Don Wells is the father of Summer Moon-Utah Wells, the five-year-old girl who vanished from the family’s Hawkins County, Tennessee home on June 15, 2021. He has never been named a suspect or a person of interest in her disappearance, but he carries a felony record spanning three states, served a jail sentence for a DUI arrest four months after Summer went missing, and has remained a vocal, polarizing public figure while the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation’s case continues without arrests.
His Connection to the Case
Summer was reported missing around 6:30 p.m. on June 15, 2021, from the family’s home on Ben Hill Road in the Beech Creek community of Rogersville.1WJHL. Timeline of the Search for Summer Wells Her mother, Candus Bly, told investigators she had sent Summer and her brothers to the basement playroom and returned about two minutes later to find the girl gone.2Action News 5. What Happened to Summer Wells Wells has consistently maintained that his daughter was kidnapped, telling NewsNation, “I know in my heart and in my mind she was abducted,” and suggesting someone may have entered the basement or grabbed her outside.3NewsNation. Summer Wells May Have Been Abducted, but Sheriff Has No Proof
The TBI has publicly contradicted that account, stating there is no evidence Summer was abducted from the home. When asked whether the parents were suspects, the agency said it had “not ruled out any possibility.”2Action News 5. What Happened to Summer Wells Investigators have searched the family’s home and property multiple times, including the basement, crawl spaces, vehicles, and outbuildings, and have subpoenaed phones, computers, and social media accounts belonging to the Wells family.4TBI Newsroom. AMBER Alert: Summer Wells
Criminal Record Before Summer’s Disappearance
Wells has an extensive criminal history spanning several decades and three states, with multiple felony convictions and prior prison time, according to Fox News reporting.5Fox News. Missing Tennessee Girl Summer Wells: Parents Both Have Criminal Records
In Utah, between 1990 and 2001, he faced charges including attempted aggravated assault, interfering with a public servant, forgery, burglary of a dwelling, and theft.6WJHL. Father of Summer Wells Addresses Criminal History In Arkansas, between 2006 and 2007, he was charged with possession of controlled counterfeit substances without a prescription and burglary. Records also show numerous parole violations in the late 1990s and early 2000s.5Fox News. Missing Tennessee Girl Summer Wells: Parents Both Have Criminal Records Asked about that history by reporters, Wells said, “It’s in the past, and we’ll leave it there.”
2020 Tennessee Charges
In October 2020, Wells was arrested after an allegation of domestic assault. During the arrest, deputies found a pistol in his vehicle’s glove box, which he was barred from possessing as a convicted felon.5Fox News. Missing Tennessee Girl Summer Wells: Parents Both Have Criminal Records He was charged with domestic assault, possession of a handgun while under the influence, and unlawful possession of a weapon. In April 2021, roughly two months before Summer disappeared, he pleaded guilty to the handgun-while-intoxicated charge, and the remaining counts were dismissed.6WJHL. Father of Summer Wells Addresses Criminal History
Also in 2020, Candus Bly obtained an order of protection against Wells, alleging he was “mentally and physically abusive” and that she was afraid for herself and her children. Bly requested the order be dropped less than a week later.5Fox News. Missing Tennessee Girl Summer Wells: Parents Both Have Criminal Records
The DUI Arrest and Jail Sentence
On October 30, 2021, about four and a half months after Summer went missing, Wells was pulled over near the Hawkins County–Greene County line after his white GMC Sonoma drifted into a grass shoulder. Officers reported smelling alcohol and finding a half-empty bottle in the passenger seat. Wells admitted to drinking “a couple of shots,” said he “probably had too much to drink,” and told officers during transport that he would fail a blood draw. His blood alcohol level was reported at 0.13%.7WJHL. Don Wells in Jail After Pleading Guilty to DUI
He was initially charged with DUI, open container, improper lane usage, expired registration, and violation of financial responsibility. On February 7, 2022, he pleaded guilty to DUI in Hawkins County General Sessions Court and the remaining charges were dropped.8WCYB. Donald Wells Pleads Guilty to DUI, Must Serve 180 Days in Jail
Because the arrest also violated probation from his 2021 handgun conviction, Judge J. Todd Ross sentenced Wells to 11 months and 29 days in the Hawkins County Jail, with 180 days to serve before he could be considered for release. He was also ordered to complete at least 28 days of inpatient alcohol treatment after his jail term.7WJHL. Don Wells in Jail After Pleading Guilty to DUI
