Summer Wells not first to go missing in her family, Wisconsin authorities offer sympathies

(WJHL) – For over 10 years, the same family now looking for missing 5-year-old Summer Wells has also been searching for answers in the disappearance of Rose Marie Bly, Summer’s aunt.

Bly was reported missing on August 21, 2009, in Polk County, Wisconsin.

The Polk County Sheriff’s Office, on the 10th anniversary of her disappearance, produced a video about the case, in the hopes of garnering more tips as to where Bly could be.

“To reinvigorate our case because we’ve never given up on this case,” Polk County Sheriff Brent Waak explained. “It’s an active investigation, it’s always been an active investigation and we really produced the media, in hopes of generating the conversation and stimulating people’s memory and in hopes that we get a big break in the case.”

The Polk County, Wisconsin sheriff tells me his department has gotten some calls about Rose Bly after 5-year-old Summer Wells was reported missing. Bly is Summer's aunt and has been missing since 2009 @WJHL11 @ABCTriCities pic.twitter.com/oLp8cFdn5z
— Bianca Marais WJHL (@BiancaWJHL) July 1, 2021

In the police-produced film about Bly’s case, her mother (Summer’s grandmother) spoke to authorities about her daughter’s disappearance.

“It’s just, it’s horrible, it’s hard to deal with very hard to deal with and, my life will never be normal without knowing where my daughter is,” Candus Harer said to police back in 2019.

Harer said in the 2019 video that she tries to avoid the area where Bly was reported missing in 2009.

Rose Bly disappeared in 2009 in Wi. 10 years later, the Polk County Sheriff's Office created a video pleading for the public to help locate the missing aunt of Summer Wells.
In that 2019 video, investigators interviewed Candus Harer – Summer's grandmother @WJHL11 @ABCTriCities pic.twitter.com/NN1iy9ps2D
— Bianca Marais WJHL (@BiancaWJHL) July 1, 2021

“With a missing child, there’s a hole in your heart that can’t be filled. And it’s just an impossible journey every day to wake up and wonder where she is to try to figure out where my daughter is. It’s just horrible, it’s not a good feeling. I wish I knew where she was,” she said in the video.

Now, in 2021, Harer’s granddaughter has been missing for over two weeks.

“Naturally, right away, people just searching for that name in connection with your Tennessee missing person case came up with ours. So there is a lot of interest in it, and, you know, certainly, we will help any way we can to work towards closure for both cases, you know if there’s anything we can do to help. We’re certainly willing to do that,” Sheriff Waak told News Channel 11.

Harer’s other daughter, Candus Bly, spoke to News Channel 11 about her sister’s disappearance, saying that she was between Tennessee and Arkansas at the time.

“I don’t know all of what happened, or what did happen, but I hope that they find her too,” she said.

Summer’s dad also spoke to News Channel 11 about his sister-in-law’s missing person case.

“She disappeared without a trace, they haven’t found anything, they haven’t found a body, nothing. When you see cases like that, that’s why I lose hope in Summer, you know, I want to keep hope, but sometimes I just…lose hope and I think, ‘well, maybe we’ll never see her again,” he said.

Polk County, Wi. authorities shared their sympathies for the Wells family, and the Beech Creek community.

“I think anytime you have a missing person there’s an impact but when it’s a child it’s even a bigger impact and so certainly our hearts go out to your community, and dealing with this case. So, we hope for, you know great results with your case. I really hope your community can come to a solution,” Sheriff Waak said.

He added that the resources, time, and energy that law enforcement and search teams put into a missing person investigation is overwhelming.

“You know, I sympathize with them I know the tremendous amount of work and effort that goes into this, and it is an all hands on deck so, I sympathize with the work they’re doing, you know, don’t ever give up hope. I really optimistic and I hope you guys can get satisfaction,” Waak said.

He also shared his sympathies with the Wells family.

“Hey, we’re thinking about them, you know, this is this pulls everybody’s heartstrings, you know, you have a missing five year old, so I mean, everybody comes together and we hope we, you know, get it solved,” Waak said.

He said his small Wisconsin community still feels the loss of a missing person in their community, and hopes the Beech Creek community finds peace soon.