Disappearance of Adele Marie Wells

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Adele Marie Wells
Born(1951-01-01)January 1, 1951
DisappearedNovember 21, 1958 (aged 7)
Flint, Michigan, U.S.
StatusMissing for 65 years, 5 months and 10 days
NationalityAmerican
Height3 ft 6 in (1.07 m)
Parent
  • Karl W. Wells (father)

Adele Marie Wells (born January 1, 1951) is an American missing person who disappeared in Flint, Michigan on November 21, 1958,[1] when she was seven years old.[2][3] Though she is believed to have been abducted, no suspects have ever been identified in connection with her disappearance, and her fate and whereabouts remain unknown.

Background[edit]

Adele Marie Wells was born on January 1, 1951. She was part of a family of nine. Her father, Karl W. Wells, worked at a factory in Flint, Michigan.[4]

At the time of her disappearance, Wells was seven years old and attending the second grade at Jefferson Elementary School.[2]

Disappearance[edit]

On the morning of November 21, 1958, Wells stayed home from school due to having a slight cold.[5] That afternoon, Wells walked to her grandmother's house, located one block from her house and a few blocks away from her school. Wells had wanted to show her grandmother how her mother had styled her hair.

Wells was last seen leaving her grandmother's residence at 11:30 am. She neither returned home nor arrived at school, and was never seen or heard from again.

At the time of her disappearance, Wells was wearing a gray cotton coat, a blue dress, red knee socks, and black shoes.[1] She wore her hair in braids.

Wells's mother did not become concerned until later in the afternoon, as she assumed Wells had been feeling better and decided to finish the remainder of the school day after leaving her grandmother's house.[6]

Investigation and developments[edit]

According to law enforcement, they received reliable reports of a young African American man carrying a young girl around Wells's age toward a black Chevrolet near Gilkey Creek on Lewis Street. The man was purportedly wearing a gray coat and red socks.[2]

Children who attended Wells's school reported a man who matched the description received by police attempting to lure them into his vehicle in the days preceding Wells's disappearance.

Police discounted earlier, conflicting reports received from Wells's playmates, who claimed to have witnessed a man forcing Wells into a late model pink and white car with large tail fins near her home on the day of her disappearance.[4][6]

The man reported to police was never identified, and no other suspects were ever brought up in connection with Wells's disappearance, which remains unsolved to this day.

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b Clarke, Kayla (November 21, 2022). "7-year-old Adele Wells disappeared on her way to school in Flint 64 years ago". Flint, Michigan: WDIV-TV. Retrieved April 5, 2023.
  2. ^ a b c Good, Meaghan (October 7, 2020). "Adele Marie Wells". The Charley Project. Retrieved April 5, 2023.
  3. ^ Larimer, Sarah (September 22, 2014). "Adele Wells went missing as a child in 1958. Decades later, authorities are still searching for her". The Washington Post. Retrieved April 5, 2023. Closed access icon
  4. ^ a b "Police Puzzled By Lost Child". Ironwood Daily Globe. Ironwood, Michigan. November 25, 1958. p. 1. Retrieved April 5, 2023 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  5. ^ "Missing Person / NamUs #MP24308". National Missing and Unidentified Persons System. April 21, 2014. Retrieved April 5, 2023.
  6. ^ a b "3820DFMI – Adele Marie Wells". The Doe Network. March 25, 2022. Retrieved April 5, 2023.

External links[edit]