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From start to finish of Gabby Petito’s missing person’s case.

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/ CBS News

"Van Life" vlogger Gabby Petito was reported missing on September 11, 2021. What happened between her and her fiancé in the days leading up to her death?

July 2021: New adventures

Petito and Laundrie leave New York for what was supposed to be a four-month, cross-country trip visiting and camping in national parks. They plan to sleep in their van and document their travels on Instagram and YouTube.

August 12, 2021: Disorderly conduct stop

A 911 call is placed by someone who reports seeing a confrontation between Gabby and Brian. The caller said he saw Laundrie hit Petito. Police in Moab, Utah, are dispatched and pull the van over. It is unclear if they knew the details of the 911 call. Police bodycam video shows Petito crying and upset. The police report says that Petito hit Laundrie, but no arrests were made. The couple is separated for the night - Laundrie checks into a hotel and Petito stays in the van.

August 19, 2021: "Van Life"

Petito and Laundrie post a video on YouTube called "Van Life: Beginning Our Van Life Journey." The images show them laughing and kissing.

August 24, 2021: Seen in Salt Lake City

Petito and Laundrie are reportedly seen leaving a hotel in Salt Lake City.

August 25, 2021: Gabby's last post

The van is spotted at Grand Teton National Park. This is also the last day a post is made to Petito's Instagram account.

August 27, 2021: An odd text

According to a search warrant, on August 27, Petito's mother says she receives an odd text from Gabby's phone. It read, "Can you help Stan, I just keep getting his voicemails and missed calls." Stan is Gabby's grandfather, but her mother says Gabby never referred to him by his first name. Gabby's mother said it was out of character and concerning.

August 29, 2021: Hitchhiking claims

Miranda Baker posts on her TikTok claiming she picked up Brian Laundrie, who was hitchhiking alone.

August 30, 2021: Another text

Petito's mom says she receives a text from Gabby's phone. She wouldn't comment on what it said but according to some reports it read "no service in yosemite".

September 1, 2021: Brian returns home

According to police, Laundrie returns to North Port, Florida, where he lived with Gabby - but he was alone.

September 11, 2021: Gabby reported missing

Gabby's mother files a missing person's report with the Suffolk County, New York, Police Department after not hearing from her since late August.

September 13, 2021: Where is Brian?

Laundrie's parents tell police Brian left the family's home for a hike in the Carlton Reserve in Sarasota County, Florida.

September 14, 2021: Families torn apart

Brian Laundrie's family issues a statement through their lawyer saying that they intend to remain in the background while the search for Gabby is underway. Petito's family issues a statement accusing Laundrie of refusing to tell them where he last saw Gabby.

September 15, 2021: A person of interest

North Port Police say that Laundrie is refusing to cooperate and name him as a person of interest in Petito's disappearance.

September 16, 2021: A plea for help

North Port Police hold a press conference. Gabby's father asks everyone to help find his daughter.

September 18, 2021: The search for Brian

The search for Laundrie begins in the 24,000-acre Carlton Reserve. His parents say that was where he was headed the last time they saw him.

September 19, 2021: Remains found

Authorities say they found remains near Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming where the van was previously spotted.

September 20, 2021: FBI raid

Police execute a search warrant on Laundrie's home, seizing his car and a hard drive that may contain "evidence that a felony has been committed."

September 21, 2021: Gabby is identified

A coroner confirms that the remains found in Wyoming is Gabby Petito and determined the initial manner of death is homicide. The FBI announce they are taking over the criminal investigation, and authorities continue to search for Laundrie in the Carlton Reserve.

September 23, 2021: Arrest warrant issued

A federal court in Wyoming issues an arrest warrant for Brian Laundrie. He's charged with the unauthorized use of a debit card to make unauthorized withdrawals worth more than $1,000 during the time Petito went missing.

September 24, 2021: A vigil for Gabby

A candlelight vigil is held for Petito in her hometown of Blue Point, New York.

September 25, 2021: Helping others

The Gabby Petito Foundation. No one should have to find their child on their own. We are creating this foundation to give resources and guidance on bringing their children home. We are looking to help people in similar situations as Gabby. #gabbypetito https://t.co/oaX4BsPcYj pic.twitter.com/I9tz5q6Hcc
- joseph petito (@josephpetito) September 25, 2021

Petito's father announces the creation of the Gabby Petito Foundation to "help people in similar situations as Gabby" and provide resources and guidance for parents searching for missing children.

September 26, 2021: Saying goodbye

Over 1,000 people attend a public memorial service for Petito at a Long Island, New York, funeral home. The service was also streamed online.

September 28, 2021: "Turn yourself in"

Petito's family and their attorney thanked law enforcement on Tuesday and urges Laundrie to turn himself in to authorities.

October 6, 2021: Laundrie's travels in August

Brian Laundrie flew cross-country to visit his parents' home in Florida during his trip with Gabby Petito, according to the Laundrie family's lawyer, Steven Bertolini. The attorney says Laundrie flew home on August 17 and returned to Utah on August 23, four days before Petito was last seen. Laundrie flew to Florida to get some supplies and close a storage unit to save money, Bertolini told CBS News. He says Laundrie and Petito were thinking about extending their road trip.

October 12, 2021: Gabby Petito strangled to death, coroner says

The coroner in Teton County, Wyoming, announces Gabby Petito died by strangulation. Dr. Brent Blue said the manner of death is still considered a , backing initial autopsy results that were released last month. Petito's body was outside for 3-4 weeks before it was discovered, Blue said. He declined to comment on whether Petito is believed to have died in the location she was found, or whether her body was buried.

October 20, 2021: Human remains found at Carlton Reserve

The FBI confirms that authorities have found "what appears to be human remains" at the site where they were searching for Brian Laundrie. Special agent Michael McPherson also says authorities found personal items nearby - including a backpack and notebook - that the believe belong to Laundrie. The suspected human remains were found in an area previously underwater, the FBI said. Authorities are investigating whether the remains belong to Brian Laundrie.

October 21, 2021: Brian Laundrie's remains identified, FBI says

The FBI confirms human remains found a day earlier at a Florida reserve belong to Brian Laundrie. The comes after a weeks-long manhunt following the disappearance and death of his fiancée, Gabby Petito.

November 23, 2020: Attorney: Brian Laundrie dies by suicide

Brian Laundrie died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head and his manner of death was suicide, according to his family's attorney Steven Bertolino.

January 21, 2022: Brian Laundrie claimed "responsibility" for Gabby Petito's death in notebook, says FBI

In its final report on the investigation into Gabby Petito's death, the FBI reports that Brian Laundrie claimed responsibility for his fiancée's death in a notebook found near his remains. The FBI in Denver, which led the investigation, says a notebook, a backpack and a revolver were found near the remains later identified as Laundrie. In the notebook was Laundrie's written confession, the FBI says. The FBI also confirms that Laundrie had been "attempting to deceive law enforcement by giving the impression that Ms. Petito was still alive" by continuing a text chain between their two phones after she is believed to have died."

March 11, 2022: Gabby Petito's family sues Brian Laundrie's parents

The parents of Gabby Petito claim in a Florida lawsuit that Brian Laundrie told his parents he had killed her before he returned home alone from their ill-fated cross-country road trip in a converted van. The lawsuit filed Thursday in Sarasota County Circuit Court contends that Laundrie told his parents on Aug. 28 that he had killed Petito, 22, his fiancee of about a year at the time. The lawsuit contends that Christopher and Roberta Laundrie concealed that their son had confessed to the murder from investigators and Petito's parents while the search for Gabby Petito was ongoing.

