Tamala Wells, 33: Last Seen Driving Away From Detroit Home In 2012
We’re fast approaching the 10-year anniversary since Tamala Wells went missing from Detroit. The Michigan resident was said to have been last seen at her home in the 19700 block of Appleton or Appoline Street at approximately 9:30 p.m. on August 6, 2012. At the time, Tamala lived with her boyfriend of 17 years, Rickey Tennant, and it has been stated in reports that she was the mother of two children. Tennant is said to have seen Tamala driving away from their residence in her four-door Pontiac Grand Prix (white with black bumpers), and at about 10:30 p.m., an hour or so later, Tamala spoke with her mother who lives in Florida, Donna Davis, on the phone. That was the last time anyone had contact with Tamala.
The following morning, Tamala’s six-year-old daughter called her grandmother to say that the 33-year-old never returned home the night before. The concern set in and it didn’t take long for Donna to fire off calls to her daughter. By that evening, those unanswered calls were going straight to voicemail and Donna was on the next flight to Detroit. A search ensued, but there was no sign of Tamala Wells.
According to the Disappeared website, Tamala was reportedly acting strangely on the evening she disappeared. She told Tennant that she has to go somewhere but she didn’t offer details regarding the location or who she may have been meeting up with. Tennant reportedly told the authorities that Tamala was known to have her girls’ nights with friends during the week, but she wouldn’t abandon her children. He was said to have also taken a polygraph test but failed. Tennant has not been named as an official suspect in the case and he has denied any responsibility for Tamala Wells going missing. He went on to become their daughter’s primary caregiver.
To add more mystery to this case, days after Tamala vanished, her vehicle was located by Tennant after he claims a friend spotted the car. The vehicle was not far from Tamala’s home and only had a few minor items missing, according to Tennant, but when police responded to the scene, they reportedly stated that Tennant”s inspection destroyed any potential evidence that could have been collected.
Tamala Wells was reportedly a healthcare worker who came from a large family, as she was one of six children. There may be a cash reward for information in this case. It is reported that there are no signs that a crime has been committed, but Tamala’s family refutes any beliefs that she would walk away from her life or children without a trace.
In 2021, community activist Minister Malik Shabazz claimed that he received an anonymous tip that Tamala Wells was at an Eaton, Michigan home on Indiana Street. Authorities shared with Fox 2 Detroit that any “viable tips” would be adequately investigated.
“They gave us some information about this house, before it was firebombed, and abandoned, and Tamala allegedly being here, maybe a year and a half ago,” said Shabazz. “Maybe someone knows something.”
In an interview with ClickOnDetroit last year, Tamala’s mother Donna added, “Everyday I get through with the grace of God. I wake up saying, ‘Lord. This is the day that you made and I’m gonna be joyful in it. I’m gonna do everything that you desire me to do because I know that today the answer is coming.'” She has reportedly made several trips over the years from her home in Florida to Detroit to search through abandoned homes and neighborhoods, searching for her missing child.
“The worst part is not knowing. You know? There’s a lot of people losing their loved ones to diseases, gunshots, all of that. At least. And my heart goes out to them, I’m passionate. Because no one deserves to be taken from life. But at least they know where their loved one is. And I don’t. I don’t know. And that’s the hardest part,” Davis said.
At the time of her disappearance, Tamala Wells stood somewhere between 5 feet 1 inch to 5 feet 6 inches tall (some reports say 5 feet 4 inches) and weighed 150 to 180 pounds. She had black/dark brown hair (styled just below her shoulders, worn in microbraids) and brown eyes. Her middle name is “Niecole,” her ears are pierced, she had a scar under her chin and on the left side of her forehead, and she wore acrylic nails. She was last seen wearing a white shirt, blue jean shorts with a cuff, and earrings. She would be 43-years-old at the time of this publication.
To receive updates about this case and to find more ways to help, please visit the Help Find Tamala “Nikki” Wells Facebook Page.
Anyone with information about this case is urged to contact the Detroit Police Department at (313) 596-1800, Crime Stoppers of Michigan – Shirley Schuler, 313-922-5000 x 14 or shirley@michiganalliance.org, or their local authorities. The agency case number is 1208090234.
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