“I have the utmost respect for her and all of the Wells family,” she wrote. “We mourn the loss of Nolan with them. Our prayers have been and will continue to be with them.”
She also sought to clarify her family’s involvement in the events of July 4.
According to Cole, neither she nor her husband were present at Horn Island that day.
She said Warren fully cooperated with investigators after Wells was reported missing and was interviewed by the Jackson County Sheriff’s Department.
Cole stated that Warren last saw Wells around 3 p.m. on July 4 and that their group departed the island around 4:30 p.m. after their boat began taking on water because of a bilge pump problem. According to her statement, Wells chose to remain on the island and planned to return to the mainland later with another group of friends.
A Case Drawing National Attention
What began as a Fourth of July boating trip has evolved into one of the nation’s most closely watched death investigations.
The case has drawn the attention of attorney Ben Crump, Al Sharpton, national media organizations, celebrities, activists, and members of Congress, while social media has become flooded with speculation about what happened to Wells.
At Friday’s press conference, Crump said the Wells family is seeking answers and a thorough investigation into the circumstances surrounding Nolan’s death.
Cole’s latest statement indicates she believes the intense public attention has spilled beyond debate over the investigation and into targeted harassment against her family.
“We realize that the truth will not stop the calls for the death of our small children,” she wrote.
Despite declining media interviews, Cole said her family remains willing to speak directly with the Wells family and their legal representatives.
“We also want to know what happened to Nolan,” she wrote. “We will do everything within our power to assist Nolan’s family in their quest for answers.”
The Jackson County Sheriff’s Department and other agencies continue investigating the circumstances surrounding Wells’ death. No arrests have been announced in connection with the threats published by Cole.