March 30, 2022: Brian Laundrie's parents move to dismiss lawsuit brought by Gabby Petito's family

Brian Laundrie's parents filed to dismiss the lawsuit brought by the family of his late fiancée calling it "baseless" and "frivolous." Laundrie was found dead in a Florida nature reserve last fall, several weeks after Gabby Petito's body was discovered in a Wyoming national park, where the couple had been vacationing. Petito's family alleges that Laundrie told his parents, Christopher and Roberta Laundrie, he had killed Petito before he returned home alone from their ill-fated cross-country trip, and that the couple concealed their son's alleged confession from the Petito family and authorities.

June 30, 2022: Lawsuit to move forward

A Florida judge denied that motion to dismiss, and the lawsuit was allowed to move forward.

August 8, 2022: Petito's family files $50 million wrongful death suit against Utah police

The lawsuit, filed by attorneys representing Joseph and Tara Petito and Nichole and Jim Schmidt, names the Moab Police Department; three of its officers: "Palmer," "Pratt" and Daniel Robbins; and 10 other unnamed defendants and accuses them of "negligent failure" in their investigation into an alleged assault between Petito and her fiancé, Brian Laundrie, several weeks prior to her murder.

They also accuse all of the defendants of "wrongful death," saying that Petito's "death was caused by their wrongful acts or neglect."

January 12, 2021: Report indicates "unintentional mistakes" by Moab officers

City of Moab releases an investigative report on a review of the August 12, 2021 Petito-Laundrie Incident with their officers. It finds that the officers made "unintentional mistakes" that day.

June 24, 2022: Details of Laundrie's notebook released

Laundrie family attorney, Steven Bertolino, releases images of the pages of Brian's notebook.

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Gabby Petito case: A timeline of her disappearance and homicide

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CBS News "Van Life" vlogger Gabby Petito was reported missing on September 11, 2021. What happened between her and her fiancé in the days leading up to her death? July 2021: New adventures Petito and Laundrie leave New York for what was supposed to be a four-month, cross-country trip visiting and camping in national parks.

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Parents of Michigan school shooting suspect held on $500,000 bond each after manhunt

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Parents of Michigan school shooting suspect held on $500,000 bond each after manhunt | CNN

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The parents of the teen accused in this week’s deadly Michigan high school shooting were arrested early Saturday in Detroit, authorities said, ending an hourslong search for them after they failed to appear in court on involuntary manslaughter charges in the killings.

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New victim of serial killer John Wayne Gacy identified using DNA

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Francis Wayne Alexander was a North Carolina man who moved to Chicago and was killed in the mid-1970s

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This chapter/article gives an overview of the background information related to Correctional Counseling. The issues examined include the current need for educated counselors in corrections, a history of Correctional Counseling, basic characteristics that separate Correctional Counseling from other counseling practices, their responsibilities, as well as the types of competence and challenges for the counselors.

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https://www.kgw.com/article/news/local/boys-arrested-crime-spree-portland/283-02093634-184b-440d-8695-6a1881d2e9a4

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The suspects, ages 11, 15 and 17, are accused of holding a man at gunpoint and running him down with a car amid a series of shootings and robberies on Oct. 17.

PORTLAND, Ore. - Two teenagers and an 11-year-old boy robbed a man at gunpoint and ran him down with a car Sunday morning, according to Portland police.

Investigators said the incident was part of a string of robberies and shootings across Portland that occurred over a 12-hour period. The teenage suspects were 15 and 17 years old.

The crime spree began around midnight Sunday when two cars were stolen from a driveway in the 3900 block of Southeast 10th Avenue near Southeast Center Street.

From there, police said the group committed about a dozen more crimes throughout the city, including robbing at least six pedestrians and bicyclists at gunpoint.

Police said the following crimes are connected:

Around 2 a.m., the suspects shot a house in the 9500 block of North Mohawk Avenue. Minutes later, they attempted to rob a pedestrian near North Killingsworth Street and North Rodney Avenue.

At 4:31 a.m., a street sign was shot and run over by a car at 4400 block of North Trenton Street.

At 4:58 a.m., a bicyclist was robbed at gunpoint near the 2000 block of Northeast 15th Avenue.

At 5:00 a.m., a victim was robbed of his vehicle at gunpoint near the 2100 block of North Argyle Street.

At 7:25 a.m., a pedestrian was robbed at gunpoint in the 8100 block of Southeast Woodward Street.

At 7:39 a.m., a man walking his dog was robbed at gunpoint near Southeast 79th Avenue and Southeast Tibbetts Street. When the victim tried to run, the driver hit him with the vehicle.

At 7:49 a.m., a pedestrian was robbed near Northeast Eighth Avenue and Northeast Roselawn Street.

At 9:11 a.m., a woman was chased by a group, including at least one suspect with a gun, in the 8000 block of Southeast Bush Street.

At 9:18 a.m., a bicyclist was robbed at gunpoint near Southeast 84th Avenue and Southeast Schiller Street.

At 12:16 p.m., someone in a vehicle fired a gun at a pedestrian near Northeast Martin Luther King Jr Boulevard and North Alberta Street. No one was injured.

Officers located the boys in a car in the 6400 block of Southeast 83rd Avenue around 1 p.m. on Sunday. They attempted to make a run for it before being taken into custody. The 11-year-old had a handgun which was seized as evidence.

The 15 and 17-year-old were booked into juvenile detention on charges of first-degree robbery and unauthorized use of a vehicle. The 11-year-old was released to a guardian because he was too young to be booked.

Police expect more charges will be added as they continue to investigate.

In an interview with KGW, the man hit by the car, Bob Wenberg, said he'd had been walking his dog when the incident occurred on Southeast Tibbetts Street between 79th and 80th Avenue.

"The window was rolled down and there was this masked youth and he was pointing a gun right at me," Wenberg said. "He looked at me and said give me your wallet, your phone and your dog."

The 55-year-old made the decision to run away, and the car accelerated and hit him. He suffered a broken leg.

"These were kids and they tried to murder me when I tried running away," he said. "They tried to run me down."

Wenberg said news of the arrests came as a huge relief.

"I was in shock, I was so happy," said Wenberg. "I told [police] it was a young, young kid that pointed the gun at me. He was younger than I thought, I guess. 11 years old? I can't believe it."

Anyone with information about any of the crimes listed above is asked to contact the Portland Police Bureau at crimetips@portlandoregon.gov.

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Two teens and 11-year-old boy arrested in violent 12-hour crime spree across Portland

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The suspects, ages 11, 15 and 17, are accused of holding a man at gunpoint and running him down with a car amid a series of shootings and robberies on Oct. 17. PORTLAND, Ore. - Two teenagers and an 11-year-old boy robbed a man at gunpoint and ran him down with a car Sunday morning, according to Portland police.

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https://www.cbsnews.com/news/alex-murdaugh-denied-bond-charges-insurance-payments-longtime-housekeeper-death/

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Alex Murdaugh denied bond on charges he stole $3M insurance payments after death of longtime housekeeper

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Murdaugh has been in jail since his arrest Thursday at a drug rehab center near Orlando, Florida.

