Disappearance of Adele Marie Wells

Adele Marie Wells (January 1, 1951 – disappeared November 21, 1958) is an American missing person who disappeared in Flint, Michigan, on November 21, 1958, when she was seven years old. Although 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.

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

At the time of her disappearance, Wells was seven years old and attending the second grade at Jefferson Elementary School.^[1][3] She lived with her parents, three sisters, and three brothers.^[1]

Wells was African-American.^[2]

On the morning of November 21, 1958, Wells stayed home from school due to having a slight cold. 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 for school.^[2][3][5][6]

Wells was last seen leaving her grandmother's residence at 11:30 a.m. She neither returned home nor arrived at school, and has never been seen or heard from since.^[1][2][3]

At the time of her disappearance, Wells was wearing a gray cotton coat, a blue dress with small animal figures along the hemline, red knee-length socks, and black shoes.^[5][6][7] She wore her hair in bangs with waves on the sides.^[1][2][3]

Wells's mother did not become concerned until later in the afternoon, as she had assumed that Wells was feeling better and had decided to finish the remainder of the school day after leaving her grandmother's house.^[3]

More than 1,000 people searched for Wells on November 23, two days after her disappearance.^[4]

According to law enforcement, they received reliable reports of a young African-American man carrying a young girl around Wells's age toward a dirty black Chevrolet near Gilkey Creek on Lewis Street. The man was purportedly wearing a gray coat and red socks. Children who attended Wells's school reported that a man who matched the description received by police had attempted to lure them into his vehicle in the days preceding Wells's disappearance.^[1][3]

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 tailfins near her home on the day of her disappearance.^[3][4]

The man reported to police was never identified, and no other suspects were ever brought up in connection with Wells's disappearance.^[8]

Following Wells's abduction, her parents had another child, though they subsequently divorced. Wells's mother, Martha Wells, was given custody of the children, though they were placed in foster care due to her poor health. Martha died in 1987.^[1]

In 1992, Karl Wells shot one of Adele's brothers and was charged with assault with intent to commit murder, along with several counts of felonious assault. Since Adele's brother did not want their father to be imprisoned, Karl pleaded no contest to a reduced charge of misdemeanor aggravated assault, for which he was placed on probation.^[1]

• List of people who disappeared mysteriously: 1910–1990

• McNeill, Tommy (June 20, 2024). "Adele Marie Wells: Michigan's Longest Open Missing Child Case". WGRD. Retrieved January 24, 2026.

• Adele Marie Wells at The Charley Project
• Adele Marie Wells at the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System
• 3820DFMI – Adele Marie Wells at The Doe Network