Summer Wells has been reported missing from her home in the Beech Creek community by a family member. Her disappearance has led to ground searches involving multiple organizations and various methods. This situation is not the only tragedy the family has faced; in 2009, Summer’s aunt,  Rose Marie Bly, also disappeared under unusual and unresolved circumstances.

Summer Wells Timeline:

June 15, 2021

• 5:30 PM: Summer was planting flowers with her family shortly before she was last seen. The flowers were planted in pots  Source
• 6:30 PM: Summer Wells is reported missing from her home on Ben Hill Road in the Beech Creek community. Her family states she was last seen going into the basement to play.   Source
• Search efforts begin immediately, involving local authorities and volunteers.
• At the time of her disappearance, Summer was wearing gray pants, a pink shirt, and is believed to have been barefoot. She stands at about 3 feet tall, weighs 40 lbs and has blonde hair and blue eyes.

June 16, 2021

• 12:07 AM: An Endangered Child Alert is issued at 12:07 AM.  Source
• 1:00 PM: the alert is upgraded to an AMBER Alert as the search intensifies.  Source
• 4:00 PM: Officials with the Hawkins County Sheriff’s Office and TBI held the first of what would be several news conferences updating the public on search efforts. About 30 tips were called in before the end of the day.

June 17, 2021

• 1:00 PM: Search teams reported that the steep and dangerous terrain, along with the dense canopy coverage and ground cover, were hindering their efforts. Poor cell reception was also making communication difficult.  Source
• 8:40 PM: Investigators began asking anyone who lives on or near Ben Hill road to check their trail cameras, surveillance footage and out buildings for any sign of Summer.

June 18, 2021

• Summer’s father spoke to media outlets, saying he was at work when Summer went missing.  Source

“When I got home, I drove to the bottom of the property and I realized that all my neighbors and stuff were combing the woods looking for her, and I realized right then and there that she was not there,” Wells told The Times-News. “I knew right then and there that she was gone — because she would never leave there on her own. Somebody had taken her.”

June 19, 2021:

• TBI shared photographs of Summer’s house and property where she was last seen: 5-year-old Summer Wells went missing from this property. Anyone w/ information regarding her disappearance is asked to call 1-800-TBI-FIND. Every detail – no matter how insignificant you think it may be – is important. Please help us bring her home   Source

June 22, 2021:

• TBI received at least 221 tips and urged local residents to check their barns and crawl spaces for places a child might hide.  Source
• To date, teams have covered 4.6 square miles in the search for Summer Wells.  Source

June 23, 2021:

• Search teams continue to focus on the area around Ben Hill Road. At the same time, agents and detectives are following up on potential leads. As of this afternoon, we’ve received 304 tips. None have resulted in a significant development in the case.  Source
• Investigators set up a road block to ask drivers if they noticed anything unusual on the day Summer disappeared.  Source

June 24, 2021:

• 4:00 PM: TBI held A media briefing to provide an update on search efforts for Summer Wells.  Source

June 25, 2021

• Investigators seek information about a red Toyota Tacoma truck that may have been in the area at the time of Summer’s disappearance. The truck was described as a “1998-2000 maroon or red Toyota Tacoma, with a full bed ladder rack along with white buckets in the truck bed.”  Source

June 27, 2021

• The search is scaled back due to the challenging terrain and lack of new leads. By this point, authorities have received over 500 tips.
• Don and Candus Wells’ three sons are taken into custody by child protective services.

July 26, 2021

• Don Wells confirmed that he and Candus Bly’s sons had been removed from their custody by the Department of Children’s Services.

