HAWKINS COUNTY, Tenn. (WJHL) — Late in the evening of June 15, 2021, the sound of an Amber Alert lit up most phones in the Tri-Cities region. Summer Wells, a then-5-year-old from Hawkins County, had vanished.
One year later, little has been discovered in the case of the missing girl. Not much is known June 15, 2022 that wasn’t learned on the same day a year ago. But the lack of definitive information hasn’t stopped officials from working their case or a private investigator – hired by the family – from working it either.
“The reason I’m here today is because I do not want her name to go on the back burner. I don’t want her case to be forgotten about,” said Chris Colbough, the private investigator for the Wells family.
It’s not just the fear of what’s unknown; it’s the fear that the public may never know that keeps this case active for him.
“We were contacted by the family and asked to help with this case. And we accept that,” he said. “Since we’ve started, we’ve interviewed tens and tens of people.”
C & C investigations, led by Colbough, was hired by Candus and Don in 2021. With Don in jail for parole violations, the investigator’s job hasn’t ended – just grown more challenging.
“Still today, we still have communication with them virtually daily. But it’s different than it was before,” Colbough said. “It’s not face-to-face. It’s not in person.”
The investigators used drones and divers to aid in the search.
“If we’re not – if we don’t investigate all areas, then we’re not doing her justice,” he said.
“Still there is nothing. No evidence that there was an abduction. There’s no clear evidence she walked off,” he said. “One year later, there’s not much definitive evidence at all. Leaving all possibilities open along with the case.”