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- Whitney Cassady

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Criminal law encompasses a body of rules that define unacceptable conduct that threatens, harms, or endangers the safety and welfare of the public. Criminal law also imposes punishment on people who do not obey these laws. The United States has a dark history involving some of the most heinous criminal cases in the world. Some of these criminal cases involved people who gained public notoriety for their unscrupulous acts. In fact, some gained notoriety and became public icons, whereby many have idolized their transgressions for terrorizing innocent individuals.

One of the most notorious criminal law cases came in Salem, Massachusetts. The Salem Witchcraft Trials involved the public execution of 19 men and women by hanging at the gallows. One man was crushed under the weight of heavy stones. Hundreds of others faced countless trials until the hysteria subsided throughout Puritan Massachusetts. This does not mark the only tragic event in U.S. history. Successful assassination attempts have sparked public uproar, especially in the criminal justice system. Nobody should ever forget about the tragic assassination of President Abraham Lincoln by John Wilkes Booth; however, many have forgotten about the four convicted conspirators that faced trial for his assassination. Unfortunately, John Wilkes Booth was not the only crazed gunmen in our nation's history to take down one of our leaders. Lee Harvey Oswald, an ex-marine, became famous for the successful assassination of President John F. Kennedy. In addition, John Hinckley attempted to assassinate former U.S. President Ronald Reagan. Hinckley's insanity plea brought national attention, including several attempts for handgun legislation. Lastly, James Earl Ray was the man who shot and killed Dr. Martin Luther King in Memphis, Tennessee. Ray escaped from prison while serving for King's assassination. He was located and arrested. To this day, the public media has given praise to these fallen leaders and the criminal justice system that put their killers behind bars.

John Hinckley, the lone gunman who attempted to assassinate President Ronald Reagan, prompted attempts by the courts to pass handgun legislation.

Four other conspirators were convicted in the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln.

The criminal justice system faced some of the hardest criminal cases involving Mafioso members, especially during the Prohibition Era. In 1927, Joseph Adonis formed the Seven Group, an elite squad of underworld mobsters, to control the alcohol trade during the height of Prohibition. Adonis accepted deportation back to Milan, Italy after the federal government sought indictment of perjury charges concerning his citizenship. In addition, Albert Anastasia committed violent and victimless acts in the underworld of drug trade, gambling, and prostitution. Anastasia appeared before the United States Crime Investigating Committee and plead innocent in regards to these allegations before he was assassinated. Organized crime did not confine itself to the northeastern half of the United States. Al Capone, probably one of the most famous criminals in United States history, assisted in leading Chicago's underworld alcohol trade before expanding into gambling, prostitution, and saloons. Capone terrorized Chicago with violence, murder, and mayhem. He served 8 years in a federal penitentiary before dying from syphilis and other causes. John H. Dillinger, also known as "Gentleman Johnnie," robbed banks and murdered numerous victims, including a police officer during an East Chicago robbery. Dillinger was noted for carving a wooden pistol and then turning it on his jailer for a historical escape. He was waiting for trial at Crown Point Prison.

The criminal justice system figured out that deportation would not stop Mafioso members from continuing their organized crime enterprise. In fact, they planned to bring it to other countries. Charles Luciano, also known as "Lucky," attempted to nationalize organized crime. During the 1930s, Luciano ran a New York City prostitution and drug trafficking ring. Luciano was found guilty of these charges and sentenced to New York State Prison. In 1946, Luciano was deported to Italy before he moved to Havana, Cuba to run his "Dope International" business. Organized crime took on a new face with John Gotti. John Gotti's first propel to fame started with his killing of James McBratney, the individual who allegedly kidnapped and killed Carol Gambino's nephew. After serving two years, Gotti started his racketeering, usury, and gambling organized crime ring. Federal prosecutors made three failed attempts to indict Gotti. In 1992, Gotti was finally found guilty of racketeering and the murder of Paul Castellano. Racketeering would not stop with organized criminal organizations ready to smuggle the loot. Charles H. Keating, a white collar criminal, gained national notoriety for his insider trading of securities and his contribution towards the fall of many savings and loans associations during the early 1990s.

Federal prosecutors attempted to convict John Gotti three times before succeeding.

Charles H. Keating is responsible for the downfall of multiple savings and loans associations during the early 1990s.

The criminal justice system has seen many psychopathic serial killers enter their courtrooms. One of the strangest criminal law cases involved the trial and acquittal of Lizzie Andrew Borden for the ax murders of her stepmother and father in 1892. Unfortunately, the escalation of brutal murders would continue throughout the 20 th century. Some of these murders involved sexual perversion of unimaginable proportions. For instance, Ted Bundy gained public notoriety for his sexual assault and strangulation of women. Bundy's attempt to represent his own legal interests also gained him national attention. Ed Kemper, also known as the "Co-Ed Killer," raped and killed young female students. He was convicted and sentence to life in prison. Albert DeSalvo, publicly known as the "Boston Stranger," raped and strangled 13 women in Boston, Massachusetts. His killings occurred between 1962 and 1964. He was found guilty on November 26, 1973. He died of 16 stab wounds inflicted by Walpole State Prison inmates.

Jeffrey Dahmer became famous for his sadistic crimes involving the murder, mutilation, and cannibalization of male victims in his apartment. Dahmer's case was popularized by the Milwaukee Sentinel and Milwaukee Journal. The defense claimed insanity; however, the jury found him guilty. He was sentenced to 15 life term sentences. He was clubbed to death in a prison bathroom. Not every serial killer gives off a creepy vibe to the community. In fact, some had an upstanding reputation in the community that led to a delay of investigation. For instance, John Wayne Gacy worked as "Pogo" the clown, which seemed very innocent and welcoming for neighborhood families. Unfortunately, John Wayne Gacy raped and murdered at least 33 teenage boys and young men. Gacy buried his victims' remains in a crawl space located in his own home. In addition, he discarded some of his victims at a nearby river. The media purported Gacy as a mass murderer, which gained him national attention. He was finally executed by lethal injection in 1994.

John Wayne Gacy was an upstanding citizen that lived a dual life of killing innocent teenage boys and young adult males.

Jeffrey Dahmer murdered, mutilated, and ate the remains of his victims. His case became famous, because the defense claimed insanity for his heinous acts. The courts sentenced him to 15 life term sentences.

The criminal justice system has seen their share of psychopathic criminals who simply wished to kill for the notoriety. Charles Manson, a brutal killer and cult leader, became known for the 1969 Sharon Tate murders. The Manson Family trial became popularized for the violent perversity of his acts. His followers were tried and found guilty in the same manner. Charles Manson became known for disfiguring himself by making an "X" on his forehead as a symbol of his perceived incompetence to represent himself in the establishment's world. Charles Starkweather became famous for killing and mutilating 11 victims, including motion picture actor, James Dean. David Berkowitz, also known as the "Son of Sam," used a .44 caliber pistol to kill five women and one man between 1976 and 1977. He confessed to the murders and claimed that a demon dog instructed him to kill. While not a serial killer in the grotesque sense of the word, Gary Gilmore gained notoriety by blatantly telling the state that he would return to a life of crime if the prison released him. As a result, the United States Supreme Court brought back capital punishment, which led to Gilmore's execution.

Other famous criminal law cases

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Famous Criminal Law Cases In U.S. History

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Criminal law encompasses a body of rules that define unacceptable conduct that threatens, harms, or endangers the safety and welfare of the public. Criminal law also imposes punishment on people who do not obey these laws. The United States has a dark history involving some of the most heinous criminal cases in the world.

