Still no answers after Tacoma man disappeared in 2023

Still no answers after Tacoma man disappeared in 2023, parents ask for help

It’s been a year-and-a-half since Eric Wells went missing. His family hasn’t heard from him, police can’t find him or any information as to what happened to him. They’re calling the circumstances surrounding his disappearance "suspicious."

TACOMA, Wash. - It’s been a year-and-a-half since Eric Wells went missing. His family hasn’t heard from him, police can’t find him or any information as to what happened to him. They’re calling the circumstances surrounding his disappearance "suspicious."

"It takes everything you got to function, and you do, you’re numb when you do it, but you do it," Kathy Wells, Eric’s mom said.

They told FOX 13, their son was driving out toward the McKenna Yelm area in March 2023 to meet someone, when he had a flat tire. Eric hasn’t been seen since. "His car is gone, he’s gone, his phone went blank," Kathy Wells said.

The couple has been looking everywhere for their son. "Some days are pretty rough, some are better than others, but a lot of rough days, the not knowing," Lou Wells said.

Eric Wells, left, and his parents

While Eric did not live in Fife, his last known location was at a hotel in that city, which is why the Fife Police Department is investigating what happened, according to Assistant Chief of Police for the Fife Police Department, Doug Newman. "The leads are very sparse," Newman said. "His disappearance is of a suspicious nature, and we do have some information that Mr. Wells may or may not have had some struggles as many people do with substance abuse."

He adds, a missing person alone is not a crime, but they’re trying to explore every avenue to find out if there is any criminal intent involved. "The challenge really has been to try and find significant leads in people who have last seen him," Newman said.

Eric’s parents know someone knows something, but they’re not sharing. "No one is coming forward with anything," Lou Wells said. "They’ll straight tell you; I know what happened but I ain’t saying nothing… They got no problem saying ‘yeah I know him, he was a hell of a nice guy,’ but they’re talking in past tense sometimes."

For Eric’s parents, the not knowing, is the worst part. "Is he with us still, is he not with us, does someone have him, you think of every scenario possible," Kathy Wells said. "He’s a grown man, but he’s still our child." "He’s still our boy," Lou Wells said.

They told FOX 13, they’ve been wanting to move, but can’t, just in case Eric came home. "We have to be here, we got to wait," Lou Wells said. So, they keep waiting, even as birthdays come and go, like Eric’s 38th birthday, which happened just two weeks ago. "So, it’s two birthdays now that we have not seen him," Kathy Wells said. "We love him so much and we need our boy."

There is a $10,000 reward for anyone who has information about what happened to Eric. He also goes by ‘E’ in Tacoma, according to his parents. Detectives are urging anyone with information to call Fife PD at 253-922-6633 or email investigations@cityoffife.org and reference case #2306800764.