The Internet Accused Him. Now He's Fighting Back.

For weeks, I’ve watched two investigations happen at the same time.

One is taking place inside law enforcement.

The other is taking place on social media.

Those two investigations have not always looked the same.

While investigators continue interviewing witnesses, reviewing evidence, and waiting for forensic results, thousands of people online have already reached their own conclusions.

People have been labeled killers.

Families have received death threats.

Homes have allegedly been posted online.

Former Ocean Springs football player and University of Wyoming punter Bart Edmiston Jr. has retained attorney Russ Latino and is preparing to pursue defamation claims over allegations that have spread across social media.

According to his attorney, Bart has never been identified as a suspect by law enforcement.

Latino says Bart voluntarily cooperated with investigators by providing access to his boat, GPS information, phone, and any other information requested.

The attorney also says Bart recently received what the family considers a credible death threat, prompting notification of the FBI along with state and local law enforcement.

Think about that.

An investigation is still ongoing.

No criminal charges have been announced.

Yet people are already receiving death threats based on internet speculation.

The first legal action isn’t directed at law enforcement.

It’s directed at social media influencer Kymbra Li.

According to Russ Latino, his first cease-and-desist letter was sent to Li over posts he says falsely portrayed Bart as being involved in Nolan Wells’ death.

The attorney alleges that her content implied Bart participated in Nolan’s death, attempted to conceal information, and even included repeated efforts to publicize his personal information online. Those allegations form the basis of the anticipated defamation lawsuit.

Li has publicly rejected those claims.

She argues that much of what she has discussed is based on official documents, including Coast Guard reports, Sea Tow audio, and GPS information, and she has questioned what she could have defamed if she was relying on those materials.

She has also suggested publicly that a lawsuit could bring additional attention to her platform.

Now a court may ultimately decide where protected opinion ends and actionable defamation begins.

One of the biggest rumors involving Bart centered around an old photograph circulating online.

Some users claimed the young woman in the photo was Katie McCormick and built an entire theory around that assumption.

According to Bart’s attorney, that woman is not Katie McCormick.

He further states Bart never dated Katie and did not even know who she was before Nolan’s death.

Whether people intended to spread misinformation or not, the result was the same.

A young man’s name became attached to a homicide theory without publicly available evidence supporting it.

Russ Latino made it clear this may only be the beginning.

He says additional cease-and-desist letters are expected and that investigators have been retained to identify individuals who allegedly spread defamatory statements online.

One statement from Latino stood out to me.

He warned that simply saying “allegedly” or repeating something someone else posted may not automatically protect a person if they knowingly spread false statements presented as fact.

That’s something every content creator should pay attention to.

I’ve said this from the first day I went to Mississippi.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with asking difficult questions.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with demanding a thorough investigation.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with challenging investigators when something doesn’t make sense.

But there is a huge difference between asking questions and declaring someone guilty before the evidence exists.

Those are not the same thing.

The tragedy here hasn’t changed.

Nolan Wells is still gone.

His family deserves answers.

His friends deserve answers.

The public deserves answers.

But none of us get closer to the truth by destroying innocent people if they had nothing to do with what happened.

If Bart is innocent, falsely accusing him doesn’t help Nolan.

If someone else is responsible, focusing on the wrong person only delays justice.

That’s why I’ve tried to be disciplined throughout my reporting.

When something is verified, I report it as fact.

When something is an allegation, I call it an allegation.

And when I don’t know something, I simply say I don’t know.

Because that’s what responsible journalism looks like.

The investigation into Nolan Wells’ death is still ongoing.

Now, it appears the investigation into what happened on social media is just getting started.