Photo Credit: Tennessee Bureau of Investigation
The Tennessee Conservative [By Jason Vaughn] –
The reward offered in the case of missing 5-year-old Summer Moon-Utah Wells has now increased to over $38,000.
The fund is managed by the Church Hill Rescue Squad who announced the updated total on September 1. According to the group, the reward came from two donations totaling over $35,000 and donations made at a local bank that totaled $3,295.
Wells was last seen outside of her family’s home in the Beech Creek community of Rogersville on June 15. Rogersville is 65 miles northeast of Knoxville.
She is about 3 feet tall and weighs around 40 pounds. At the time of her disappearance, she was wearing a pink shirt and gray pants and was barefoot.
Her mother Candus Bly says the girl had been gardening with her grandmother and then went inside. She, along with father Donald Wells, believe Summer was abducted.
A search of the surrounding area provided no clues. An AMBER Alert was issued the following day.
Investigators have been on the lookout for a red pickup truck, possibly a late 90s Toyota, that may have been in the area where Summer was last seen.
Since Summer’s disappearance, the couple’s three sons have been removed from the home and placed into the custody of Child Protective Services.
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Donald Wells confirmed the removal of the boys in a late July news interview. He said, “it’s probably best for them,” stating that he had been driven to drink by the plethora of false online rumors and theories about his daughter’s disappearance.
Captain Timothy Coup with the Hawkins County Sheriff’s Department announced last week that the Church Hill Rescue Squad will no longer be leading searches unless they are asked by authorities. The Department will now take the lead on all further investigation.
Anyone with credible information about Summer’s disappearance is asked to contact the TBI at 1-800-TBI-FIND.
About the Author: Jason Vaughn, Media Coordinator for The Tennessee Conservative ~ Jason previously worked for a legacy publishing company based in Crossville, TN in a variety of roles through his career. Most recently, he served as Deputy Directory for their flagship publication. Prior, he was a freelance journalist writing articles that appeared in the Herald Citizen, the Crossville Chronicle and The Oracle among others. He graduated from Tennessee Technological University with a Bachelor’s in English-Journalism, with minors in Broadcast Journalism and History. Contact Jason at news@TennesseeConservativeNews.com
