Summer Wells’ brothers taken by DCS, according to new report

HAWKINS COUNTY, Tenn. (WVLT) - Summer Wells’ three brothers were taken from the family’s Hawkins County home by the Department of Child Services, Donald Wells, father of missing 5-year-old Summer Wells, told the Kingsport Times News Monday.

On Monday, WVLT News attempted to independently verify the Kingsport Times News’ reports. In separate phone conversations with both WVLT News Reporter Sam Luther and WVLT News Anchor Amanda Hara, Don Wells said he would not say whether his children had been removed by DCS.

When asked by Hara if he told the Kingsport Times News that his children had been removed, Wells would not confirm or deny he made that statement to the paper.

WVLT News reached out to Donald Wells Friday, July 23 to confirm whether or not the boys had been removed from the house, but he told reporters that was not the case.

It is unclear at this time why Donald Wells refused to confirm where the boys are on Friday, or why he will not give specific information now.

“Yeah it’s dangerous at my house,” he told WVLT News, saying his family has received “several threats” from social media.

Donald Wells told the Kingsport Times News that people have been trespassing on his property, including people claiming to be psychics.

“All sorts of people. Juanita for one. They think she’s a psychic and she has some sort of special gift, and we don’t need her crazy ass stopping at our house. She claims to be a Christian, and then she claims to be a psychic. How does that work. If you’re a Christian God says you don’t go there, period. It’s against God,” the father told Times News.

When asked whether the boys are in state custody or with friends and relatives, Donald Wells told Times News “I can’t answer any questions, buddy. I’m not going to go there.”

Wells told WVLT News, “Just know that we love our daughter with all our hearts. We would never do anything to hurt our daughter, we would never hurt a soul. We love everybody, we are Christian people. We wouldn’t hurt nobody, especially our beautiful, loving daughter.”

WVLT News has reached out to the DCS for details, but reports on child removals are not public record.

Summer Wells went missing nearly six weeks ago. Multiple law enforcement agencies have been searching for her and investigating the disappearance ever since. Neither the search nor the investigation have revealed any information leading to the recovery of the girl yet, but law enforcement officials said the investigation is still ongoing.

Nonprofit volunteer organization Equusearch was in Hawkins County over the weekend to help in the search for Summer Wells, but no new information was found.

Law enforcement officials tell WVLT News that both the investigation and search are ongoing.

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