Overview
- Federal prosecutors charged Joseph Alfredo Vasquez Dumarce on a count of interstate transmission of a threatening communication after his arrest on Thursday, a crime that carries up to five years in prison.
- Court documents say the messages to Jackson County Chancery Judge Ashlee Cole included a threat to send an explosive package, graphic descriptions of blood, and threats against her children.
- Investigators traced the social media handle 'yaeyae962' to Dumarce by following email IP addresses tied to the account and cross-referencing a date of birth, phone number, and street addresses, according to law enforcement accounts.
- Nolan Wells disappeared during a Fourth of July boat trip on July 4 and his body was recovered on July 6, officials suspect drowning, and a state autopsy was completed but its findings have not been released.
- Families of those on the trip have faced sustained online harassment, some have publicly denied involvement, Dr. Benjamin Hudson has offered a $50,000 reward, and the federal case could deter future anonymous threats while the death probe proceeds.