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

[TwinkieDefense]

Feb 29, 2024 article - still searching

Tennessee Amber Alert: 'No confirmed sightings,' leads as community prays for missing boy

Community members are praying for the safe return of a missing, autistic 15-year-old boy who went missing from his Hendersonville home Monday.

www.tennessean.com

[…]

Officials confirmed Tuesday that he is autistic and resources from across the state have poured in to aid in the ongoing search effort.

Weidner said personnel is leaning on past experiences with missing children in which many children are found within 10 miles of their homes.

[…]

 

[ChloeDxm]

Do we know if Sebastian is verbal?

Praying for his safe return.

He is apparently verbal and high functioning according to his teacher and aunt

 

[ChloeDxm]

Lots of things I want to know. Who was home Sunday night/Monday morning? Mom, stepdad and younger step-sibling? Was he grounded from phone or did he leave it on purpose? They said none of his shoes were missing (at the press conference) but they would not say he was barefoot. Did he take his backpack? Did ANY camera pick him up in his neighborhood? It sounds like the dogs followed his scent a short distance, what direction was that (toward the main road or toward the woods)? At this point I no longer feel like he is choosing to be missing and that is so scary (is he lost in the woods, was he groomed and taken, was he happened to be picked up by a nefarious person?).

Apparently still no camera has picked up Sebastian. <modsnip>

 

[ChatteringBirds]

Tenn. Teen with Autism Has Been Missing for 5 Days With No Leads

Sebastian Wayne Drake Rogers, 15, has not been seen since disappearing from his Tennessee home nearly five days ago. An Amber Alert has gone out for the missing teen.

people.com

"There have been no investigative leads to take us anywhere. We are still operating under the assumption that Sebastian walked off from his home," [Sumner County Sheriff Chief Deputy] said during Thursday’s televised news conference.

Note: Thursday, February 29, 2024.

 

[imstilla.grandma]

Jessica Moore, executive director of Autism Tennessee, spoke to NewsChannel 5about how the abrupt change could have a negative impact on how Rogers is feeling.

"Someone who is used to routine, who has a daily schedule, different aspects of their lives that are repetitive every day, it can be stressful not to have those pieces in place,” she told the outlet.

"Someone who enjoys a lot of pressure, deep pressure, and hiding — those more confined spaces are calming.”

"Understandably, there is interest in hearing from friends and family to help provide more of a personal context about Sebastian. However, we have been requested by the family to let local media know that they are not in a position to speak to or be available to the media at this time," the statement said.

"Pray for the family and also pray for first responders," he said during a vigil held at Gallatin's Northfield Church. "And as the temperatures drop and as the days go on, this is the time we have to lean on our faith, and we have to stand steadfast in God's word, and believe He has Sebastian in his hands right now, that He is protecting him."

Tenn. Teen with Autism Has Been Missing for 5 Days With No Leads

Sebastian Wayne Drake Rogers, 15, has not been seen since disappearing from his Tennessee home nearly five days ago. An Amber Alert has gone out for the missing teen.

people.com

 

[imstilla.grandma]

“We need you to search your properties every day. Morning and night,” he said. “If there’s a shed or a crawl space, or up under your mobile home, or a tarp that’s in your yard, check it every morning and every night. Look for any details that something has been disturbed.”

Residents are asked to search in pairs because a single person could be mistaken for Sebastian. “If we have aerial assets up and they see someone walking alone in a field we’re going to deploy resources to see if that is not Sebastian,” Craddock said.

EMA Director Ken Weidner asked residents to check any creeks, streams or bodies of water that may be on their property and to check for footprints, too. Investigators have reason to believe Sebastian may have traveled as far as Clarksville, so they are also checking that route.

AMBER Alert: Search for Sebastian Rogers continues

Sebastian Wayne Drake Rogers, 15, was reported missing on Monday, Feb. 26 from the Hendersonville area of Sumner County.

www.wkrn.com

 

[imstilla.grandma]

Authorities want the public to search their property and any surrounding waterways, as those with autism are known to favor water.

“Really wanted to come to the community and ask for your help. We need you to search your properties everyday, morning and night. If there’s a shed or a crawl space or up under your mobile home, or a tarp that’s in your yard. Check it every morning, check it every night,” Craddock said.

Hope still remains that the 15-year-old boy will be found alive.

Weidner said Rogers’ strong will might keep him alive, despite wet, cold weather the past few days.

”One thing I’ve learned about autism is the stamina, pain threshold,” Weidner said. “The drive in these men and women, young boys and young girls is greater than ours.”

