The father of Summer Wells, a Tennessee girl who vanished from her family home more than five years ago, has been arrested following an alleged domestic violence incident involving his wife.
Wells was taken into custody on October 12 after deputies responded to a domestic disturbance at a property on Ben Hill Road in Hawkins County, according to the Hawkins County Sheriff's Office.
The arrest comes as investigators continue searching for his daughter, who was 5 years old when she disappeared in June 2021, in a case that has attracted national attention and generated thousands of tips. Authorities have not announced any connection between the latest arrest and Summer's disappearance.
Newsweek has contacted the Hawkins County Sheriff's Office and Tennessee Bureau of Investigation for comment.
Wells’ Wife Accuses Him of Assault
Deputies were called to the 100 block of Ben Hill Road in the Beech Creek area shortly after 10:30 p.m. on Monday, according to local television station WJHL, citing the Hawkins County Sheriff's Office.
The sheriff's office said deputies found Wells outside the property with scratches on his chest and abdomen, while his wife, Candus Bly Wells, was found inside the property with visible injuries and told deputies her husband had assaulted her.
Wells was arrested and charged with domestic assault before being taken to Hawkins County Jail. The circumstances surrounding the alleged altercation have not been fully disclosed, and the allegations have not been proved in court. It was not immediately clear whether Wells had entered a plea or retained an attorney.
The latest arrest is not Wells' first encounter with law enforcement. In February 2022, he pleaded guilty to driving under the influence following an October 2021 arrest. He was sentenced to 11 months and 29 days in jail after the offense violated an earlier probation order.
Court records also show that his wife had sought an order of protection against him before Summer disappeared.
In that filing, Bly Wells alleged that her husband had been physically and mentally abusive, and she expressed concerns for her family's safety. The order was subsequently dismissed at her request, while earlier domestic assault and weapons charges were dismissed in April 2021.
Those previous allegations are separate from the latest criminal charge and do not establish that Wells committed domestic violence.
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What Happened to Summer Wells?
Summer Moon-Utah Wells disappeared from her family's home in the Beech Creek community near Rogersville, Tennessee, on June 15, 2021. She was 5 years old at the time.
According to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI), Summer was reported missing after she was last seen at her home on Ben Hill Road, prompting an extensive search involving local, state and federal authorities.
Investigators searched the surrounding wooded and mountainous terrain, while volunteers, search dogs and specialist teams assisted in efforts to locate the child.
Despite thousands of tips and numerous searches, authorities have not established what happened to her.
An AMBER Alert remains active, and the investigation is ongoing. In June, on the fifth anniversary of Summer's disappearance, TBI Director David Rausch said investigators had not abandoned the search.
‘Still Many Unanswered Questions’
"From the very beginning, our focus has been on Summer and finding out what happened to her. We never imagined her case would remain unsolved five years later," Rausch said in a video statement marking the anniversary.
"We have made progress over the last year, but there are still many unanswered questions," he added. "We continue to urge anyone with firsthand information regarding Summer's disappearance to come forward. Even the smallest detail could make all the difference in this case."
Wells, in a message shared through the family's Facebook page in June, thanked supporters who had continued following the search for his daughter.
"Candus and I would like to thank each person who cares about our daughter Summer," he wrote. "Your kindness and prayers mean a lot."
The TBI said investigators continued to evaluate credible leads, although no significant new developments were publicly announced at the time.
In August 2025, authorities released an age-progressed image showing what Summer might look like as an older child. Her disappearance remains one of the most extensive missing-child investigations in Tennessee history. No one has been charged in connection with her disappearance, and authorities have not publicly identified a suspect.
What Happens Next
Wells faces legal proceedings over the domestic assault charge, although details of his next court appearance were not immediately available.
Meanwhile, investigators continue to pursue leads into Summer's disappearance. The TBI, FBI and Hawkins County Sheriff's Office have worked together on the investigation.
Anyone with information about Summer's whereabouts is urged to contact the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation at 1-800-TBI-FIND or email TipsToTBI@tn.gov.
Contact Newsweek editors on this story: Ben Kelly and Shakeema Edwards.