SEBASTIAN ROGERS UPDATES: SEARCH BY UNITED CAJUN NAVY CALLED OFF AFTER RECEIVING DEATH THREATS

Key points

• The 15-year-old vanished from his home in Tennessee on 26 February.
• Sebastian’s parents have met with law enforcement
• Searches called off due to ‘security concerns'
• Missing Sebastian Rogers’ mother believes someone has her son
• Investigators say they have seen ‘no sign’ of Sebastian

Lights seen in driveway were from 'trash collectors’

One of the big talking points around the night of Sebastian’s disappearance has been the appearance of lights on a doorbell camera close to the house, with theories that this was the boy or his abductors leaving.

Mr Rogers said that this is nonsense and the lights were in fact trash collectors.

He also said that there are no signs that the 15-year-old had been speaking to anyone suspicious on his cellphone and no indication that he was planning to run away.

Read more from Mr Rogers’ latest interview here.

Sebastian’s mom has her theory

Katie Proudfoot told Crime Stories with Nancy Grace on Monday that she feels someone has her son and that she couldn’t understand how the 15-year-old could not have been found yet otherwise.

“I feel like if he had been close to the house, or had walked off, that we would have found him by now with as many people as have been searching,” Ms Proudfoot told the podcast on Monday.

Sebastian’s mom and stepfather Chris Proudfoot were grilled by Nancy Grace, who asked them to clarify their whereabouts the night Sebastian disappeared in Hendersonville, while also calling on experts to give their views on the case.

You can read more here.

Seth Rogers is hoping for an Easter miracle

Search called off due to ‘death threats’: Report

United Cajun Navy ends search for Sebastian Rogers after death threats

Searches called off due to ‘security concerns'

A group organising searches for Sebastian says it has called off an event today.

The United Cajun Navy cited “increasing security concerns” as the reason for suspending its activities on Friday.

“This decision was not taken lightly is made with the safety of all volunteers in mind,” the group said in a Facebook post. “We want to thank all the volunteers that planned to be out searching today.”

Sebastian’s parents have met with law enforcement

As the search rumbles on, Sebastian’s father Seth Rogers, mother Katie Proudfoot and stepfather Chris Proudfoot all met with the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation on Thursday.

Mr Rogers told a local reporter that he could not share what was discussed but that he came away from the meeting feeling positive.

“Oh I always have hope. Can’t take that away from me,” Mr Rogers said, adding that he believes his son is playing video games somewhere and has no idea about the ongoing search for him.

Read more here.

WATCH: Sebastian’s mother said she has been crying for a month

Sebastian’s dad says he is hoping for ‘Easter miracle'

In a new interview on Thursday, Seth Rogers said he was hoping for an Easter miracle, as the search for his son reaches five weeks long.

Wearing a t-shirt with Sebastian’s face on, Mr Rogers described himself as a “walking handout” for a missing persons poster.

He was asked by Fox 17 reporter Kaitlin Miller what kept him out searching each day.

“Being a dad,” He said. “Having perseverance, wanting him to come home, wanting to watch him finish growing up.”

Sebastian’s mother defends leaving area after son’s disappearance

Katie Proudfoot, mother of missing teenager Sebastian Rogers has defended her decision to leave the area where her son was last seen, shortly after his disappearance.

Ms Proudfoot drove three hours away from her home to meet up with her husband and Sebastian’s stepfather, Chris Proudfoot, but said it was due to having received “threatening and hateful” messages from strangers.

“We are posting fliers every direction we can,” she told Fox and Friends on Thursday morning.

“But at the same time, there were quite a bit of people that were sending some very threatening and hateful messages to us. They’re following us. They’re driving past our house at all hours of the day or night, disturbing the neighborhood, and the neighborhood is very upset and concerned. They’re worried about their safety at this point.”

Ms Proudfoot added that she felt that leaving the neighborhood would help calm things down.

Sebastian’s home was searched ‘at least’ ten times

The story so far: Frantic searches and emotional interviews

From a pond being drained, to a reward for information and a mother’s tearful interview, the search for Sebastian has now passed the one-month mark.

