KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Don Wells can rattle off a string of theories about the disappearance of his daughter, Summer Wells.
"She could be being tormented every day, tortured every day," he said. "She could be locked in a basement with chains. She could be going the rounds with drug dealers. There's all kinds of things, but there is a small bit of hope that she could be with possibly someone who cares about her. We don't know."
Summer disappeared from her home on Ben Hill Road in the Beech Creek community of Hawkins County around 6:30 p.m. on June 15, 2021. Authorities set off on an exhaustive search, lasting late into the night. Just after midnight, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation issued an Endangered Child Alert. Around 12 hours later, it was upgraded to an Amber Alert — which is still active today.
In the days that followed, crews searched more than 3,000 acres using helicopters, planes, drones and scent-tracking dogs. At the time, authorities said the search was complicated by Hawkins County's thick brush and steep landscape, making it difficult for people to comb through the area and find her. Years went by, with no sign of Summer.
In June 2023, around two years after she went missing, the TBI released an enhanced age progression photo of what Summer might look like. Today, she would be 8 years old.
"Many people have speculated what they think has happened in this case," said Josh Melton, assistant director of TBI's criminal investigation division. "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."
TBI investigators said they have to explore all possibilities — from Summer wandering off, to her being kidnapped.
"We have thrown everything that we know to throw at this case, and we haven't had the answers that we need to get," Melton said. "We know we'll get them, but we don't have them today."
Summer's disappearance troubled people locally and across the country. Several women who connected online with a shared concern about Summer started organizing vigils and events to shed light on the case. They were back in the area on the third anniversary of Summer's disappearance in June 2024 to gather and have a day of justice for Summer at Warriors' Path State Park.
Adrean Kelley was there, traveling all the way from Ohio.
"I've got little blonde-headed, blue-eyed babies, too," Kelley said. "It's hard, it's hard to just see her and know that it could have been mine. I mean, it could be anybody's. This is, this is serious."
That's why Kelley is determined to keep Summer's case in the spotlight.
"The only thing that we can do is keep sharing her picture, and someone will know something, and someone will eventually report it," she said. "I have to hold that hope."
Summer's case sparked plenty of interest and a number of conspiracy theories. Social media is full of videos speculating about possible suspects, including Don and Candus Wells.
"We don't pay no attention to them because they have no idea," Don said. "We can't go there because that's just a waste of time."
Months after Summer was reported missing, the two appeared on Dr. Phil as the case attracted national attention. During the national television appearance, Don said he believed his daughter had been kidnapped.
WBIR asked if he could confidently say he had nothing to do with his daughter's disappearance.
"I absolutely can," he said.
He also said he does expect to see his daughter again.
"Eventually," he said. "I don't know about in this life, but eventually, yeah."
In July 2021, the Tennessee Department of Children's Services said Summer's brothers were removed from Wells' family home. Don said he and Candus recently signed over their parental rights.
WBIR reached out to the department for comment on this story but was told DCS could not release case-specific information. WBIR also reached out to the Hawkins County sheriff, who declined an interview but said that this case and still a priority and will continue to be until Summer is found.
Anyone with information about the disappearance of Summer Wells should call 1-800-TBI-FIND.