Wow! I would’ve thought three years not five. Such a shame this case hasn’t been figured out yet. Unless law-enforcement gut knows but they don’t have enough evidence to do anything.
Five years is surprising.
Where does the Summer Wells case stand, five years later?
Every moment is critical when it comes to an investigation, but after half a decade, questions continue to swirl about what happened to Summer Wells.
The five-year-old disappeared from her home on Ben Hill Road in the Beech Creek community of Hawkins County on June 15, 2021.
Since then, no one has been charged in connection with the case. The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation’s (TBI) director
released a video Monday morning, saying the agency never imagined Wells would still be missing, but that the smallest detail that can be remembered from that day could be helpful.
Leaders with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) say the same.
“Anytime we can work to keep a missing child image out into the community, let the community know that the child is still missing, we increase, hopefully the right person, the possibility of the right person saying, ‘You know, I recall something about that day. I really I thought it was nothing at the time, but I should say something.’ Right? And that’s what we’re pushing for,” said John Bischoff, the Vice President of the Missing Children Division at NCMEC. “Most often, AMBER Alerts resolve very quickly. But unfortunately, in Summer’s situation here that the leads, the information, they just weren’t there to turn that quick recovery.”
NCMEC has worked with law enforcement to create two age-progressed photos of the now 10-year-old Summer Wells and make sure her story continues to circulate.
“When these cases break open, sometimes it’s the smallest of details that come out many years later and just led to the information we were all looking for,” said Bischoff. “We’ve seen children come home in a couple of minutes, in a couple of hours, couple of days. And unfortunately, at times and for many, many years, we’ve seen these cases resolve after 10, 15, 20 years, and the families never give up hope. Law enforcement hasn’t given up hope. And we certainly haven’t as well.”
With little to no answers about what happened to the little girl, and no charges in connection to the case, many are left wondering if the case has gone cold.
“People can say that they need new, fresh eyes, and they need to do this and do that. Summer Wells’ name is mentioned in this hallway every week,” Hawkins County Sheriff Ronnie Lawson said in an interview about his upcoming retirement. “We look into every tip we get. Nobody wants to find Summer Wells more than me.”
Republican sheriff candidate Scott Stewart, who runs unopposed in the August general election, said his administration will “absolutely be looking back into” her disappearance in an interview ahead of the May primary election.
“We’re going to relentlessly pursue that case, no matter what,” said Stewart. “There’s no good answer to it. I don’t know anything that we can do more than what’s already been done, but I do know that’s a hot topic.”
Summer’s parents, Don and Candus Wells, declined an interview about the five-year mark of their daughter’s disappearance.
They did send a statement through their media representative.
“Candus and I would like to thank each person who cares about our daughter Summer. Your kindness and prayers mean a lot,” said Don Wells. “We know that only God can restore our Family. We love you Summer, Waylon, Wyatt, and Josey. God always wins. God bless you all.”
If you have credible information about what happened to the now 10-year-old, you’re urged to call 1-800-TBI-FIND.
www.wbrc.com
www.crimewatchers.net
