HAWKINS COUNTY, Tenn. (WJHL) – June 15, 2023 marks two years to the day that Summer Wells was reported missing from her family’s home on Ben Hill Road in Hawkins County.
Dozens of searches, hundreds of tips and countless hours of searching and investigating have yielded no new details in the search for Summer. Two years later, the AMBER Alert for Summer remains active.
News Channel 11 has covered the entirety of the ongoing search and has provided a timeline of the past two years below from the most recent developments down to the day Summer was reported missing:
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.
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.
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, 2022
A vigil is held in Kingsport to mark one year since Summer was reported missing.
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.
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.
Feb. 7, 2022
Don Wells pleaded guilty to his DUI charge.
Dec. 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.
Nov. 11-12, 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.
Oct. 30, 2021
Don Wells is arrested on a DUI charge.
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 15, 2021
Summer Wells is reported missing from her home in the Beech Creek community by a family member. Her disappearance prompts ground searches that utilize multiple organizations and methods.