Here is a rundown of the story so far:

A timeline of the disappearance of 15-year-old Sebastian Rogers

A month-long Amber Alert

It’s a month since the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation posted this to its X account, announcing that an Amber Alert had been issued for Sebastian Rogers.

It is one of only two active alerts nationwide, with the other being for missing Wisconsin 3-year-old Elijah Vue, who has also not been seen for a month.

Third of autistic kids who wander are trying to escape stressful situation

An autism expert has explained that Sebastian’s special needs would likely be affecting him greatly.

Speaking to Nancy Grace, Courtney Lasky from Little Stars Therapy said that children typically have deficits with communication and social skills.

“If, in fact, he is with someone else who does not know him well, that would be entirely out of his routine, he could be engaging in behaviours which he has not engaged in before, he could be looking for an escape, a way to get out of those adverse situations,” Ms Lasky said.

She added that not every autistic child will wander, but that 36% of those who do are doing so to get away from a stressful or difficult situation.

Watch: Sebastian Rogers's father asks for the world to 'help him find his son'

What are law enforcement doing?

In its latest update on Friday 22 March, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation addressed frustrations expressed by some after they scaled back their search.

“Much of the work being done to track down information about where Sebastian may have gone is not something you will necessarily see in the public. But we want you to know that every day, work is being done to find Sebastian,” the TBI said in a press release.

The Bureau said it was following up on any tips it received on the case and urged locals to keep on checking their land for signs of the boy.

Audio gives insight into first few hours of search

Newly released audio has given new insight into the moments after Sebastian disappeared.

The archive dispatch call from Sumner County Sheriff’s Office has been widely shared over the past 24 hours, with the dispatcher heard explaining that the 15-year-old’s mother was out looking for him.

“We have a missing juvenile… This morning the 15-year-old was not in the bed,” the officer is heard saying in the broken audio from around 6.20am on 26 February.

They then describe Sebastian, who may have been wearing a black sweatshirt and black sweatpants, adding that he had never disappeared from the home in Hendersonville before.

“The mother is driving around looking for him… she is driving a blue Infinity,” the dispatcher tells officers.

The Independent has approached Sumner County Sheriff’s Office for further comment.

Sebastian’s dad says he needs his son back

Seth Rogers spoke with local news outlet WKRN on Wedneday, saying he was grateful for the United Cajun Navy in showing up to help him.

“I feel like I am carrying the weight of the world, and all the sudden I got somebody standing behind me, helping me hold that up,” Mr Rogers explained.

He has been out most days searching for the 15-year-old since his disappearance over a month ago.

“I am asking the world to help me find my son,” Mr Rogers told the outlet. “I need my son back.”

Sebastian’s mother believes someone has her son

Katie Proudfoot, Sebastian’s mother, has said she fears someone has taken her son, insisting the 15-year-old would not have wandered off alone.

She told the podcast Crime Stories with Nancy Grace: “I feel like if he had been close to the house, or had walked off, that we would have found him by now with as many people as have been searching.”

Ms Proudfoot said she heard a “thud” on the night of Sebastian’s disappearance, called out to him and then told him to go to bed when he responded.

Dan Gooding has the full story:

Missing Sebastian Rogers’ mother believes someone has her son

What we know about Sebastian’s disappearance

It’s now more than a month since Sebastian was last seen at his home in Hendersonville, Tennessee on 26 February.

The search operation has involved helicopters, drones, search-and-rescue dogs, and teams on foot, and last week was extended to a landfill site across the state line in Kentucky.

Search teams have been playing the 15-year-old’s favourite song, “Eye of the Tiger”, as they look for him in the hope of attracting his attention.

The teenager, who has high-functioning autism, may have left his mother and stepfather’s house barefoot, investigators believe.

Anyone with information on Sebastian’s whereabouts is encouraged to contact Sumner County Sheriff’s Office Detective Carter at 615-442-1865 or [email protected].

Tips can also be provided to Sumner County Emergency Communications at 615-451-3838 or 1-800-TBI-FIND.

Here’s what we know about Sebastian’s disappearance so far:

What we know about disappearance of Sebastian Rogers in Tennessee

Where is he?

