An Illinois man, Edward James Porter, has been indicted in Mississippi over allegations that he threatened to kill a witness connected to the disappearance and death of 18-year-old football player Nolan Wells. The allegations concern Bart Edmiston Jr, who was on a boat with Wells on the day he died, and his father. The case matters because Wells’s death has attracted national attention and continuing calls from his family for further investigation, despite police ruling out foul play.

Wells’s body was found near Horn Island off the Mississippi Gulf Coast after a Fourth of July boating trip, and authorities said he drowned. Court records reportedly allege that Porter sent Edmiston Jr threats against him and his family, including his home address; Porter was arrested in July and charged with transmitting a threatening message in interstate commerce. Two other people have also faced similar federal allegations linked to threats against people associated with the case, while Wells’s family say they have received online abuse.