HAWKINS COUNTY, Tenn. (WJHL) – Friday marks 234 days since Hawkins County child Summer Wells was reported missing. Friday is also Summer’s sixth birthday.
Community members met Tuesday at Borden Park in Kingsport to hold a prayer vigil for Summer and hope for her safe return home.
In a tweet from the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, authorities noted that Feb. 15 will mark eight months since Summer was first reported missing from her home in the Beech Creek community.
“Summer Wells is on our minds today, just as she’s been every day since June 15, 2021,” the TBI wrote. “Her case weighs heavily on all involved.”
The TBI states they continue to work with the Hawkins County Sheriff’s Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation office in Knoxville as the search for Summer continues.
In December, the TBI posted an update on their search efforts, saying that extensive search efforts and manpower have not resulted in any new findings. The TBI said at the time that no evidence suggested Summer had been abducted. Investigators said they were also exploring the “very real possibility that she wandered off and became lost in the mountainous and rough terrain surrounding her home.”
Summer Wells has gained national attention in the months since she disappeared. Her parents, Don Wells and Candus Bly, appeared on the Dr. Phil show in November 2021. Her disappearance has also sparked interest on YouTube among content creators and has prompted protesters to arrive in the region on some occasions.
The TBI AMBER Alert reports Summer’s appearance as follows:
- Age: 5 years old
- Sex: Female
- Race: White
- Hair: Blond
- Eyes: Blue
- Height: 3 feet
- Weight: 40 pounds
- NCIC: M476287498
- Missing From: Rogersville, Tennessee
- Missing Since: June 15, 2021
Anyone with information regarding Wells’ whereabouts is urged to call 1-800-TBI-FIND.
