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Missing Child — Active Case

The Disappearance of Summer Wells

● AMBER Alert — Active Missing Child Hawkins County, Tennessee No Arrest — No Named Suspect
Missing Child
Summer Moon-Utah Wells
Date Missing
June 15, 2021
Last Seen
Ben Hill Road, Beech Creek, Hawkins County, TN
Age at Disappearance
5 Years Old
Hair / Eyes
Blonde / Blue
Height / Weight
3 ft / approx. 40 lbs
Last Seen Wearing
Pink shirt, gray pants
Case Status
Active AMBER Alert — Tennessee
The Missing Child

Summer Moon-Utah Wells

Summer Wells — Age 5
Full Name Summer Moon-Utah Wells
Date of Birth February 4, 2016
Age — Missing 5 (now 10 as of Feb. 2026)
Date Missing June 15, 2021
Last Seen Ben Hill Road, Beech Creek, Hawkins County, TN
Hair / Eyes Blonde / Blue
Parents Don Wells & Candus Wells
Alert Status Active AMBER Alert — Tennessee

Summer Moon-Utah Wells was five years old when she vanished from her family's home on Ben Hill Road in the Beech Creek community of Hawkins County, Tennessee, on the evening of June 15, 2021. She had been outside earlier in the day helping her mother and grandmother plant flowers. At some point she went inside to play with her toys. When her mother, Candus Wells, called for her and got no answer, she went downstairs to check. Summer was gone.

"I yelled downstairs for her a couple of times, and I didn't get an answer," Candus told reporters. "Which was unusual because usually she always answers me, so I went down there to check and she was nowhere inside. She was just gone."

Summer had blonde hair, blue eyes, and weighed approximately 40 pounds. She was last seen wearing a pink shirt and gray pants. She lived with her parents and brothers in a rural area surrounded by dense woods and steep terrain in Hawkins County, near Rogersville. The property sits in a remote part of East Tennessee where thick brush and mountainous landscape make searching difficult.

Summer's parents were interviewed repeatedly by investigators and both passed polygraph examinations. Neither was named as a suspect. The Tennessee Department of Children's Services removed Summer's brothers from the home in July 2021, though this was not publicly connected to the investigation into Summer's disappearance.

As of February 2026, Summer Wells would be 10 years old. The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation released an updated age-progression image of her in August 2025. She has been missing for nearly five years. An AMBER Alert in her name remains active across the state of Tennessee.

01
Background

What We Know

Summer Wells was reported missing to the Hawkins County Sheriff's Office at approximately 6:30 p.m. on June 15, 2021. She had last been seen earlier that afternoon helping her mother and grandmother plant flowers outside their home on Ben Hill Road in the Beech Creek community of Hawkins County. At some point she went inside. When her mother went to check on her, she was not there. The house was searched. Summer was nowhere to be found.

The Hawkins County Sheriff's Office launched an immediate search. The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation issued an Endangered Child Alert just after midnight. By the morning of June 16, that alert had been upgraded to a statewide AMBER Alert, which remains active as of the date of publication. Within the first week, 72 agencies from six states participated in the search, covering 4.6 square miles of difficult terrain including woods, hillsides, and remote brush. The terrain was so challenging that officials initially discouraged volunteers from joining, fearing they would become lost themselves.

A neighbor living near the Wells property reported hearing a shrill, almost animalistic scream approximately one hour before Summer was reported missing. The neighbor, who was in her cabin with her two children at the time, said all three of them heard it. She and her children were interviewed by investigators from the Hawkins County Sheriff's Office, the TBI, and the FBI. However, investigators stated publicly that they did not have evidence of an abduction based on this tip alone.

Late in June 2021, the TBI announced they were looking for the driver of a pickup truck seen in the area near the time of Summer's disappearance. The driver was described not as a suspect but as a potential witness whom investigators wished to speak with. As of the date of publication, it has not been publicly confirmed whether that individual was ever located or interviewed.

