‘I am afraid for my children and myself,’ mother of Summer Wells wrote following husband’s 2020 domestic assault arrest

ROGERSVILLE, Tenn. (WJHL)- According to documents from the Hawkins County Sheriff’s Office, the father of missing 5-year-old Summer Utah-Moon Wells was arrested on domestic assault charges last year.

Police reports revealed Donald Wells was arrested on October 14, 2020 and charged with domestic assault, possession of a handgun while under the influence and unlawful possession of a weapon in regards to an incident with Summer’s mother, Candus Bly.

HCSO was dispatched to 110 Ben Hill Road for domestic assault. When officers arrived, Wells was driving a truck and coming back up the driveway.

While at the home, officers report hearing family members “fear for his return” and claim that there was “a firearm in the vehicle.”

Wells was arrested during a felony stop in the driveway. Officers noticed a strong odor of alcohol on Wells and said he was stumbling when picked up off the ground.

He told officers there was a “black powder pistol” in the glovebox, he had previous felon charges from Utah and that he had been drinking.

Bly told officers Wells came home drunk and saw someone else in the house and believed Bly was cheating on him.

Allegedly, Wells argued with the person in the house and began a struggle with Bly. Documents say Bly was pushed down, causing an injury to her left knee. She and other witnesses said Wells began punching himself in the face before leaving.

The following day, Bly filed an order of protection against Wells. In the order, she wrote, “I am afraid for my children and myself. My mother [fears] he is going to hurt her [because] she is staying in her camper on the property.”

Four days later, on October 19, the date of the hearing, Bly asked for the charges to be dismissed.

On April 21, 2021, Wells pleaded guilty to possession of a handgun while under the influence and turned the weapon over to the Hawkins Co. Sheriff’s Office. The domestic assault charges and unlawful possession of a handgun were dismissed.

Wells told News Channel 11 that he was in Utah and that he and Bly “weren’t on the same page” due to lack of communication.

“We worked it out, she’s apologized to me. She’s went to the district attorney, she even talked to the judge and told him that she made a serious mistake and, you know, that’s the end of it,” Wells said. “She didn’t get hurt and I never hurt nobody, so.”

An affidavit dated in August 2001 also states officers responded to Ben Hill Road in search of Wells to charge him as fugitive from justice for a parole violation out of Utah. The affidavit states he was “found hiding in a storage room” and taken into custody on that date.

Summer Utah-Moon Wells went missing on Tuesday, June 15 around 6:30 p.m., and has been the subject of an AMBER Alert since early Wednesday morning.

The TBI AMBER Alert reports Summer’s appearance as follows: