HAWKINS COUNTY, Tenn. — The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation and Hawkins County Sheriff's Office are renewing a larger search effort for missing 5-year-old Summer Wells, hoping the bare trees and reduced overgrowth of late autumn will make it easier to find clues to her whereabouts.
The TBI said the larger search in the Beech Creek area was planned in advance, and the Church Hull Rescue Squad said there have not been any new findings in the case.
On Tuesday, dozens of deputies and agents arrived to focus search efforts on overgrown areas that were difficult to access during the summer due to high grass and foliage.
Crews began searching for Summer back on June 15, but were hindered by the rough terrain and weather during the summer. Hundreds of searchers combed thousands of acres of land, logging more than 13,000 hours before scaling back the size of the search in late June.
Authorities said they have not stopped looking for Summer since she disappeared and continue to do everything in their power to find her.
The TBI is hoping the clearer terrain and rested search crews will bring a fresh set of eyes and allow them to discover new clues in the rural wilderness surrounding the area she disappeared in.
Earlier in November, the TBI said it conducted exhaustive ground, K-9 and aerial searches in the rural area where she disappeared. It also has canvassed neighborhoods to ensure it didn't miss any residential cameras that may have video footage related to her disappearance.
The agency previously has used dive teams to search waterways in the Beech Creek area for any sign of the child.
The TBI has a blog at this link with frequently asked questions about the search, saying it continues to see misinformation being shared about her disappearance online. The TBI and Hawkins County deputies are asking people to only share official information, saying the speculation being shared online hinders their investigation and floods their tip-gathering resources with false leads.
The reward in the Summer Wells case has climbed to more than $70,000, according to the Church Hill Rescue Squad on November 23.
Summer disappeared on June 15 from her home in the 100 block of Ben Hill Road in Rogersville, Tennessee. No one has been arrested or formally charged in Summer's disappearance.
Summer has blonde hair and blue eyes. She is about three feet tall and weighs 40 pounds.
Anyone with credible information about her disappearance is asked to call the TBI at 1-800-TBI-FIND.