June 29, 2021

• TBI Update: Investigators have now received 650 tips in the search for Summer Wells. We urge the public to share info from credible sources. Sharing speculation or rumors only makes the process more difficult for law enforcement by increasing the number of non-credible tips.  Source

July 1, 2021:

• The Polk County Sheriff’s Office in Wisconsin told news outlets, that Summer’s disappearance renewed interest in the case of her missing aunt, Rose Marie Bly, who vanished in Polk County in 2009.  Source

July 12, 2021

• 4:00 PM: TBI Update: To date, authorities have received 935 tips in the search for Summer Wells. In this clip, Hawkins County Sheriff Ronnie Lawson talks about the status of the investigation and what agents and detectives still need from residents. Have info? Call 1-800-TBI-FIND.  Source

October 30, 2021

• Don Wells is arrested on a DUI charge.

November 12, 2021

• Summer’s parents, Candus Bly and Don Wells, appeared on the Dr. Phil show. Dr. Phil was also joined by body language experts Greg Hartley and Scott Rouse.

November 30, 2021

• TBI Update: The search resumed, with the change in seasons, the landscape more visible, aiding in the ongoing investigation.  Source

December 1, 2021

• A two-day search in the Beech Creek community results in what the TBI described as “no significant developments.” The search took place in the winter, six months after Summer was reported missing, and investigators said they’d hoped the more bare foliage may aid in the search.

February 4, 2022

• Summer’s 6th birthday passes without any new developments in the case.

February 7, 2022

• Don Wells pleaded guilty to his DUI charge.

March 1, 2022

• Candus Harer, Summer’s maternal grandmother, spoke with News Channel 11 in her first on-camera interview since Summer’s disappearance. She recounted the day of Summer’s disappearance and the last time she saw her granddaughter.

March 2, 2022

• TBI Update: The investigation into the disappearance of Summer Wells remains active and ongoing. This week, teams returned to Hawkins County as part of a planned search that focused on previously identified areas of interest. Additionally, agents and detectives continue to follow up on potential leads. We ask anyone with credible first-hand information regarding Summer’s disappearance to call 1-800-TBI-FIND.  Source

June 15, 2022

• A vigil is held in Kingsport to mark one year since Summer was reported missing.
• Authorities have conducted over 170 interviews based on tips received.

Moving forward, we ask the public not to submit tips as a result of a video you have viewed on YouTube or a theory you’ve seen posted on Facebook. Please help us and only call if you have direct, specific information about the disappearance of Summer.

We ask the public to help us by refraining from sharing speculation posted by or discussed by non-official sources and reporting only credible tips or information to 1-800-TBI-FIND.   Source

Oct. 31, 2022

• Don Wells was released from jail in the early morning hours. While he was in jail, Don Wells released several letters. Some were addressed to Summer, while others were directed toward who he called her kidnappers.

June 15, 2023

• The search for Summer Wells hit the two-year mark with no arrests or new details announced by authorities.

June 14, 2023

• The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) and the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children released an age-progressed photo of Summer Wells, who would be 7 years old at the time.

October 31, 2022

• Don Wells is released from jail after serving time for his DUI conviction.

February 4, 2023

• Summer’s 7th birthday. The AMBER Alert remains active, and the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) continues to follow leads.

May 2024

• 1,000 days have passed since Summer’s disappearance. The TBI releases an age-progression photo to assist in the search.

June 2024

• The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children releases an updated age-progression image of Summer.

Feb. 21, 2023

• The Hawkins County Chancery Court declared that the entirety of the Summer Wells Reward Fund will be given to the Child Advocacy Center of the Third Judicial District. The reward fund totaled $40,365.73.

Feb. 2, 2023

• Don Wells, the father of Summer Wells, spoke out for the first time after being released from jail. Don Wells was jailed after pleading guilty to an October 2021 DUI arrest, which violated his probation.

February 4, 2024

• Summer’s 8th birthday. The case remains unsolved, with authorities urging anyone with information to come forward.