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I had been following this case for a little while it's always heart breaking when missing persons case turns into a homicide... even worse when the main suspect cowardly commits suicide instead of facing incarceration for his crime.

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ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. (TCD) -- Investigators over the weekend discovered what they believe is the body of the missing 19-year-old Miya Marcano.

Orange County Sheriff John Mina announced the news in a press conference Saturday. According to Mina, the Orange County Sheriff's Office Emergency Response Team conducted a search at the Tymber Skan Apartments near South Texas Avenue in Orlando. During that search, they "discovered a body we believe to be Miya Marcano."

Mina said he is "very certain" the body is that of Marcano, but they will wait for a positive identification from the Medical Examiner's Office. A cause of death has not yet been identified.

Mina said they focused on Tymber Skan Apartments because cell phone records showed the main person of interest in the case, Armando Caballero, was in or near the apartment complex on the night Marcano went missing. According to Mina, Caballero was there for "about 20 minutes." He reportedly did not return to the apartments.

Caballero was found dead in his apartment in Seminole County on Monday from an apparent suicide.

In an earlier press conference, Mina said Caballero previously "expressed romantic interest in Miya," but she reportedly "repeatedly rebuffed" his advances. Mina said they suspected foul play was involved in her disappearance.

Caballero was a maintenance worker in the Arden Villa Apartments where Marcano lived. A master key fob that Caballero was "known to be in possession of" was used to access her apartment the night she disappeared, according to Mina.

According to WESH-TV, Arden Villa Apartments said in a statement, "All employees are vetted using a national background check services provider."

They added, "Armando Caballero had no record of burglary or sexual assault."

WKMG-TV reports Mina said, "We are not looking for any other people. We believe pretty conclusively that Armando Caballero is responsible for this crime and there's not any other person or persons that we are looking for in this case."

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Body found believed to be missing Florida student Miya Marcano

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ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. (TCD) -- Investigators over the weekend discovered what they believe is the body of the missing 19-year-old Miya Marcano. Orange County Sheriff John Mina announced the news in a press conference Saturday. According to Mina, the Orange County Sheriff's Office Emergency Response Team conducted a search at the Tymber Skan Apartments near South Texas Avenue in Orlando.

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The courtroom drama surrounding the Durst family did not end with Robert Durst's murder conviction in Los Angeles on Friday.

A new chapter emerged this week in a lawsuit filed by Robert Durst's nephew Evan Kreeger, who alleges members of the legendary real estate family have stopped making regular distributions to his trusts while his parents attempt to force him into a guardianship.

Kreeger filed a petition in New York State Supreme Court on Tuesday against Durst Organization chairman Douglas Durst and president Jonathan Durst, as well as Douglas Kreeger, his father.

Evan Kreeger alleges the three individuals are trustees of three separate trusts of which he is a beneficiary.

Evan, 50, claims the trustees have "virtually cut off" distributions to him, causing him "extreme hardship."

Jordan Barowitz, spokesman for the Durst Organization, said, "The trusts are, and have been for years, providing financially for Evan. We hope he is getting all of the other support and help he needs."

Evan said that his parents, Douglas and Wendy Kreeger - Robert and Douglas' sister - filed a guardianship petition in 2019 that is also being heard in State Supreme Court. Evan disputes that he needs a guardian, asserting he can make his own health decisions.

"A pattern of distributions had been established and continued over years, which has been disrupted," Evan's petition reads. "The only explanation the trustees have provided to me is that they deem distributions to be 'inadvisable' at this time, which is insufficient under their fiduciary obligations."

Evan said the timing of the disruption, combined with the trustees' reluctance to provide a reason for it, "is troubling." He said by cutting off distributions, the trustees would make "life more difficult in order to cause me to act out and demonstrate the need for the appointment of a guardian over me."

The petition requests that the trustees, Douglas Kreeger, Douglas Durst and Jonathan Durst, file full and complete accountings of the three trusts. The trustees have a duty to account as well as provide beneficiaries with certain information, the petition claims. Such information is essential to the judge's determination in his guardianship proceeding, Evan alleged.

Evan was the only Durst family member to appear in HBO's 2015 documentary series, "The Jinx: The Life and Deaths of Robert Durst." In the documentary, Evan expressed his disappointment with the Durst family over their silence on Robert.

Last week, Robert Durst was convicted of killing a close friend in Beverly Hills in 2000. It was one of three confirmed or suspected homicides to which the 78-year-old has been linked.

A year after the documentary aired - he was famously caught on tape muttering, " What the hell did I do? ... Killed them all, of course, " Durst was convicted of a separate weapons charge and sentenced to a 7-year prison term.

The Durst Organization owns and manages more than 13 million square feet of Class A Manhattan office and retail space, according to its website. It was founded by Robert and Douglas' grandparent Joseph Durst in 1915.

Evan Kreeger's lawyer Clifford Meirowitz did not immediately return a request to comment.

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Douglas Durst Accused of Cutting Nephew's Trust Payments

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The courtroom drama surrounding the Durst family did not end with Robert Durst's murder conviction in Los Angeles on Friday. A new chapter emerged this week in a lawsuit filed by Robert Durst's nephew Evan Kreeger, who alleges members of the legendary real estate family have stopped making regular distributions to his trusts while his parents attempt to force him into a guardianship.

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This article offers a unique perspective on how counseling looks and functions inside the walls of a jail.

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To enter my office, I first pass through a series of three heavy steel doors. The lock for each door is controlled from a remote central office. I wait to hear a buzz signaling that the door has been unlocked before proceeding through.

The first time I caught sight of a prisoner, it startled me so badly that I wondered whether I truly wanted to work here. The inmates wear smocks and pants with broad orange and white stripes. Their shoes close with Velcro because shoestrings can be used to strangle oneself. Everything here is geared toward minimizing the risk of suicide.

Four of us share a counseling office. The number of rooms where we can visit with prisoners privately is limited, and the rooms are used by others in the jail besides counselors. Seeing an inmate always depends on first winning the competition to find a room.

Inmates who are judged to be dangerous, who are on disciplinary status or who are on suicide watch are shackled with ankle chains and handcuffed. In one room, these inmates are then also chained to the wall. Nothing in my training prepared me for the shock of trying to carry on an intense, personal counseling session with a person in chains.

The individuals being held in this detention facility are most commonly referred to as prisoners, inmates or simply as males and females by the people who work here. But those of us in the counseling office refer to them as patients. We see it as our job to treat them first and foremost as human beings.
Introduction to the blocks
Inmates are screened upon booking, including for suicidality. Among the questions asked are whether this is their first arrest, whether they are detoxing, whether they have any prior suicide attempts, whether anyone in their family has died by suicide, whether they have ever been in a mental institution, and so forth. Inmates determined to be at risk for suicide are placed on suicide watch.

The jail is divided into a series of blocks, a grouping of two-person cells around a central area where the inmates can watch TV, exercise, or play poker for candy bars or cups of pudding. The blocks form a U shape surrounding an outside courtyard where the inmates sometimes go for recreation when the weather permits. There are a half-dozen volleyballs stuck on the spiraled razor wire that surrounds the upper perimeter of the courtyard. S block is for sex offenders. Participants in Project 103, the in-house addiction recovery program, are in R block. Immigration and Customs Enforcement inmates are held in K block. As the only Spanish speaker on the counseling team, it is my job to interview all of the inmates in K block. The women are housed separate from the men in blocks X, Y and Z. When they walk the hall to go to the gym or the library, the men bang the window and wave, and the women look up and wave back.