As of June 2024, TBI Assistant Director Josh Melton stated publicly that investigators still had not been able to determine whether Summer was abducted or walked away from her home and became lost. Both possibilities remained open. The TBI reported working more than 6,500 leads and tips. No one has been arrested or named a suspect in connection with Summer's disappearance.

02
Chronology

Case Timeline

June 15, 2021 — Approximately 6:30 p.m.
Summer Wells Reported Missing
Summer Wells is reported missing to the Hawkins County Sheriff's Office. Her mother had last seen her going inside the family home on Ben Hill Road after helping plant flowers. When Candus went to check on her, Summer was gone. Investigators begin an immediate search of the residence and surrounding property. A neighbor reports hearing a scream approximately one hour before the report was made.
June 16, 2021 — Early Morning
Endangered Child Alert Upgraded to AMBER Alert
The TBI issues an Endangered Child Alert for Summer just after midnight. By early morning on June 16, new information and growing concern prompt the TBI to upgrade the alert to a statewide AMBER Alert. The alert pings cellphones across the Tri-Cities region. Large-scale search operations begin across Hawkins County.
June 16–22, 2021
Massive Search Operation Launched
Within the first week, 72 agencies from six states participate in the search, covering 4.6 square miles of rugged terrain using helicopters, planes, drones, and scent-tracking dogs. The terrain is so difficult that investigators initially discourage volunteers. More than 1,000 acres are searched by over 100 people. By June 22, the TBI has received over 200 leads. Investigators state they have not ruled out abduction but have no evidence to confirm it.
June 24, 2021
TBI Seeks Pickup Truck Driver as Potential Witness
The TBI announces it is seeking the driver of a pickup truck seen near the Wells home around the time of Summer's disappearance. The driver is described as a potential witness, not a suspect. It has not been publicly confirmed whether this individual was ever identified or interviewed.
July 2021
Summer's Brothers Removed from Home
The Tennessee Department of Children's Services removes Summer's brothers from the Wells family home. No public explanation linking this action to the investigation into Summer's disappearance is provided. Summer's parents are not named as suspects and both pass polygraph examinations.
June 2022
One-Year Anniversary — No Answers
On the one-year anniversary of Summer's disappearance, the TBI and Hawkins County Sheriff's Office issue a joint statement confirming the investigation remains active. TBI spokesperson Leslie Earhart expresses disappointment. "We expected to have good news to report," she says. "Unfortunately, instead, day after day ended in frustration and disappointment." A reward fund for information reaches approximately $74,000.
June 2023
Age-Progression Photo Released
The TBI releases an age-progression photo of Summer created by a forensic artist with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, showing what she may look like at age seven. The investigation remains active but no new public information is available.
June 2024
TBI: Abduction Still Unconfirmed After Three Years
TBI Assistant Director Josh Melton states publicly that investigators still cannot confirm whether Summer was abducted or wandered away from her home. "We don't have the evidence in this case to know for sure," he says. The TBI reports having worked more than 6,500 leads and tips. Some of the TBI's most experienced agents remain assigned to the case.
August 2025
New Age-Progression Image Released
The TBI releases an updated age-progression image of Summer, now showing what she may look like at approximately age nine or ten. The image is created by a forensic artist with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. The AMBER Alert remains active.
November 2025
TBI Follows Up on Lead in Greeneville
On November 13, 2025, TBI agents and detectives follow up on a lead at a location in the 3500 block of Van Hill Road in Greeneville, approximately 9.5 miles from the Wells home via State Route 347. The TBI declines to confirm details about the nature of the tip or its outcome. The investigation remains active and ongoing as of the date of publication.
03
Law Enforcement

The Investigation

The investigation into Summer Wells's disappearance has been led by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation working alongside the Hawkins County Sheriff's Office and the FBI. From the night of June 15, 2021, the case was treated as a high-priority missing child investigation. Within the first 24 hours the TBI executed search warrants, and investigators conducted interviews with all known members of the Wells family, in some cases more than once. Summer's parents were not named as suspects and both passed polygraph examinations.

