The family of missing girl Summer Wells continues to hold out for hope as they celebrate their daughter’s ninth birthday.
Her parents posted a collection of photos of Summer, who was last seen on June 15, 2021, and wrote, ‘Happy birthday summer moon mommy and daddy love you miss you more than anything in this world.’
The post included a photo of Summer with her parents and pictures of her smiling while playing outside.
The girl, who was five when she went missing, was planting flowers outside her home with her mom and her grandmother before she vanished more than three years ago.
Her parents said that she went inside the home to play with her toys in the basement, but when her mom called out for her, she was nowhere to be found.
‘We live with endless possibilities of what our precious girl has gone through,’ Summer’s father, Donald ‘Don’ Wells, told the DailyMail.com.
‘She could be down the street, she could be in another country, she could be abused for all these years, she could be with God. We have no idea.’
Summer’s mother, Candus Bly, said that her daughter vanished in a flash while everyone was home.
Missing girl Summer Wells’ family posted a tribute for her on her ninth birthday
The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children created an image of what Summer might look like at nine years old
Law enforcement has continued to follow leads and interview sources in an effort to find out what happened to Summer
Candus recalled the moment on the family’s website, writing that she told her sons in the house to watch Summer after walking her to the door.
When she came back inside, she couldn’t find Summer and began to panic. She called Don, who recommended that she call 911.
Candus and her sons searched the outside of the home and asked the neighbors for help until law enforcement arrived.
Police then issued an Endangered Child Alert and upgraded the status to an Amber Alert, which is still active today.
The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation is assisting the Hawkins County Sheriff’s Office with the case.
The investigation remains open and active, however, authorities have struggled to find leads in Summer’s disappearance.
Last summer, on the third anniversary of when Summer was last seen, the TBI released a video updating the public on the case.
They said they had investigated 6,500 leads and tips, as well as conducted multiple interviews. Unfortunately, the department has yet to find answers.
Summer disappeared in 2021, and police have yet to close her case
Summer’s mom called police to report her missing after she went to the basement to play with her toys
‘When I look at that picture of Summer – I see my daughter, and I can tell you that if my daughter was missing, I would sure hope that someone was looking for her every day,’ TBI Assistant Director of the Criminal Investigation Division Josh Melton said.
He said that the TBI has yet to find evidence concluding that Summer was abducted or that she ran away.
Melton added that the department wasn’t limiting the investigation to just one possibility. He cautioned the public on speculating about what happened to Summer.
‘Many people have speculated what they think has happened in this case,’ he continued.
‘The difficult part of speculation is that, if we as investigators speculate and focus our efforts in one direction, we’re making a huge mistake.’
Melton explained that the department hasn’t stopped on-the-ground search efforts and won’t stop interviewing sources who may have information on Summer’s whereabouts.
‘All stones are being turned over,’ he assured the public, adding that investigators won’t stop until they find answers.
‘We’re not going to allow this case to sit on a shelf. We’re committed to bringing Summer home, and we will keep working on this case until she is home,’ he concluded.
Don told the DailyMail.com that he has been in communication with the TBI and police, who have assured his family that they are continuing to investigate the case and are still receiving leads weekly.
Summer’s father added that he appreciated Melton’s video update but still feels like his family is ‘just always walking in the dark.’
The years-long case into Summer’s whereabouts has been a confusing and exhausting journey.
Summer was last seen going into the basement of her home to play with toys while her mom was outside
Summer pictured with her three brothers, who were taken into custody by DCS after her disappearance
The Wells family continues to honor Summer on her birthday with vigils ever since her disappearance
Investigators launched a comprehensive search during the initial days following her disappearance.
They covered more than 3,000 acres of ground and enlisted the help of tracking dogs, drones, helicopters and planes.
Hawkins County is a rural area, and Summer’s home on Ben Hill Road in the Beech Creek Community was on top of a steep hill.
At the time, her parents feared that she was abducted and believed that she was taken off their property.
Don still believes that Summer was taken.
Summer’s family has been plagued with tragedy since their daughter went missing. A month after she disappeared, her three brothers were removed from the family home and placed in the care of the Tennessee Department of Children’s Services.
The missing girl’s father said on the ‘Jay is 4 Justice’ podcast at the time that it was better that they were in the care of DCS due to unwanted attention from the public at their home.
‘Right now, with everybody attacking us and all this stuff going on, it’s probably better for them,’ he said.
Don elaborated in an email to the DailyMail.com, ‘Look, our daughter was stolen from us. Our hands were full. Our emotions were full. It can’t be described.’
Summer’s dad explained that he thought DCS was helping their family by protecting their kids from unwanted attention.
‘They took our sons. They kept our sons. And they made us sign them over to them,’ he said, adding, ‘They took them so far away it was impossible to have any quality communication.’
‘When your child disappears, then your other children are taken from you, what’s left?’ Don said.
Don has spoken to the media since his daughter’s disappearance and was open about his sons being in the care of DCS
Candus and Don lost custody of their sons after their daughter Summer disappeared
‘We’re called an Amber Alert Family. I guess we are. But what family? They took it all,’ he added.
The Wells family have also been victims of harassment since Summer’s disappearance.
‘There are many who made our life a living hell as we tried to focus on what happened to Summer, but these people constantly distracted us and made things so much worse,’ Don told the DailyMail.com.
Don explained that he didn’t know much about social media when Summer disappeared and made mistakes by trusting internet sleuths.
Although no one has been arrested in connection with Summer’s disappearance, Don did serve time for driving under the influence in February 2022.
Dib was arrested in 2022 for driving under the influence
After his arrest, his family released a statement, writing, ‘There are no words to what each day and night is like. We needed cigarettes. It was a stupid decision. Please keep us in prayer. Keep Don. This pain won’t go away. Thank you.’
As the months – and years – trail on with no sign of Summer, the community continues to honor her and hope for her safe return.
Her family hosted a prayer meeting on her birthday and asked the public to join them to show unity and support.
‘My heart still breaks. We’ve been doing these prayer vigils now for three and a half years, it just doesn’t seem real to me that it’s been that long,’ Pastor Joseph Broadwater told local outlet Times News.
‘We are still praying for wherever she may be, for her safety. I still am holding out hope.’
Don described Summer as ‘care-free’ and ‘loving,’ adding that she enjoyed going to church and learning from her Sunday school teacher. ‘Summer lit me up,’ he said.
When asked what his message would be to Summer, he responded, ‘Summer – don’t give up. Pray to God. Never ever believe that we do not love you. We love you Summer. Your brothers love you dearly.’
The TBI and Hawkins Sheriff’s Office did not immediately respond to the DailyMail.com’s requests for comment.