W block is for suicide watch. Inmates on suicide watch are placed in isolation cells and checked by a guard every 15 minutes. Their clothing consists of a "turtle suit," a cardboardlike cloth that cannot be twisted into a noose. They are given finger foods only; plastic eating utensils are not allowed. Neither are books. The pages could be torn out and stuffed in the mouth to cause suffocation. The inmates can watch a television through a window in their cell door. They are allowed out of their cells for a few minutes each day to take a shower, under observation.

Counselors interview patients on suicide watch as soon as is practicable. Some of these patients have a history of schizophrenia. Some are detoxing so heavily that they act schizophrenic. Others are bipolar and in a manic or depressive state. Sometimes patients on suicide watch scream or sing loudly or beat on the wall.

They say a picture is worth a thousand words. I know the textbook definition of schizophrenia. It is a breakdown in the relation between thought, emotion and behavior leading to faulty perception, inappropriate actions and feelings, withdrawal from reality and personal relationships into fantasy and delusion, and a sense of mental fragmentation. With all those words, my picture of schizophrenia will always be a guy on suicide watch in a green turtle suit who stuck a toothbrush up his rear end.
A dumping ground for those in need of help
Sometimes patients on suicide watch get placed in a mental hospital. Our state used to have an extensive network of mental hospitals, but most of those facilities were closed during budget cuts decades ago. Today, many people who are mentally ill who previously would have been hospitalized end up homeless. Sooner or later, many of them land in jail.

"Rogue and vagabond" is the legal euphemism for a homeless person. Jails have become a dumping ground for those who are homeless, those who have addictions and those who are mentally ill. Although we are thoroughly under-resourced to deal with all of these individuals, it is our job as mental health counselors working in a detention center to do whatever we can for them.

Our staff includes a part-time psychiatrist who can prescribe psychotropic medicines. Out of hundreds of inmates, our patients appear on the mental health radar screen for a variety of reasons. They may have a prior history of receiving mental health treatment or psychotropic medications, or they may have a prior mental health diagnosis, which we learn from the screening form. In other instances, a patient may ask to see a mental health counselor. Patients suspected of needing medication are evaluated by the counselors, and we make an initial determination of whether they should see the psychiatrist. The psychiatrist determines the official diagnosis. Patients diagnosed with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder or major depressive disorder, or who act out bizarrely, receive a treatment plan and special attention.

Among the jail's general populations, we expect to see issues of alcoholism or addiction in about 80% of them. My prior work in addictions recovery has served me well in this environment. I share pictures of brain scans from Dr. Daniel Amen with the patients. A normal human brain looks like a soft buttery mass. The brain of someone with alcoholism or addiction looks like Swiss cheese, with large "holes" of areas that are nonfunctioning. The brain of someone addicted to heroin looks like a sea anemone, with dangling tentacles of functioning areas and large masses between of nonfunctioning areas. Patients are often shocked when I show them the impact their substance use has had on their brain.

The point of drug use is to stop the brain from functioning properly. Most of the patients I see carry painful memories deep within them - memories so painful that they cannot hold them in conscious memory and go about living a normal life simultaneously. It isn't hard to spot the source of their pain. I will ask about their mom, or their dad, or their childhood, and the stories typically come spilling out.

One young man told me he had once hoped to be an astronaut. I asked him why. He said that when he was younger, he asked his mom where his dad was, and she told him that his father was on the moon. In truth, his father was serving an eight-year sentence in a state prison. After years of longing for his father, the boy's wish came true when his father finally returned home. But instead of experiencing a happy reunion, the boy's father beat him up. Is it any wonder why this young man became addicted to drugs?

Another young man shared his story with me of addiction and repeated encounters with the law. I said, "I am going to make a wild guess that you had a rough childhood" - a line I often use to begin digging into a patient's past.

His response surprised me. He said, "You're the first person who ever noticed."
Encouragement to look forward
The disciplinary block is the A block, known in jail as "the hole." Fighting with another inmate may get you 10 days in the hole. Fighting with an officer can get you 50 in. Inmates in A block are given "23+1," or 23 hours per day in their cell, one hour per day out into the block, one person at a time. No outside contact is allowed. There are no visits, no phone calls, no participation in the classes that are sometimes offered to the general population.

Isolation is punishment, as it is meant to be. As a mental health counselor, my concern with the guys on A block is the tendency to decompensate, to go into the deep and dangerous depression that extreme isolation can create.

One young man who had been on A block clearly showed signs of decompensation. I learned that he had been the valedictorian at his Philadelphia high school before being arrested in a 24-person drug bust. He was intelligent. Our conversations covered such diverse topics as Federal Reserve monetary policy and the use of political power in Niccolo Machiavelli's book The Prince.

When this young man went down emotionally, I decided to find some books from the jail library that might help bring him back up. I eventually gave him two books. One was a book of jokes. The other was Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl. In it, Frankl discusses his time as a Jewish Austrian prisoner in a Nazi concentration camp.

Frankl observed that it is not the outward circumstances of our lives that determine our destinies so much as it is the attitudes we choose to take toward those circumstances. Frankl withstood his concentration camp experience by taking the attitude of an observer of how humans survive in the most extreme circumstances.

My young patient got the point. As bad as his circumstances were, his mental and emotional state were determined by the attitude he chose to take toward his circumstances. He was excited by his new understanding, and his excitement was enough to pull him out of his depression. I had taken a gamble with him and won.

One of the hardest stories I have heard belonged to a man in his early 40s whom I first met on suicide watch. He was arrested for being rogue and vagabond, was intoxicated during his arrest, and had a history that included a suicide attempt.

The man's story unfolded in fragments over the weeks and months that we worked together. It was like slowly gathering the pieces of a jigsaw puzzle until a full picture emerged. As an 8-year-old boy, he had been held by one of his father's hands while his father used his other hand to pull out a pistol and unload five bullets into the boy's mother. A cousin heard the commotion, came around a corner and shot the boy's father. The father then turned the pistol on the cousin and shot him, still holding the hand of his son who was frozen beside him in shock. Another cousin grabbed the boy and took him to her home next door. From the living room window of that home, the boy watched as all three victims were loaded into an ambulance. Remarkably, each of them survived.

The boy was deeply scarred from witnessing the scene, however. Nightmares of what had transpired continued throughout his life, including during his time of incarceration.

The boy grew up, eventually married, and had a son. One evening, while arguing with his wife, he pulled out a pistol and would have shot her in a reenactment of his nightmares had his mother-in-law not intervened and stood between them. Unable to control himself, he took the pistol and shot into his abdomen. This was the suicide attempt noted on his record.

The man's life was marked by episodes of violence, as was his son's life. The son got involved with gangs and was murdered in a gang fight, having his neck sliced nearly through.

When I met the man on suicide watch, he had a new girlfriend, and a second son had been born to him. He had a second chance at fatherhood. He could determine to live in the past or in the present. His newborn son needed him.

I said to him, "You can't drive a car with your eyes firmly fixed on the rearview mirror. At some point, you have to look forward." He later told me that comment was the turning point for him. He realized that he had to stop looking backward constantly. If he wanted his newborn son to have a chance at life, he had to look forward.