As we pass a month since the Amber Alert was issued for Sebastian, there has still been no sign of him since the moment he went to bed on 25 February.

His mother, Katie Proudfoot, said on Monday that she believes someone has him, while the other main theory is that he left on his own, barefoot.

Here is all we know so far.

The father of a missing Tennessee boy who has autism says he has not spoken with the teenager’s mother or stepfather in two weeks.

Seth Rogers was speaking with NewsNation on Monday, as the search for 15-year-old Sebastian Rogers reached the one-month mark.

“I haven’t spoken to them for two weeks. They’re not talking to me,” Mr Rogers said regarding Katie and Chris Proudfoot, whose home Sebastian disappeared from on 26 February.

Read more here.

Caves, woodland and homes searched

Over 1,500 people have covered some 10,000 miles between them looking for Sebastian.

Investigators have looked over his family home in Hendersonville at least ten times:

Hunt for missing Sebastian Rogers has covered over 10,000 miles, say investigators

Why do Sebastian’s parents look away in interviews?

During their recent appearance on Crime Stories with Nancy Grace, Sebastian’s mother and stepfather, Katie and Chris Proudfoot, were asked about their lack of emotion in some interviews.

The host said with all that had happened, she could understand that they may be feeling “numb”, but asked the couple why they looked away when responding to questions.

“To the fact of not looking at the camera all the time, it’s because a picture of my son is sitting right beside me and, honestly, I am looking at him,” Ms Proudfoot said.

Search dogs unable to pick up a scent

According to multiple reports, search dogs have not been able to pick up Sebastian’s scent in searches outside his home.

“So looking at what the K-9s were able to pick up, those K-9s should be picking up multiple scents and it’s all based on Seabstian’s routine activities,” Geographic profiler Douglas MacGregor told Crime Stories with Nancy Grace.

“Does he go to a friend’s house during the week? Does he go to the corner store? Does he occasionally walk to school? Even taking the bus, those K-9s should be picking up all those scents from seven days past,” he said.

The analysis adds to the confusion and unanswered questions surrounding Sebastian’s disappearance overnight on the 25 February.

Sebastian’s dad on the moment he heard son was missing

Seth Rogers got emotional as he spoke of spending weeks searching for Sebastian Rogers, following his disappearance on 26 February.

Sebastian left home without any shoes

Sebastian is reported to have left his home in Hendersonville, Tennessee, without any shoes on, something his father and autism experts say is highly unusual.

“Three pairs of shoes were at the front door,” his dad Seth Rogers told Crime Stories with Nancy Grace, with the host asking if it was possible he was wearing a different pair.

“His feet were growing. The last weekend I had him, his mom told me his shoes weren’t fitting him anymore and she asked me to get him shoes.”

Mr Rogers said he bought his son a pair of boots - which were then by Katie Proudfoot’s front door. The dad said that other shoes, which no longer fit his son, would have been thrown out.

The only other pair of shoes Sebastian owns is some slippers, which he uses to take out the trash.

Nancy Grace said she was asking about a detail like this because Sebastian’s routine showed that the circumstances around his disappearance were out of the ordinary.

Sebastian’s mother addresses lack of emotion in interviews

Katie Proudfoot was quizzed on Crime Stories with Nancy Grace about accusations she has not shown much emotion about her missing son:

Sebastian did not take his phone

Seth Rogers, Sebastian’s father, has said that his son had not taken his phone with him when he vanished.

Mr Rogers said that whenever the 15-year-old had access to his phone, he would enjoy watching videos of people playing Minecraft.

However, he also added that he did not have access to the internet, or social media, on the device.

Sebastian is ‘very intelligent’ father says

In a recent interview, Sebastian’s father Seth Rogers was asked about his son’s autism.

“He’s very intelligent, he’s very smart, he just lacks social skills and reading other people’s body language,” Mr Rogers told Crime Stories with Nancy Grace.

The host said she was looking at a photo of Sebastian and that it was breaking her heart, thinking of the young, autistic boy being out in the world on his own.

