CONTINUING COVERAGE: The Search for Summer Wells

CHURCH HILL, Tenn. (WJHL) – The Church Hill Rescue Squad said on Monday that the reward fund for information on Summer Wells remains just short of $74,000 and took the opportunity to address rumors about the fund.

A post from the rescue squad states that as of Monday, the fund sits at a total of $73,705.90. That is the same total reported on Dec. 10, 2021.

Two donations of $25,000 and $10,000 make up a large portion of the fund, while the remaining $38,705.90 stem from contributions that have been mailed to the agency or placed in the fund through Civis Bank.

The fund was set up in late June 2021 and was originally set to expire after six months. However, in October 2021, the rescue squad elected to extend the fund until June 15, 2022.

On Monday, the rescue squad wrote that when the deadline is reached, the fund will be reviewed by the Board of Directors.

The Church Hill Rescue Squad wrote explicitly in the post that none of the funds will remain in their possession.

“Also to address the rumors that have been circulating around that these funds come back to the Church Hill Rescue Squad at the end of the reward fund time, these are just that rumors and not true or credible no matter where they have originated,” the post states. “Church Hill Rescue Squad will not be receiving any of these funds or benefit from the reward effort for Summer Wells.”

The rescue squad wrote that they hope leaving the fund active will result in more leads and tips that could help find Summer Wells.

If no tips or leads result in the return or recovery of the missing Hawkins County 5-year-old, the rescue squad will donate the money raised to the Child Advocacy Center.

Anyone wishing to donate to the reward fund can do so by either taking donations straight to Civis Bank Branches in Rogersville and Sneedville or mailing checks or certified checks to the rescue squad.

Summer Wells was reported missing from her home in the Beech Creek area in Hawkins County in June 2021, and the AMBER Alert for Summer Wells remains active.

Anyone with information on Wells is asked to contact the Hawkins County Sheriff’s Office at 423-272-7121 or the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation at 1-800-TBI-FIND.