The search operation that followed was one of the most extensive in the region's recent history. Helicopters, planes, drones, K-9 units, and scent-tracking dogs were deployed across thousands of acres of steep, densely forested terrain. Incident commanders noted that conditions were so difficult that trained search professionals were required; the terrain itself posed a danger to untrained volunteers. Despite the scale of the effort, no physical trace of Summer was found.

The TBI received over 1,000 tips in the first month alone and more than 6,500 in total as of June 2024. Investigators acknowledged publicly that a significant portion of those tips were generated by misinformation spread deliberately on social media, which the TBI said had a major negative impact on the investigation. Conspiracy theories, false accusations, and online harassment directed at the Wells family forced them to manage public perception at the same time they were cooperating with investigators.

As of June 2024, TBI Assistant Director Josh Melton confirmed that investigators still had not determined whether Summer was abducted or wandered away. Both possibilities remained open. In August 2025 the TBI released a new age-progression image. In November 2025, agents followed up on a lead approximately 9.5 miles from the family home. The case continues to generate active investigative activity more than four years after Summer's disappearance.

Tennessee AMBER Alert — Summer Wells
Search Efforts — Hawkins County, Tennessee
You Can Help

Help Find Summer Wells

Summer Wells has been missing since June 15, 2021. She was five years old when she disappeared from her home in the Beech Creek community of Hawkins County, Tennessee. She would be ten years old today. An AMBER Alert remains active across the state of Tennessee. Her case is open. Her investigators are still working.

If you have any information about Summer's whereabouts or the circumstances of her disappearance, please contact the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation immediately. Tips can be submitted anonymously. Every piece of information matters. Investigators have stated their belief that someone in the public knows something that could bring Summer home.

Tennessee Bureau of Investigation
1-800-TBI-FIND
24-hour tip line — anonymous tips accepted
TBI Tips Email
TipsToTBI@tn.gov
Submit tips by email directly to TBI investigators
Hawkins County Sheriff's Office
423-272-7121
Local law enforcement assisting the TBI investigation
National Center for Missing & Exploited Children
1-800-THE-LOST
1-800-843-5678 — 24-hour hotline
Sources
TBI Newsroom — "AMBER Alert: Summer Wells," updated August 13, 2025  |  NewsNation — "Summer Wells case: 4 years since Tennessee girl went missing," June 2025  |  WJHL — "TBI agents, detectives follow up on lead in Summer Wells case," November 18, 2025  |  WATE — "TBI unsure if Summer Wells was abducted or not," June 14, 2024  |  Times News — "Saturday marks third year since Summer Wells' disappearance," June 15, 2024  |  WBIR — "Appalachian Unsolved: Where is Summer Wells?" 2024  |  WKRN — "TBI seeking potential witness driving pickup truck near Summer Wells' home," June 2021  |  WBIR — "One year since Summer Wells disappeared in Hawkins County," June 14, 2022  |  Kingsport Today — "Summer Wells Turns 10, Still Missing After Five Years," February 2026
In Her Honor

She Is Not Forgotten

Summer Wells was five years old and she had been planting flowers with her mother and grandmother. That is the last thing anyone saw her do. She went inside to play with her toys. And then she was gone, and she has been gone ever since, and no one has been able to explain it.

She would be ten years old now. She has blonde hair and blue eyes and a name that sounds like a season, like something warm and open and full of possibility. Somewhere in the mountains of East Tennessee, investigators have walked thousands of acres and turned over every lead they could find, and they have not stopped. They have said they will not stop.

Her father said he believes she was abducted. He said he knows it in his heart and in his mind. He has asked for prayers. He has written letters from jail. He has started a YouTube channel. He has done what a father does when the only alternative is to do nothing, and doing nothing is not possible.

Her mother called for her and got no answer. That moment has lived in this case ever since. It is the last ordinary thing that happened before Summer's world and her family's world split apart.

Summer Moon-Utah Wells. She is five years old in every photograph, and she is ten years old in the world, wherever she is. She is not forgotten. The people looking for her have not stopped. And if you know anything, you are being asked to come forward. For her.

Summer Moon-Utah Wells — Missing Since June 15, 2021
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