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Summer Wells: The Cornbread Mafia and Other Theories (Part 3)
Crime Weekly's 1.5-hour breakdown, the fullest single telling on file.
Watch on YouTubeWhat happened
Summer Wells was five years old when she was reported missing from her family's home on Ben Hill Road in the Beech Creek community of Hawkins County, Tennessee. The report was made at approximately 6:30 p.m. on June 15, 2021. The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation issued an AMBER Alert the next day and began working with the Hawkins County Sheriff's Office and FBI. [Tennessee Bureau of Investigation](https://tbinewsroom.com/2021/06/16/amber-alert-summer-wells/)
Search teams repeatedly examined the home, surrounding property, vehicles, outbuildings, crawl spaces, containers, and nearby waterways. Authorities used ground crews, aircraft, drones, dive teams, and several kinds of search dogs. Investigators also collected available digital evidence and surveillance recordings and canvassed the rural area for cameras. TBI has said no evidence establishing an abduction was developed in the early investigation, while emphasizing that all possibilities remained under consideration. [Tennessee Bureau of Investigation](https://tbinewsroom.com/2021/06/16/amber-alert-summer-wells/)
The inquiry generated thousands of tips, many connected to online rumors rather than firsthand information. TBI repeatedly asked the public not to identify private people as suspects or circulate speculation. No person has been charged in connection with Summer's disappearance. [NewsChannel 5](https://www.newschannel5.com/news/investigators-frustrated-with-lack-of-information-in-summer-wells-case)
In August 2025, TBI released a new age-progressed image and confirmed that the Tennessee AMBER Alert remained active. On the fifth anniversary in June 2026, investigators again described the search as active and one of the most extensive missing-child investigations in the agency's history. They reported no new public development resolving what happened. [WSMV](https://www.wsmv.com/2026/06/15/family-sheriff-release-statements-fifth-anniversary-summer-wells-disappearance/)
Summer's whereabouts remain unknown. TBI continues to describe the investigation as active.
