a day ago
Father of missing Summer Wells tells of 'living nightmare' and reveals their home has been searched 11 times
The father of missing Tennessee girl Summer Wells says the past four years have been a 'living nightmare' - with 11 police searches on his home, his other children taken by the state, and his eldest son now listed online 'like a shopping product'.
Speaking ahead of the anniversary of his daughter's disappearance, Don Wells told Daily Mail that he still believes his daughter was kidnapped and addressed her abductors saying: 'Be glad I'm a Christian. I just hope law enforcement finds you first.'
Summer was five years old when she vanished from her family's home in Hawkins County on June 15, 2021.
Despite extensive searches and an ongoing AMBER Alert, no trace of her has ever been found. Police have said there is no evidence of an abduction.
Her disappearance devastated the family - but Don says what followed nearly broke them.
'We were a two parent family. They kept trying to get us to divorce. We suffered together. We suffered separate. We are now more solid together than ever before,' he said. 'We are still a two parent family with no children to parent.'
He and wife Candus Bly lost custody of their three sons in the wake of Summer's disappearance.
One of them, Josey, is now featured in a public adoption video.
'(He) is online being marketed like a shopping product. The pain never ends,' Don said.
'It was so good to finally see him. He is a great young man but has to be so hurt cause they took him and his brothers away from everything they knew. Then they took him from his brothers.
'This isn't about us now, it's about our boys. They took three of the five witnesses away. Together we could have worked together to try to solve what happened to their sister. Instead they lost everything. When we lost them, we lost everything. Hell times four.'
He says their hearts were so 'shredded' by the loss that it became nearly impossible to focus on the search for Summer.
'How could we concentrate on Summer when our hearts were shredded that our boys were gone so far away,' he said.
'We didn't know how the system worked... constantly being told how rotten we are by DCS, by social media, by people on the streets, on and on.'
Now, after years of legal battles, both Don and Candus have been cleared by the Department of Children's Services.
In spring 2025, DCS withdrew its findings of abuse or neglect, and a judge formally dismissed the allegations against them.
'Now DCS admits for the second time we are NOT abusers or neglectors of our children,' Don said. 'So bring Josey home. Bring them all home.'
The home they once shared with their five-year-old daughter has now been searched 11 times by investigators.
'Yes. If it wasn't for God and our Church and Pastor and friends, we wouldn't be here. God has remained faithful,' Don said.
Asked what he would say to Summer if he could speak to her today, he replied: 'I would hug her so long and cry so long that words would not have to be said. I love her so much. I love my wife so much. I love my boys so much. This week is so hard.'
Despite the emotional toll, Don says they've continued working with a private investigator who stays in touch with the TBI.
'Our PI is very helpful. We have to trust that TBI and FBI is using every resource and technology and AI tools they have,' he said.
'We report any thought we have to our PI and he communicates it with TBI. They know my thoughts.'
'The TBI says they have recent leads. That is all we know.'
In 2023, authorities released an age-progressed photo of what Summer might look like at age 7.
A $40,000 reward fund was later dissolved and redirected to a regional child advocacy group. And although countless tips have come in, none have led to a breakthrough.
Don says public support has recently surged online.
'This year is different. There is a huge interest happening this year,' he said.
'Pictures we are posting are getting to over 350,000 views. Followers on the fbook page went from 9500 to over 13,000 these past few days. The volume of prayers, encouragements, and support is something we are not use to.'