He worked hard on his issues and took the recovery program. Over our months of working together, he grew able to speak openly about the events he had suffered. Recently, he was released to a halfway house. Maybe the demons within him have finally been exorcised.

To the police, he was a drunken man on a park bench. To me, he revealed a life of trauma and tragedy that was the underlying cause for his behavior. That is our work as counselors - to help people understand the dark forces that drive them to behaviors that they know are harmful to themselves.

I have heard such stories over and over again. There was a young man who was a bully and was shuttled from one juvenile facility to another until, at age 19, he landed in an adult jail. He shared with me the story of witnessing, when he was 12, his cousin gunned down in the street and the life of fighting and violence that had followed him ever since.

I have worked with people who were pimps and people who were prostitutes, people who had molested others and people who had been molested, people caught in unhappy marriages who had assaulted their spouses, and countless people with addiction or alcoholism. With each, I have heard a similar story of unresolved grief, tragedy and trauma. Sometimes I can help them. Sometimes that is limited to helping them maintain their emotional balance while they do their time in lockup. Most seem grateful to meet someone who will at least listen to their story. Sometimes giving them a chance to vent is all that I can do.
Sowing seeds
At 5 o'clock, I pass through the three steel doors and walk out of jail. I am free to drive to my apartment and wonder about the impact I may have had. I think of the Parable of the Sower found in three of the four Gospels in the New Testament. Some of the seed from the sower lands on rocky soil or other inhospitable places. But some of the seed falls on fertile soil and takes root.

We do what we can as counselors. We try to do no harm and pray to do some good. There is a line in the Talmud that says he who saves a single life, it is as if he saved the whole world. And, so, we do what we can inside the jail, one person at a time.

In the evening, I am free to have dinner with my kids, play my guitars, sleep in a comfortable bed. I can go shopping when I want, soak in sunshine, breathe fresh air, go to yoga classes.

Tomorrow, I will pass through the three heavy steel doors again. The men and women in the orange-and-white-striped suits will still be there.
****
James Rose is a licensed graduate professional counselor working as a mental health counselor at the Frederick County Adult Detention Center in Frederick, Maryland. He is a graduate of the clinical counseling program at Loyola University, Baltimore. Contact him at jrose007@comcast.net.

Letters to the editor: ct@counseling.org

Counseling Today reviews unsolicited articles written by American Counseling Association members. To access writing guidelines and tips for having an article accepted for publication, go to ct.counseling.org/feedback.
**** Opinions expressed and statements made in articles appearing on CT Online should not be assumed to represent the opinions of the editors or policies of the American Counseling Association.

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To enter my office, I first pass through a series of three heavy steel doors. The lock for each door is controlled from a remote central office. I wait to hear a buzz signaling that the door has been unlocked before proceeding through.

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The Case That Is Currently Keeping Me Up At Night!

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The Case That Is Currently Keeping Me Up At Night!

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5 year old Summer Wells, went missing from her home in Hawkins county Tennessee. In the first interview with police Candus Bly Summers mother told authorities Her and summer had just finished planting flowers with Grandma. Summer received a piece of candy from her grandma, then asked to go with movies with her brothers in the kitchen. Candus and Summer walked in the house to wash up. Candus then asks her sons to watch Summer real quick. Candus leaves for no more than two minutes, but when she returns Summer is no where to be seen. Candus Bly has yet to tell authorities where she went or what she did in those two minuets Summer disappeared. Even though the family lives in a secluded area the family believes she was abducted.

The article above was the most recent and most detailed story I could find. Unfortunately there have been no new leads or persons of interest. I could go on a whole tangent about my opinion of what really happened to Summer wells, but I will save it for another day.

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ROGERSVILLE, Tenn. (WVLT) - The disappearance of Summer Wells, the 5-year-old Hawkins County girl at the center of a Tennessee AMBER Alert has captured the attention of thousands across the region. Below is a timeline of the case. Candus Bly said she believes Summer was abducted.
Monday, September 6, 2021
Summer Wells has now been missing for 84 days and has been at the center of a Tennessee Bureau of Investigation AMBER Alert for 83 days.

Here is a recap of the case so far.
Tuesday, August 31, 2021
Officials with the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation confirmed that they have received just under 1,200 tips to date regarding the search for Summer Wells.

According to the TBI, the case is not cold and it remains active and ongoing.

The reward fund is currently $37,970.
Thursday, August 19, 2021
Officials with the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation confirmed that they have received just under 1,160 tips to date regarding the search for Summer Wells. However, they said most of the tips have not been based on credible information.

Officials also confirmed that the search is still ongoing, and that Agents with the TBI and Hawkins County Detectives are still working to find the missing 5-year-old.

Summer Wells has been missing since June 15, just over two months. Officials said that the case is not considered a cold case yet, however, since agents and detectives are still searching for the missing girl.
Tuesday, July 27, 2021
Officials involved in the ongoing search for Summer Wells told WVLT News Tuesday that while search efforts are not being scaled back any further than they already have been, the process for searching is changing slightly.

Independednt groups looking to come back to Hawkins County to assist in the search will now get approval and schedules from the Hawkins County Sheriff's Office rather than the Church Hill Rescue Squad.

"Once again, this is an active investigation in the efforts to locate Summer Wells and we do not want to hinder or interfere with this investigation," the update said.
Monday, July 26, 2021
Summer Wells' three brothers were removed from the Wells' household by the Department of Child Services, according to a new report.

Donald Wells confirmed that the boys were taken by the DCS to the Kingsport Times News, saying his house "is not safe." He further clarified to the Times News that trespassers are approaching the house and the family is receiving threats on social media.

WVLT News reached out to Donald Wells twice to confirm the report, but he refused to answer questions regarding where the boys were or if they were taken by the DCS.
Saturday, July 24, 2021
WVLT News spoke with the director of the Midwest EquuSearch chapter Dave Rader about their weekend search for Summer Wells. The team has "covered a lot of area," Rader said. "Unfortunately not the right spot but back out tomorrow."

WVLT News is also in the process of reaching out to The Department of Children's Services to find out more about the role it is playing in the investigation.
Friday, July 23, 2021
The Department of Children's Services confirmed they are participating in the investigation into the disappearance of 5-year-old Summer Wells. Officials said, due to state confidentiality laws, there is little they can disclose regarding the investigation.
Monday, July 19, 2021
The organization Equusearch Midwest announced Monday that they would be sending a team back to Tennessee to assist in the ongoing search for Summer Wells. The organization announced that crews would be in the Hawkins County area the weekend of July 24, and asked those that see them to refrain from posting about the search.

"As this is an ongoing investigation, if you see any of our teams out and about, please do not convey via social media or other outlets where you may have seen our searches taking place. It is very important for the integrity of the case," the announcement said.
Thursday, July 15, 2021
The father of Summer Wells raised concerns that he thinks there will not be a good outcome in the case. "Statistically speaking there's a good chance she's already dead," Don Wells told the Kingsport Times News on Monday. "I hate to think that. I love her with all my heart. If nothing else, I'll see her in the resurrection."

Wells said he believes Summer was abducted but the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation has no evidence to confirm that. The agency is still investigating the circumstances leading to the 5-year-old's disappearance.
Wednesday, July 14, 2021
Officials with law enforcement told WVLT News that the reward money for the ongoing search for Summer Wells saw a substantial increase Tuesday.

