A Cincinnati woman has been charged in federal court with making a series of bomb threats targeting two Mississippi government offices during the aftermath of the death investigation involving Nolan Xavier Wells, according to records filed in the case.
Michelle Francine Edwards is charged in a federal criminal complaint with transmitting in interstate commerce a threatening communication to kill or injure another person and to damage or destroy a building.
Michelle Francine Edwards Submitted
The charge carries a maximum penalty of five years in federal prison, a fine of up to $250,000 and up to three years of supervised release if convicted.
According to the criminal complaint, Edwards made multiple threatening phone calls on July 23 to the George County Chancery Clerk’s Office and the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office while concealing her identity by blocking her caller ID.
Investigators allege Edwards first began calling the George County Chancery Clerk’s Office at about 1:34 p.m. Using a blocked telephone number, she allegedly placed approximately 21 calls over an eight-minute period, between 1:34 p.m. and 1:42 p.m.
During those calls, the complaint says Edwards repeatedly threatened employees, making statements including:
“Do not go outside.”
“The clock is ticking.”
“Die.”
Authorities allege Edwards also made a bomb threat against the George County courthouse during the barrage of calls.
About 20 minutes later, investigators say Edwards began calling the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office. The complaint alleges she used the *67 feature before dialing to conceal her telephone number, causing the calls to appear as private, blocked or unknown.
According to investigators, Edwards placed about eight calls to the sheriff’s office.
During the first call, dispatchers reported the caller said, “Y’all got a bomb outside. Don’t come outside, bitch.”
A second call allegedly asked, “Y’all still there?”
Because the threat specifically referenced a bomb outside the sheriff’s office, the building was immediately placed on lockdown, according to the complaint.
A boat prepares to take off at Lake Mars Boat Launch on July 6 during the search for Nolan Wells. Jackson Ranger [email protected]
The Jackson County Sheriff’s Office conducted a complete bomb sweep of the property, including deploying bomb-detection canine teams. No explosive device was located.
Federal investigators started tracking records after threats came in to identify the suspect.
According to the complaint, investigators submitted a subpoena to C Spire to identify the telephone number used to place the calls.
Records obtained during the investigation allegedly showed the same number had been used to contact both the George County Chancery Clerk’s Office and the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office on July 23.
Investigators also examined online accounts associated with the telephone number.
According to the records, usernames connected to the account included “LoversPoint84” and “OneLastThug,” along with a vanity name containing “Lovers.”
The complaint also said that investigators also reviewed law enforcement records that contained various text messages referencing Michelle Edwards.
A search of law enforcement databases further showed Edwards had been listed in multiple reports filed by the Cincinnati Police Department as the owner of the cellular device linked to the threatening calls.
The complaint alleges investigators used all of those records to identify Edwards as the person responsible for the threats.
The bomb threats were among several made against Mississippi public officials and government offices in the weeks following the death of Nolan Xavier Wells.
Wells’ case has drawn widespread attention, multiple investigations and unfounded speculation about what happened to Wells when he went missing after a trip to Horn Island with friend.
Two days later, Wells was found dead on the northwest tip of Horn Island.
Since then, Wells’ parents, Elmore and Christine Wonsley, hired civil rights attorney Ben Crump, to do an independent investigation into the 18-year-old student athletes death.
A California man was the first person arrested for the same offense for calling and sending messages threatening to kill Jackson County Chancery Judge Ashlee Cole, her husband Dr. Benjamin Hudson and others.
This story was originally published August 1, 2026 at 11:03 AM.
Margaret Baker
Sun Herald
Margaret is an investigative reporter whose search for truth exposed corrupt sheriffs, a police chief and various jailers and led to the first prosecution of a federal hate crime for the murder of a transgendered person. She worked on the Sun Herald’s Pulitzer Prize-winning Hurricane Katrina team. When she pursues a big story, she is relentless.