“I don’t know [how he would react], because I’ve never seen him have to deal with this,” Mr Rogers said. “Most of the time, if he’s with me, he gets his information with me about interacting with people.”

Father says Sebastian’s torch keychain missing

In an interview shared again on Wednesday, Sebastian’s father Seth Rogers revealed that his son’s torch keychain is missing.

Mr Rogers told Crime Stories with Nancy Grace that the torch was important to his son and was usually in the same place.

“When he’s in my house, all of his stuff is in his upper drawer” Mr Rogers explained. “When the police showed up at my house to look, upper drawer, house key, wallet, everything is in his upper drawer.”

Authorities say they have to follow ‘credible’ tips

Those involved in the official search for Sebastian said on Tuesday that they have to follow credible tips and guidance from law enforcement.

In an interview with News Channel 5, Sumner County Emergency Communications Centre lead Ken Weidner said suggestions of using psychic readings is not necessarily helpful.

“I’m not going to beat up psychics and things, but we have to vet what we do before we do it,” Mr Weidner said.

“Anytime the Sheriff’s Office or TBI indicates that we’ve got an area of interest we need to search, we go.”

Dad isn’t giving up hope

Sebastian Rogers’ dad Seth Rogers has spent the past few weeks desperately searching for his son.

In an interview on Monday night, he explained how he had not spoken to the boy’s mother or stepfather in around two weeks.

“I haven’t spoken to them for two weeks. They’re not talking to me,” Mr Rogers said regarding Katie and Chris Proudfoot, whose home Sebastian disappeared from on 26 February.

There has been no sign of Sebastian so far.

“I still can’t figure it out. I’ve been looking everywhere, handing out flyers,” Mr Rogers, who became visibly teary, said.

You can read the full story here.

Sebastian may have been barefoot

The 15-year-old has been described as white, standing at 5’5”, with brown hair and eyes.

He was last seen wearing black sweatpants and a black sweatshirt as he went to bed on 25 February.

It’s thought he was barefoot when he disappeared from his family home in Hendersonville, Sumner County.

Where is Hendersonville?

Sebastian Rogers disappeared from his home in Hendersonville, Sumner County.

The town, with a population of around 61,000, sits close to Nashville, Tennessee.

It sits along the Cumberland River, which wraps around the town’s southern side, while there is mostly rural land to the north.

Investigators not giving up hope

Around 1,500 people have been involved in the search for Sebastian so far.

In an update on Tuesday, the director of the Emergency Operations Centre in Sumner County, Ken Weidner, said they were not giving up hope:

Hunt for missing Sebastian Rogers has covered over 10,000 miles, say investigators

Watch: Father’s emotional interview

Seth Rogers, Sebastian’s father, said on Monday night that he had been searching for his boy every day:

Mother believes someone has her son

In an interview released Monday afternoon, Sebastian’s mother Katie Proudfoot said she believed someone had to have her son, otherwise he would have been found by now.

Read more of the story here.

Sebastian’s home searched at least ten times

In an interview with News Channel 5 Nashville, the man in charge of the Sumner County Emergency Operations Centre said that the investigation has been extremely thorough.

Ken Weidner told the channel that divers had been deployed to search local ponds and sinkholes, while caves and storm drains had also been explored.

“The house was searched at least 10 times. Dogs? Yes,” Mr Weidner said, adding that bloodhounds and cadaver dogs had been used.

So far, none have successfully picked up a trail for Sebastian and the search continues.

What have investigators said?

There has not been an official update from the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation since Friday.

At that point, over 240 tips had been received on the case, with locals urged to keep checking their properties and vehicles.

Investigators have also been re-interviewing people and checking over evidence gathered so far.

“Any information you may have about Sebastian…what he likes to do, where he likes to go, people he may know…if it can help us find Sebastian, please let us know,” the TBI said in its update.

The bureau urged people to use the tip line at 1-800-TBI-FIND to provide any relevant information they may have, or to email [email protected].

Investigators say they have seen ‘no sign’ of Sebastian

Reporting from the Emergency Operations Centre in Sumner County on Tuesday showed the vast area searched already for Sebastian.