June 14, 2024

• TBI Update: This weekend marks 3 years since #SummerWells disappeared. Since then, we’ve worked 6,500 leads and tips, interviewed — and re-interviewed — anyone with potential information, and scoured acres upon acres in the search for answers. We won’t stop until we have those answers.  Source

The TBI released a FAQ sheet answering questions aimed at the agency while the search for Summer remained ongoing. Among the answered questions were inquiries as to whether Summer was abducted, which places had been searched and what evidence had been collected.

TBI has created a FAQ section on their website.  Source:

The investigation into the disappearance of 5-year-old Summer Wells remains active and ongoing. The Hawkins County Sheriff’s Office and the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation continue to work alongside the FBI to determine what happened to Summer. As this is an ongoing investigation, we are limited to the details we can provide.

However, since we aren’t able to respond to all individual inquiries, we’ve worked with the Hawkins County Sheriff’s Office to compile a list of questions we frequently receive from those who have recently started following the case. Most of the questions have been asked by local media agencies covering the case from the beginning and have been answered by authorities throughout the investigation. Our number one goal is finding Summer. Please help us and – more importantly – Summer by only sharing facts about the case. Anyone with credible information is asked to call 1-800-TBI-FIND.

When was Summer last seen?

• Her mother reports last seeing her on the afternoon of June 15th at their home in the 100 block of Ben Hill Road. In order to preserve the integrity of the investigation, we will not provide additional information regarding the timeline.

Have you searched the home and property around the residence?

• Yes, more than once, including the basement, crawl space, all vehicles, outbuildings, barrels, and other items located on the property. Additionally, K9 teams specializing in a variety of search methods have also been utilized.

Have you searched the phones and computers belonging to the Wells family?

• Yes, working alongside the Hawkins County Sheriff’s Office and the FBI, numerous subpoenas and search warrants have been obtained, resulting in any available digital evidence being collected, searched, and documented. This includes social media accounts.

Have you searched the flower bed?

• There was not a flower bed. Summer’s mother and grandmother stated that she was planting flowers with them shortly before she was last seen. The flowers were planted in pots, and yes, the pots were examined.

Have you searched waterways in the area?

• Yes. Dive teams were brought in to search bodies of water in the area.

Have you conducted aerial searches?

• Yes. Numerous searches from the air have been completed, especially during the first few weeks after Summer went missing. Additionally, drones were used to map the area and to pinpoint bodies of water as well as any other points of interest. Will additional searches be conducted? Investigators will continue to search points of interest as they are developed as well as follow up on all tips regarding Summer’s whereabouts.

Have you collected and reviewed surveillance video?

• Yes. We’ve collected surveillance photos and videos from a variety of locations. Additionally, the entire area was canvased in an effort to locate any residential cameras that weren’t voluntarily reported. Please keep in mind that the Beech Creek area of Hawkins County is very rural, with few businesses and no traffic cameras.

Have you questioned the parents?

• Yes. Both have been questioned.

Have you questioned neighbors and searched their properties?

• Yes.

Have you questioned registered sex offenders in the area?

• Yes.

Is there evidence that Summer was abducted?

• None that we’ve developed at this stage.

Is the FBI involved?

• Yes. They’ve been involved since the AMBER Alert was issued. Additionally, in the first week, the FBI Child Abduction Rapid Deployment (CARD) team responded to the area. FBI agents continue to assist with the investigation.

Why did you release information about a Toyota Truck?

• An individual who travels through the area regularly as part of his job stated that he recalls possibly seeing a 1998-2000 maroon or red Toyota Tacoma, with a full bed ladder rack and white buckets in the truck bed. The individual stated that the truck might have been parked in the area of Beech Creek Road and Ben Hill Road in the late afternoon to early evening on either Monday, June 14th, or Tuesday, June 15th. That vehicle was not captured on surveillance cameras. In an effort to cover all bases and identify the driver, the TBI, in agreement with the Hawkins County Sheriff’s Office and the FBI, released the vehicle description. Our hope was that the individual might have information that could help the investigation. The driver has not come forward, nor have the hundreds of vehicles reported to us as matching the description panned out.