Summer Wells disappearance: Fate of reward money to be decided by courts
Summer Wells (Tennessee Bureau of Investigation)
HAWKINS COUNTY, Tenn. - More than 13 months after young Summer Moon-Utah Wells disappeared from her northeast Tennessee home, the organization who had been raising a nearly $74,000 reward wants a court to decide what to do with the money.
The Church Hill Rescue Squad has been integral in the search for the now 6-year-old girl since her disappearance. Summer was last seen around 6:30 p.m. on June 15, 2021, at her family home located along Ben Hill Road in the Beech Creek community of Hawkins County, Tennessee. Her family said she was headed down to the basement to play with her toys. Her father, Don Well, believed she was taken by someone. That prompted an Amber Alert to be issued for her the next day.
SUMMER WELLS DISAPPEARANCE: ONE YEAR LATER
What should be done with the search for Summer Wells reward money?
The CHRS was one of the groups which has actively searched for Summer over the past months. The group has petitioned the Hawkins County Chancery Court to "be allowed to freeze and cease accepting donations." The group wants to turn the money over to the court after receiving several claims on funds reportedly donated international being incorrectly collected.
"This is a cause which implicates the phrase ‘no good deed goes unpunished’ as a sardonic commentary on the frequency with which acts of kindness backfire on those who offer them. Plaintiff brings this cause for the purpose of determining a question of actual controversy among the parties; and for cause of action aver as follows," the petition begins.
About a dozen agencies conduct a search for Summer Wells in northeast Tennessee more than five months after her disappearance on Nov. 30, 2021. (Tennessee Bureau of Investigation)
The petition further asks the court to determine if any of the funds were collected fraudulently after one woman, who reportedly lives in the United Kingdom, claims more than $32,000 was illegally raised through YouTube. The petition calls the identity of the person who raised the money and the person who made the claims of fraud "questionable."
The rescue group has set aside more than $40,000 in questionable funds. They are asking to be forgiven any liability if those funds are found to be collected illegally.
All the funds were donated to the group through a local bank with some third-party fundraisers.
Response to the Summer Wells reward money petition
WATE reported the group planned to donate the funds to the Child Advocacy Center if Summer was not found in a year. The group has since stated the funds would be extended an additional six months.
The Rogersville Review reported at least one donor hopes money remains out there in case someone has a tip about the case.
Summer Wells (Tennessee Bureau of Investigation)
Don Wells, Summer’s father, issued a statement to the Kingsport Time-News which reads:
"This is important to keep the reward fund. This is our daughter....People gave money for Summer to help. The case is still very active. Don’t take this from her."
The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation said the case remains actively open.