A $25,000 check and a $10,000 check were added to the reward total, meaning the total is now at $37,470.00, officials said.
Monday, July 12, 2021
The pastor of the Wells family spoke to WVLT News about the girl's disappearance for the first time. Pastor David rider said he is struggling because the AMBER Alert case has created a sense of hopelessness for the family.

Church-goers at the Kingsport Seventh-Day Adventist Church are keeping the family in their thoughts, Ryder said.

The investigation is still ongoing at this time.
Saturday, July 10, 2021
TBI officials tell WVLT News that they have received over 900 tips into the Summer Wells case, but none have led to a conclusion.

The investigation remains ongoing at this time.
Thursday, July 8, 2021
The investigation into the disappearance of 5-year-old Summer Wells remains active and ongoing Thursday, according to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation.

TBI officials said the agency continues to work alongside the Hawkins County Sheriff's Office and the FBI to search for answers in the case.
Wednesday, July 7, 2021
The search for missing 5-year-old Summer Wells continues Wednesday. Officials with the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation said they have received just over 860 tips as of Wednesday morning.
Tuesday, July 6, 2021
The search for missing 5-year-old Summer Wells entered its third week Tuesday.

The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation announced the investigation into the disappearance of Summer Wells, "remains active and ongoing." Officials said, in order to preserve the integrity of the investigation they are unable to provide specific details.

Anyone with credible information is urged to call 1-800-TBI-FIND.
Friday, July 2, 2021
Crews continue in the second week of the search for missing 5-year-old Summer Wells. It's been 17 days since Summer went missing from her home in Hawkins County.

Officials said there have been a "tremendous amount of hours spend searching the area and investigating her disappearance."

The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation has received more than 750 tips but none have resulted in a solid lead in the case.

"This case is still very active and intense, with everything possible being checked out by Hawkins County Detectives and Agents of the T.B.I.," Hawkins County Sheriff Ronnie Lawson said. "Our goal is to find Summer."
Thursday, July 1, 2021
Summer Wells has now been missingfrom the Beech Creek community in Hawkins County for two weeks and two days.

Officials with the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation said they are not giving up in the search for the missing 5-year-old. The TBI confirmed it has received 730 tips so far, but none have resulted in a solid lead.
Wednesday, June 30, 2021
Search crews continue to search for missing 5-year-old Summer Wells Wednesday.

The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation confirmed the agency has received 715 tips in the search for Summer Wells.

The reward fund for information leading to the location or recovery of the five-year-old has a current total f $250 according to Captain Tim Coup, Church Hill Rescue Squad.

TBI asked anyone with credible information to call 1-800-TBI-FIND. Officials asked people to refrain from reporting speculation or rumors to help them get the most helpful information in the quickest way possible.
Tuesday, June 29, 2021
The mother of the missing 5-year-old Summer Wells spoke out publicly for the first time since the girl's disappearance.

Officials with the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation announced they have received 650 tips in the search for Summer Wells.

"We urge the public to share info from credible sources. Sharing speculation or rumors only makes the process more difficult for law enforcement by increasing the number of non-credible tips," TBI stated on Twitter.
Monday, June 28, 2021
The search continues Monday for missing 5-year-old Summer Wells. Officials with the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation said authorities have received more than 560 tips as of Monday afternoon.

The Church Hill Rescue Squad announced a reward fund has been set up for information leading to the discovery of missing 5-year-old Summer Wells.
Sunday, June 27, 2021
Sunday, in a release, the TBI announced it would be scaling back its search efforts in the search for Summer Wells due to the difficult terrain exhausting crews both physically and mentally.

"Search efforts will continue on a more specialized team basis as needed and directed from local, state, and federal agencies. Just because we may not be seen as such a large presence in and throughout the area, rest assured that we have not quit and won't quit until we find Summer Wells," the release states.

As of June 27, the TBI said it had utilized 120 agencies across six states, 1,150 searchers on the ground logged more than 13,800 hours and the TBI's fixed-wing and helicopter logged a combined 21.2 hours of flight in the search for the missing child. The THP helicopter logged 30 hours of flight. Numerous specialized search and rescue groups including the TN Task Force 2, BUSAR, Appalachian Mountain Rescue, Black Diamond, SCSAR, Central Carolina SAR, Great Smokey Mountain National Park, RATSAR, and Search and Rescue Tracking Institute, and numerous K-9 Teams have been represented from these agencies.

All of the crews have searched more than 3,000 acres since Summer was reported missing June 15.

"The rugged mountainous terrain continues to cause problems. This slows search operations down in these areas but rest assured while encountering these conditions, we are still searching with an aggressive approach with extreme attention to detail," the Church Hill Rescue Squad stated in post on Facebook.

The TBI continues to encourage people to submit any credible tips they may have in the case.
Saturday, June 26, 2021
Saturday, the TBI asked for the public's assistance in locating a potential witness in the disappearance of Summer Wells. TBI said it received information through a tip that a Toyota truck was seen in the area of Beech Creek Road and Ben Hill Road "in the late afternoon to early evening on either Monday, June 14th, or Tuesday, June 15th." The truck is described as possibly being "a 1998-2000 maroon or red Toyota Tacoma, with a full bed ladder rack along with white buckets in the truck bed."

The TBI said it is unable to identify the driver of the truck, so it is asking the public to help. If you are the driver of the truck or know who it may be, you are asked to contact the TBI at 1-800-TBI-FIND.
Friday, June 25, 2021
The community surrounding Hawkins County reacts to the now ten-day search for missing 5-year-old Summer Wells.

Officials are still searching for answers Friday in the disappearance of 5-year-old Summer Wells.
Thursday, June 24, 2021
Summer Wells, 5, has been missing for over a week. Officials with the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation said search teams are continuing to focus on the area around Ben Hill Road.

The TBI held a press conference Thursday at 4 p.m. after saying it would only hold pressers in the case of a big finding in Summer's case.

TBI spokesperson Leslie Earnhart said in response to the question of how long a case like this should last, "This one is outside the norm" as far as the amount of time it is taking to locate 5-year-old Summer Wells. The sheriff's office announced more than 106 agencies across six states have joined the search for Summer, covering more than 3,000 acres of land.

Officials continue to ask members of the public to please refrain from trying to join search efforts and leave it to the professionals. Community members are still encouraged to check their individual properties and trail cameras for signs of Summer.

Law enforcement officials said they are physically and mentally tired from the search, but they will "go to the end" to find Summer.

According to TBI, 304 tips have come in, but none have resulted in a significant development in the case. On Thursday, crews began conducting line searches in the Beech Creek area of Hawkins County. TBI officials said the purpose of line searches is to ensure every since of ground has been covered, especially overgrown areas with fields and high grass.
Wednesday, June 23, 2021
The search for Summer Wells continues Wednesday.

Investigators conducted a roadblock canvas Tuesday evening, speaking with drivers in the Beech Creek area. Officials questioned drivers to see if they noticed anything out of the ordinary on the day Summer went missing.
Tuesday, June 22, 2021
Tuesday marks one week since 5-year-old Summer Wells was reported missing.

Officials with the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation announced they have received 221 leads since Summer Wells Went missing. Detectives continue to investigate each lead Tuesday morning.

The community has weighed in on the situation. Natasha Gray works at an antique shop nearby where Summer Wells disappeared.

