Image Credit: @TBInvestigation /X & YouTube
The Tennessee Conservative [By Paula Gomes] –
The father of a missing autistic teen has been standing outside of the Sumner County Sheriff’s Office for days in the hopes that another agency, such as the FBI, will get involved in locating his son.
Seth Rogers is fed up with the lack of ongoing response in searching for his son, Sebastian, and believes that not enough is being done to bring him home.
“I would like to know where Sebastian Wayne Drake Rogers is,” Rogers said. “He deserves to be at home. He deserves to be around somebody that loves him.”
Jennifer Tidwell, a friend of Rogers, says they just want the county to be open to trying something different, in hopes of getting different results.
Fifteen-year-old Sebastian vanished from the Beech area in Hendersonville, seemingly without a trace, a year and a half ago, and Rogers is not giving up hope that he will be found.
As multiple agencies began looking for him on the morning of February 26th last year, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) issued an Endangered Child Alert for Sebastian.
As the search progressed, additional information that came in led to an Amber Alert being issued. According to the Department of Justice, an Amber Alert is issued whenever there is a reasonable belief by law enforcement that a minor has been abducted, or is in imminent danger of serious bodily injury or death.
While the first few weeks following his disappearance in February 2024 saw much activity as far as searching and investigation, including by the TBI, the FBI, and other local agencies. About a week after he was reported missing, the Sheriff’s Office said they would focus on the investigative side of the case while reducing efforts in searching.
No press conferences about Sebastian have been held since March 2024. Rogers says that investigators have failed to answer his calls since he sent them an email listing over a dozen items that he believes need to be checked out.
Joined by supporters outside the Sheriff’s Office, Rogers pointed out that no-one has yet to be arrested in what the Sumner County Sheriff Eric Craddock says is still an active investigation. Fellow protestors want answers and for the FBI or another agency, such as the TBI, to take action.
Craddock has stated that his office continues to follow leads and is already coordinating with the FBI and the TBI. He is asking for Sebastian’s official Amber Alert poster to be shared and for anyone with information to call either the Sumner County Sheriff’s Office at (615) 451-3838 or TBI at 1-800-TBI-FIND.
Community members holding signs that read “Justice for Sebastian” who are standing with Rogers hope that their presence will bring more attention to the case. Rogers intends to remain stationed outside the office until Friday and maybe for as long as it takes to see results.
Sebastian was last seen near Stafford Court dressed in sweatpants and a sweatshirt, both black. He is 120 pounds, with dirty blond hair, and stands 5 feet, 5 inches tall.
“I’ve never lost hope,” said Rogers. “My son is missing… he is not dead.”
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About the Author: Paula Gomes is a Tennessee resident and reporter for The Tennessee Conservative. You can reach Paula at paula@tennesseeconservativenews.com.
2 Responses
Sad.
Good parents. I’ll say a prayer for him.