AMBER ALERT TN - Autistic teen Sebastian Wayne Drake Rogers, 15, missing in Hendersonville - Feb 27, 2024

[IzzyBlanche]

If there was NO scent tracked over to that construction area retention pond, then why was that the ONLY pond that was completely drained?

Good question!

 

[AzPistonsGirl]

so much on emphasis on him being found leads me to think he may not be, or will be very difficult to find

 

[SMK777]

so much on emphasis on him being found leads me to think he may not be, or will be very difficult to find

I see what you mean. But emphasis on whose part?

 

[imstilla.grandma]

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.

“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.

“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.”

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.”

Sebastian Rogers’ parents confronted over leaving home as teen remains missing

The 15-year-old disappeared from his Sumner County, Tennessee home on 26 February

www.independent.co.uk

 

[NyxNY]

Who's scent was tracked to the construction area then? I'm not sure why we keep receiving conflicting information about the scent dogs. Seth said he was told directly by the dog handler that it tracked to that area. I'm as confused as ever over who and what we can believe at this point. It's all conflicting from every source and frustrating. JMO

I believe the confusion is due to the fact that there are two different scent dogs that have been used in this case. 1. SAR K-9s (search and rescue) tracking a "live" person. 2. Cadavar K-9s (searching for the obvious). The cadavar dogs did not hit near the construction site (no deceased), but the SAR K-9s did, and they would hit if his scent was still there from months ago.

 

[IzzyBlanche]

I believe the confusion is due to the fact that there are two different scent dogs that have been used in this case. 1. SAR K-9s (search and rescue) tracking a "live" person. 2. Cadavar K-9s (searching for the obvious). The cadavar dogs did not hit near the construction site (no deceased), but the SAR K-9s did, and they would hit if his scent was still there from months ago.

BBM.

LE says no dogs alerted.

 

[vega80]

Weird how both parents are repeating the "sent tracked to the construction site and then lost" narrative.

From the article:

Widener says bloodhounds and cadaver dogs were used.

"None of them were ever on the trail of Sebastian."

Link: I wanted to know how authorities were still looking for a Hendersonville teen. They showed me.

BBM

Hopefully they had the cadaver dog in the house, in the vehicles just to check.

 

[bombardier]

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.

snipped by me
If no Internet access, where was he watching the minecraft letsplays?? I assume they were hosted on YT or Twitch or something similar. Was a parent downloading them locally then turning off the wifi i.e. wifi is still accessible on the device? I just don't believe that a tech-inclined, smart teen (also had a nintendo switch so clearly able to work a tech device) would not try to access the internet. he also likely has internet access through his school, and isn't monitored 100% of the time. doesnt really matter in the grand scheme of this case, just interesting b/c they've mentioned this several times.

 

[aliciaJ87]

snipped by me
If no Internet access, where was he watching the minecraft letsplays?? I assume they were hosted on YT or Twitch or something similar. Was a parent downloading them locally then turning off the wifi i.e. wifi is still accessible on the device? I just don't believe that a tech-inclined, smart teen (also had a nintendo switch so clearly able to work a tech decide) would not try to access the internet. he also likely has internet access through his school, and isn't monitored 100% of the time. doesnt really matter in the grand scheme of this case, just interesting b/c they've mentioned this several times.

This has always bothered me too. I have a really hard time believing that he had no internet access.

 

[carbuff]

snipped by me
If no Internet access, where was he watching the minecraft letsplays?? I assume they were hosted on YT or Twitch or something similar. Was a parent downloading them locally then turning off the wifi i.e. wifi is still accessible on the device? I just don't believe that a tech-inclined, smart teen (also had a nintendo switch so clearly able to work a tech device) would not try to access the internet. he also likely has internet access through his school, and isn't monitored 100% of the time. doesnt really matter in the grand scheme of this case, just interesting b/c they've mentioned this several times.

bbm--this is what middlest Carbuff kid does for our grandson. He downloads the videos (usually from YouTube) onto his own phone, then lets grandson connect to his phone to watch. That lets him check the video before he allows access. I've never paid attention to the exact details of how he does it, but if we think it's important I can ask him.

 

[CamilleBSP]

I'm wondering about the commute time between the Proudfoot's home in Hendersonville and his job in Nashville.

I recall CP told NG it took 3+ hours to get from his house to his jobsite. But, on Google Maps, it says the distance between Hendersonville and Nashville is just 23 minutes. Maybe I have his job location wrong?

Or, maybe he pulled his camper and took a non-interstate route that took a lot longer?

He was working in Memphis. From the NG show, he's not working at Memphis anymore and is now going to Nashville.

 

[investigatefred]

I believe the confusion is due to the fact that there are two different scent dogs that have been used in this case. 1. SAR K-9s (search and rescue) tracking a "live" person. 2. Cadavar K-9s (searching for the obvious). The cadavar dogs did not hit near the construction site (no deceased), but the SAR K-9s did, and they would hit if his scent was still there from months ago.