Public Scrutiny and Media Appearances
Wells has been a regular presence in the media since Summer disappeared, and he has described relentless public suspicion as “living a nightmare.”9WJHL. Summer Wells Father Speaks Nearly Four Years Following Her Disappearance Bly has reportedly been confronted in public by strangers who called her a “baby killer.”10NewsNation. Summer Wells Family Stripped of Kids
In November 2021, the couple appeared on Dr. Phil in a two-part episode titled “The Disappearance of Summer Wells,” filmed in Los Angeles the month before and aired November 11 and 12.11WBTW. Parents of Missing Tennessee Girl to Appear on Dr. Phil Show During the taping, body language experts questioned Bly about a group they referred to as the “Cornbread Mafia.” Bly grew visibly emotional, removed her microphone, and left the set, later saying she did not know what the organization was. Host Phil McGraw said that “given the timeline,” he did not believe the parents killed their daughter or hid her body, but he stated he believed they, and Bly in particular, were not telling everything they knew. The body language analysts agreed the parents likely did not kill Summer but described what they called “red flags” in the couple’s behavior.12WJHL. Takeaways From Dr. Phil’s Episodes on the Disappearance of Summer Wells
On June 15, 2022, the one-year anniversary of the disappearance, Wells released a public letter from the Hawkins County Jail where he was serving his DUI sentence. He wrote that he had hoped YouTube would be “the most powerful tool to help find” his daughter, “but at a price we may not be able to afford, our family may not survive!”13Fox 17. Father of Missing Girl Summer Wells Releases Statement on Anniversary
Loss of Custody of the Other Children
In July 2021, about a month after Summer disappeared, the Tennessee Department of Children’s Services removed the couple’s three sons from the home. Wells initially described the arrangement as made with “parental permission” to shield the boys from “all the chaos” around the case, and said he expected it to be temporary.14NewsNation. Summer Wells Parents Feel Targeted
He later said that he and Bly no longer had parental rights to their sons, alleging that DCS pressured them to sign over rights by threatening court costs and child support obligations. Wells also described a DCS investigation predating Summer’s disappearance, based on an allegation the parents were letting their children play with loaded guns. According to Wells, that case closed on June 14, 2021, one day before Summer vanished, timing he called “odd and mystifying.”14NewsNation. Summer Wells Parents Feel Targeted
In June 2025, the parents said two state investigations into them had been dismissed and shared documentation they said reflected a judge’s order that “all opinions of abuse or neglect are dropped and unsubstantiated.”15WSMV. Parents of Summer Wells Say DCS Case Has Been Dismissed Because Tennessee cases involving minors are confidential, the claims could not be independently verified. As of mid-2026, it remains unclear whether the boys have been returned to their parents’ care.16WSMV. What Happened to Summer Wells
Where the Case Stands
Five years on, no one has been arrested or publicly named as a suspect in Summer’s disappearance, and no theory of what happened has been confirmed. The TBI describes the case as “active and ongoing” rather than cold.4TBI Newsroom. AMBER Alert: Summer Wells In August 2025, the agency released a new age-progressed image showing how Summer might look at around nine years old.17WVLT. TBI Releases Latest Age Progression Photo of Missing Summer Wells In November 2025, TBI, FBI, and Hawkins County Sheriff’s Office personnel followed up on a lead at a property on Van Hill Road in Greeneville, about 9.5 miles from the Wells home, though they declined to say what prompted the search or what was found.18WJHL. Law Enforcement Follows Up on Lead in Summer Wells Case
Wells and Bly now rely on private investigators Chris and Trudy Colbaugh to communicate with law enforcement on their behalf. Wells told reporters in 2025 that the family had not spoken directly with investigators “in a long time.”9WJHL. Summer Wells Father Speaks Nearly Four Years Following Her Disappearance On the fifth anniversary, Wells posted on the “Family of Summer Wells” Facebook page, calling it “a tender and quiet week” and thanking supporters.19WVLT. Five Years Later, Search Continues for Summer Wells Anyone with information about Summer can contact the TBI at 1-800-TBI-FIND or TipsToTBI@tn.gov.