Local News Channel 5 reporter Nick Beres spoke with the centre’s director Ken Weidner, who explained that hundreds of people had been involved in the search for the 15-year-old.

“We’ve got close to 1,500 searchers... the first two days we logged 2,000 search miles,” Mr Weidner said, adding that there had still been no sign of Sebastian.

“We’re not stopping, we’re working on leads and information from TBI and the Sheriff’s Office and we’ve got teams on standby ready to go right now.”

ICYMI: Father speaks of breakdown in communication with mother, stepdad

Seth Rogers wiped away tears as he spoke of his month-long search for his boy in an interview on Monday night:

Father of missing teenager Sebastian Rogers says he has not spoken to mother in weeks

Sebastian had never left home alone before

Sebastian’s mother Katie Proudfoot said in an interview with Crime Stories with Nancy Grace on Monday that he was never one to wander off.

“We haven’t had issues with him running or taking off in the past,” Ms Proudfoot said, whilst also explaining that he had not really socialised with school friends.

The mother said she did not typically check on Sebastian throughout the night, now, as he had gotten older.

The prevailing theory is that Sebastian left the home of his own accord, barefoot, sometime in the night.

Nancy Grace repeatedly asked them about details on the lighting around the house and whether there was any evidence of Sebastian having left the home, which the couple said they did not have.

Pictured: 15-year-old missing for a month

Sebastian Rogers has not been seen in four weeks. He was last seen wearing a black sweatshirt and black sweatpants.

Sebastian’s mother, stepfather address leaving town

During their interview with Crime Stories with Nancy Grace, Sebastian’s mother and stepfather, Katie and Chris Proudfoot, addressed the reports they had packed up and left the home their son disappeared from:

Sebastian’s father says he has not spoken to mother, stepfather

In an interview with News Nation, Sebastian’s father Seth Rogers said that he had not been able to speak with his son’s mother and stepfather for around two weeks.

“I haven’t spoken to them for two weeks. They’re not talking to me,” Mr Rogers said on Katie and Chris Proudfoot, whose home Sebastian disappeared from on 26 February.

The boy, who has high-functioning autism, has not been seen since his mom sent him to bed the night before.

Mr Rogers has been seen out searching for his son, saying that his disappearance just doesn’t make sense.

“His shoes (were at) the front door. His (Nintendo) Switch was there. His phone was in the kitchen,” Mr Roger said. “I still can’t figure it out. I’ve been looking everywhere, handing out flyers.”

The father wiped away tears as he said he had been looking for his son for a month.

“I’m just trying to keep up hope,” the dad said.

United Cajun Navy organising search efforts

The United Cajun Navy said it had received a huge amount of donations, including equipment and food, to aid in the search for Sebastian.

However, due to unsafe weather conditions in the area, the planned rallying point in Hendersonville has been suspended for Tuesday.

“We’re still mobilizing and coordinating behind the scenes but UCN will not be at 90 Volunteer Drive today, so please hold donations for the time being. Thank you for understanding!” Riley Lively, a UCN organiser, said on Facebook.

ICYMI: Missing Sebastian Rogers’ mother believes someone has her son

The mother of an autistic boy missing in Tennessee says she believes someone must have her son, after four weeks of searching.

Katie Proudfoot told Crime Stories with Nancy Grace that she couldn’t understand how Sebastian Rogers, who is 15, couldn’t have been found yet otherwise.

Read the full story here:

Missing Sebastian Rogers’ mother believes someone has her son

Over 2,000 square miles searched

According to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, who are leading the search, many areas were searched at least twice in the first few days following Sebastian’s disappearance.

“Sebastian’s residence, the yard, the house, the vehicles, have all been searched multiple times. The neighbourhood where Sebastian lives has been canvassed,” the TBI said in an update. “Neighbors’ houses have been searched. Sebastian is autistic, and his family says he is drawn to water.

“Pools in the neighbourhood were searched. Dive teams were brought in, and bodies of water around the neighbourhood and beyond that area were searched, including caves.”

The TBI said nothing so far from security camera footage had been useful, but that all tips were being investigated.