Missing teen with autism not seen on camera since disappearance, deputy says - KTVZ

By Daniel Smithson, Michael Warrick Click here for updates on this story HENDERSONVILLE, Tennessee (WSMV) — There has not been a confirmed sighting of a missing teen with autism on camera since his disappearance at midnight Sunday, according to the Sumner County Sheriff’s Office. The county...

ktvz.com

 

[anneoakley63]

“Understandably, there is interest in hearing from friends and family to help provide more of a personal context about Sebastian. However, we have been requested by the family to let local media know that they are not in a position to speak to or be available to the media at this time. We have told them that while we would relay their message, it would be the decision of the individual media outlets and reporters to proceed as they see fit.”

bbm - Can someone help me understand this? My sleuth mind is taking me down several rabbit holes with this so I just need someone with a clearer head to help me out. I'm local to the area, but haven't heard that there is a gag order....no attorney has come forward to speak for them.....not aware of any court orders prohibiting them from speaking.. Does this simply mean they are too distraught to speak with the media?

It's approximately 50-60 miles between his Mom's home and where his Dad lives. The fact that no cameras picked him up and the dog found very little scent leads me to believe he may have gotten into a vehicle with someone. This thought alone really scares me.

 

[MassGuy]

This has seemingly taken a very dark turn:

https://twitter.com/x/status/1763609637046128729

 

[SleutherGirl]

And here we go again. Something is in the water this week.

 

[HmmMysterious]

Apparently still no camera has picked up Sebastian. <modsnip>

Given the current updates, imo Sebastian never left home. That's why no camera picked him up

 

[imstilla.grandma]

Police confirmed to WSMV4 that its dive team is assisting in the search for 15-year-old Sebastian Rogers. The request for aid came from the Sumner County Sheriff’s Office.

Dive team assisting in search for missing Sumner County teen with autism

Franklin police confirmed to WSMV4 that its dive team is assisting in the search for 15-year-old Sebastian Rogers.

www.wsmv.com

 

[Limecat]

This has seemingly taken a very dark turn:

https://twitter.com/x/status/1763609637046128729

Oh I don’t like this at all. So many brutal hits from so many cases lately. Not sure I’m up to another one.

 

[ChatteringBirds]

Why are people speculating about his home? Because LE keeps returning to it, or is there more?

 

[SleutherGirl]

Why are people speculating about his home? Because LE keeps returning to it, or is there more?

Look, in my opinion, there's only a few reasons for LE being there.

Option 1: They are informing the family that they've found Sebastian dead
Option 2: They are arresting someone in the home.
Option 3: They've found some major clues in the home that point to this being something other than a good situation
Option 4: They are informing the family that they've found Sebastian alive, but in this case, where is the kid, and why aren't they saying that they've found him so people stop looking? Which leads me to believe that this is not the correct option.

 

[thelesis]

I don't have much experience with people with autism. I know a lot of little kids like to elope and are fascinated with water, but does the danger instinct usually kick in by Sebastian's age?

 

[missf]

I don't have much experience with people with autism. I know a lot of little kids like to elope and are fascinated with water, but does the danger instinct usually kick in by Sebastian's age?

Not always, it depends on the level of support the individual needs and if there is an associated learning disability.
Very sadly in the UK recently a 14 year old autistic boy died after leaving home alone and falling into a river.

 

[Venus81]

IMO they are just continuing to search the area. I am local, and my father-in-law lives just a couple miles away from the house, and he said that LE was at his house today checking his crawl space and yard, around the same time that they were reporting LE had returned to the house.

 

[ErinC]

I don't have much experience with people with autism. I know a lot of little kids like to elope and are fascinated with water, but does the danger instinct usually kick in by Sebastian's age?

It might or it might not. I'm a direct support provider and currently have three kids with different degrees of autism on my caseload. The oldest has zero concept of danger, of any sort, at all, would run right into a pond. The middle is more along the lines of what used to be called Asperger's, and would know not to run into a pond or out into the road but might not be so savvy about not going with strangers. The third one is somewhere in the middle as to their grasp of danger, but is a daredevil and wouldn't be above trying something just to see what would happen. It just varies wildly and it's hard to know unless one knows about a specific individual, how developed their sense of danger is.

 

[ChloeDxm]

Why are people speculating about his home? Because LE keeps returning to it, or is there more?

(Opinion) I think some have become apprehensive also because his family has not spoken to ANYONE from the media. His mother and stepfather just recently (today and yesterday) posted publicly but it was very vague.