"When you don't have a suspect or you don't have a defined 'this is what happened,' 'there was definitely an abduction,' or 'this child definitely wandered off' I think it really hangs a cloud of suspicion because you're like could someone in our community be responsible for this?" Gray said.

TBI urged property owners in the Beech Creek area to once again check barns, crawl spaces and other areas a child could hide. The Hawkins County Sheriff's Office announced it will send officers to assist any residents who aren't able to search those spaces themselves. To request assistance residents are told to call 423-272-7121.
Monday, June 21, 2021
The AMBER Alert for missing 5-year-old Summer Wells stretched into its sixth day Monday.

Officials with the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation announced Summer Wells is still missing during a Monday afternoon press conference.

TBI officials said they are more concerned than ever about finding the child.

According to TBI, the FBI has joined the search for the missing 5-year-old. Investigators said they have not ruled out an abduction but currently have no evidence to confirm that the child was abducted. They have deployed an Abduction Rapid Deployment Team, officials said.

Sheriff Lawson called for all residents of the Beech Creek Road area to go out as soon as possible and check their entire property, in any place a child could hide.

"We have not stopped," Sheriff Lawson said. " We've been searching 24/7 for six days now."

Search efforts will continue day and night for the missing child. At this time 77 agencies spanning across multiple states including Ohio, Alabama, Virginia, Georgia and North Carolina to assist in the search.

Search crews have searched 2,400 acres of land since Summer was reported missing.

Incoming severe weather is a concern for search crews, according to officials. Hawkins County officials said the storms will change their approach but not their aggressiveness in searching. Officials said search efforts do not stop when it gets dark, aviation search crews are used to continually map the area after the sun goes down. At night they are using FLIR, which is a thermal imaging technology that detects body heat at night.

Family members told authorities it is not common for the 5-year-old to wander off.

TBI investigators stressed the circumstances leading to Summer's disappearance. When asked if Summer's parents had been ruled out as suspects, TBI officials said the situation is still under investigation and all possibilities are being considered.

Authorities said Summer's parents were upset about the situation and have been cooperative with law enforcement during the investigation.

Investigators said they have questioned many individuals including drivers who were seen in the area at the time of the child's disappearance, but there is no proof that Summer was abducted.

When asked if Summer Wells' parents have been ruled out, officials said that the investigation is ongoing and all possibilities are being considered. The parents are upset and cooperating with law enforcement, officials said.

"We are not going to stop until we find Summer," Sheriff Lawson said.

TBI said many of the tips they have received are opinion and speculation which slow down the process. They stressed that people submit tips with credible information.

Hawkins County officials revealed Summer Wells' father Donald Wells was arrested on domestic assault charges in 2020. Following the incident, Summer Wells' mother, Candus Bly filed for an order of protection against Donald Wells. In the now dismissed order of protection, Bly stated, "I am afraid for my children and myself."

According to the order of protection, Bly said Wells was abusive mentally and physically. Bly later asked for a dismissal of the order of protection. On April 21, 2021, the charges of domestic assault and unlawful possession of a weapon were dismissed.

Hawkins Co. Rescue officials said supply donations for crews assisting in the search have been paused due to "overwhelming support." Crews will assess supplies at the end of the day Monday to see if they are in need of more donations.

On Monday, TBI released new details in the case. According to investigators, both Summer Wells' mother and father live together. Her grandmother also resides on the property where the 5-year-old went missing.

Officials said canine teams specializing in air scent, trailing/tracking and cadaver dogs are all being used in the search efforts.
Sunday, June 20, 2021
The TBI continued its search for Summer Wells with help from nearly 70 agencies across the region, including crews from Alabama. The TBI reported it was up to 137 tips in the case by Sunday afternoon.
Saturday, June 19, 2021
The TBI continued its search for Summer but said it would only hold media briefings on the weekend if there was a big find in the case. The TBI was up to 113 tips by Saturday and revealed photos of the home and property where Summer was reported missing from.

The Tennessee Association of Rescue Squads requested a statewide call-out for agencies across the state to help Sunday in the search for missing Summer Wells.
Friday, June 18, 2021
The TBI held a media briefing Friday at 2:30 p.m. at Soloman's Temple Missionary Baptist Church to provide an update on search efforts for Summer Wells. Search crews continued searching the area by land and air while also starting to check surrounding ponds and creeks. The crews reported searching more than 1,000 acres for Summer by the end of the day Friday.

Friday, the TBI began investigating Summer's father, Don Wells' claims that the 5-year-old was abducted.

WVLT News spoke to Don Wells Friday. Wells addressed accusations of foul play by members of the community and that the TBI has searched his family's home as part of the ongoing investigation. He also shared that Summer is not the first family member to go missing, as Summer's mother- Candus Wells' sister Rose went missing in 2009 and was never found.
Thursday, June 17, 2021
The TBI and Hawkins County Sheriff's Office held a media briefing to discuss any findings in Summer's case at 1 p.m. Thursday at Solomon's Temple Missionary Baptist Church. The TBI announced more than 19 agencies were called in to assist in the search for the 5-year-old. Unreliable cell service and difficult terrain was an obstacle for crews searching and the TBI asked that civilians leave the search to professionals to ensure the safety of everyone.

Crews said they had searched more than 680 acres by the end of the day Thursday. The TBI asked community members of the Ben Hill Road area to check their surveillance and/or trail cameras for videos or photos of Summer. The agency also asked people to check their properties for signs of the child.

Thursday, Don Wells, the father of the missing child told WVLT CBS affiliate WJHL in a written statement that he believed Summer was kidnapped while playing outside.

"She would never leave our hill. I think that someone snuck up on her and grabbed her. I don't think she's in the area because the dog goes down to the road and that's the end of the trail, but I don't know that for a fact. The way that she just disappeared, she would never do that," Wells said in a written statement for CBS Affiliate WJHL.

This was the first time either of the parents spoke to members of the media.

The TBI said it would only be searching the area from 8 a.m. until 8 p.m. unless there was a credible tip to lead them to do otherwise.
Wednesday, June 16, 2021
Wednesday, June 16, The TBI upgraded the Endangered Child Alert to an AMBER Alert after TBI said new information and growing concern about the well-being of Summer prompted the state-wide alert.

The TBI released new images of Summer to reflect that she now has shorter hair than the original photos depicted.

Wednesday, the Hawkins County Sheriff's Office held its first media briefing at 4 p.m. at Solomon's Temple Missionary Baptist Church located at 7659 Lone Star Road in Kingsport to provide an update on the search for Summer. The TBI revealed it had no suspects in the case and no vehicle description.

Authorities had received more than 30 tips in relation to Summer's disappearance by the end of the day Wednesday.
Tuesday, June 15, 2021
The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation issued an Endangered Child Alert for missing Summer Moon-Utah Wells. Her family reported last seeing the 5-year-old around 6:30 p.m. Tuesday. She was last seen wearing a pink shirt, grey shorts and she was possibly barefoot when she went missing.

Summer is described as being a white female with short blonde hair and blue eyes. She is three feet tall and weighs around 40 pounds.
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Searching for Summer Wells: AMBER Alert timeline

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ROGERSVILLE, Tenn. (WVLT) - The disappearance of Summer Wells, the 5-year-old Hawkins County girl at the center of a Tennessee AMBER Alert has captured the attention of thousands across the region. Below is a timeline of the case. Candus Bly said she believes Summer was abducted.