I get that, however, LE needs to be more definitive when they give updates to media or even to the parents. They need to say, NO Cadaver dogs picked up scent. NO SAR dogs tracked a scent, etc.

I still can't fathom why a dog handler would tell a parent directly that their dog followed scent to the construction area for no reason.

I think mileage may vary on how long scents hold. Many factors including weather and surface conditions, etc are to be considered. Scents could last hours, days or a few weeks in most cases. JMO

 

[Megnut]

I get that, however, LE needs to be more definitive when they give updates to media or even to the parents. They need to say, NO Cadaver dogs picked up scent. NO SAR dogs tracked a scent, etc.

RSBM

LE might not want to tip their hand.

It's an advantage for them, if foul play is in play, to out-maneuver a POI, better for LE if the suspect doesn't know what they know!

JMO

 

[investigatefred]

RSBM

LE might not want to tip their hand.

It's an advantage for them, if foul play is in play, to out-maneuver a POI, better for LE if the suspect doesn't know what they know!

JMO

I don't disagree in that they won't tell every move, but in this case, per Seth, the handler told him this info on day 1. Why tell them anything at all if that's the case? Their SAR person interviewed by Nick Beres said no dogs tracked. They could simply say "we can't disclose that information at this time" if they don't want to show their hand. MOO

 

[aliciaJ87]

He was working in Memphis. From the NG show, he's not working at Memphis anymore and is now going to Nashville.

That must have been where my confusion came from. Thanks for clarifying!

 

[Hestia's Fire]

This has always bothered me too. I have a really hard time believing that he had no internet access.

I also wonder why he isn't allowed any internet access. Has that ever been explained anywhere? He's 15, not 5. He'll be an adult in a few years if, god willing, he's still with us somewhere. I don't know of any teens his age in my own circle who aren't allowed any online access at all, even in the strictest families.

 

[Megnut]

I don't disagree in that they won't tell every move, but in this case, per Seth, the handler told him this info on day 1. Why tell them anything at all if that's the case? Their SAR person interviewed by Nick Beres said no dogs tracked. They could simply say "we can't disclose that information at this time" if they don't want to show their hand. MOO

Maybe not all team members were briefed...

Perhaps that handler wasn't LE but ancillary.

Perhaps the handler felt a kinship sympathy for Seth and, overcome, overshared.

Maybe it was a misunderstanding, whether a hit or no hit.

Early investigations are probably always a hotbed of chaos.

JMO

 

[aliciaJ87]

I also wonder why he isn't allowed any internet access. Has that ever been explained anywhere? He's 15, not 5. He'll be an adult in a few years if, god willing, he's still with us somewhere. I don't know of any teens his age in my own circle who aren't allowed any online access at all, even in the strictest families.

I’m going to assume that because he was on the spectrum, and was reportedly socially awkward, maybe they were protecting him from predators? Perhaps they were concerned that he would not be able to correctly judge someone’s intentions online.

I still don’t buy that he had no access though.

 

[CamilleBSP]

I also wonder why he isn't allowed any internet access. Has that ever been explained anywhere? He's 15, not 5. He'll be an adult in a few years if, god willing, he's still with us somewhere. I don't know of any teens his age in my own circle who aren't allowed any online access at all, even in the strictest families.

Probably because autistic people are more gullible and it makes it easier for predators to groom them online. Although I can't cite cases from memory, there's a few disappearances out there where autistic kids were lured outside by "friends" they talked to on the internet. It's far from uncommon, sadly.

I tried to keep my younger sister away from a cellphone with social media as long as I could, but my mom isn't as worried about this as I am, so she let my sister create social media pages and whatever. So I can totally understand the thought process behind that, if that's the case for Sebastian.

It could also be to isolate him amidst the alleged (MOO) abuse he went through in the hands of his step-dad, I'd wager.

Edit to add that I have personal experience with being so much more gullible than most, as per my autism, specially when I was a teenager (I just didn't knew I'm on the spectrum... mine was a late diagnosis).

 

[abyquinn]

snipped by me
If no Internet access, where was he watching the minecraft letsplays?? I assume they were hosted on YT or Twitch or something similar. Was a parent downloading them locally then turning off the wifi i.e. wifi is still accessible on the device? I just don't believe that a tech-inclined, smart teen (also had a nintendo switch so clearly able to work a tech device) would not try to access the internet. he also likely has internet access through his school, and isn't monitored 100% of the time. doesnt really matter in the grand scheme of this case, just interesting b/c they've mentioned this several times.

My gkids would do this - sitting on the floor in front of the tv, controllers in hands. I thought they were playing MineCraft. Nope, they were watching pre-recorded videos of other ppl playing! There wasn’t any connection for conversation, the way they do when playing on their devices. I don’t know if they were gaining skills by watching or if it was just relaxing the way other ppl watch game shows… This is what I think Seth was describing Sebastian does at KPs house.

Seth also said when Sebastian was with him he would play MC with some of Seth’s friends. Since this was said very early on I hope LE checked out Seth’s friends after they reviewed the devices.