Disappearance of Sebastian Rogers among 1 of 2 national AMBER Alerts

SUMNER COUNTY, Tenn. (WKRN) — The search for 15-year-old Sebastian Wayne Drake Rogers has stretched into more than a month after he disappeared from his home in Hendersonville, Tennessee with still no signs of the missing teen.

As the days he’s been missing have continued to grow, community members have been doing everything they can to keep his name and face in the spotlight, distributing flyers and even conducting their own searches.

TIMELINE: The disappearance of Sumner County teen Sebastian Rogers

Most searches have been centered around Middle Tennessee, but Sebastian’s disappearance has recently begun to capture the attention of people outside of the state, with the case among two national AMBER Alerts that are still active.

According to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), which collaborates with the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of Justice Programs to disseminate AMBER Alert information on a national scale, alerts are usually resolved within hours.

However, both Sebastian and 3-year-old Elijah Vue from Two Rivers, Wisconsin, have been missing since February. Elijah was reported missing only six days before Sebastian on Feb. 20.

Disappearance of 3-year-old Elijah Vue

News 2’s sister station WFRV reported that Elijah was last seen by 39-year-old Jesse Vang, who is in a relationship with Elijah’s mother, Katrina Baur. At the time, Elijah was reportedly living with Vang at his home in Two Rivers, about 40 miles southeast of Green Bay.

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On the day Elijah went missing, Vang claimed he saw Elijah asleep as he got his own son ready for school. Vang said he later went back to bed, but when he awoke, Elijah was gone. Vang reportedly told authorities he had locked the door with a deadbolt and security chain.

According to a criminal complaint obtained by WFRV last month, Vang had been trying to help Elijah’s mother correct Elijah’s “bad behaviors.” Baur said Elijah had been in the care of Vang for about a week.

She allegedly described Vang as the “enforcer of rules” in the relationship and said she sent Elijah to stay with him to learn how to “be a man.” A criminal complaint also alleged neglect by both Baur and Vang, citing photographic evidence that appeared to show bruising on Elijah’s jaw, neck, side and arm.

Both Baur and Vang have since been charged in relation to the alleged neglect. However, Elijah has yet to be found, despite numerous searches throughout the lakeside community of Two Rivers, including waterways and a local landfill.

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The only sign of Elijah has been a red and white plaid blanket that was located about 3.7 miles from Vang’s home earlier in the investigation. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Two Rivers Police Department tip line at 844-267-6648.

Questions remain in search for 15-year-old Sebastian Rogers

Just as many questions remain in the search for Sebastian, who was reported missing on Feb. 26 after last being seen by his mother at the family’s home off Stafford Court in Hendersonville.

Multiple law enforcement agencies have since searched thousands of miles around his home. Similarly, the searches have included waterways and a landfill in Kentucky where officials said trash went from Sebastian’s home.

However, during a press conference on April 2, authorities said there still had not been any signs of the teen, with the Sumner County Sheriff’s Office later confirming a pair of glasses found were not Sebastian’s.

Sebastian Rogers: Officials ‘not ruling anything out’ in search for missing teen

Officials have continued to state that there is no evidence pointing to foul play in Sebastian’s disappearance, but that they’re “not ruling anything out.” The investigation has also included numerous search warrants, with cell phone data analyzed and other digital evidence searched.

“Even though there is not that high visibility in investigating this case, we are not done,” said TBI Spokesperson Susan Niland. “This has gone back to what could be considered good ole fashioned police work, interviewing individuals, re-interviewing individuals, checking out leads, re-checking leads.”

Sebastian’s parents didn’t speak publicly until about a week into his disappearance when his stepfather and mother did an interview with a podcast host. About a month later, his mother, Katie Proudfoot, provided the following statement to News 2.

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While the public’s interest in the case has helped spread awareness, it has also led to many rumors being spread online, which Niland said has been detrimental to the investigation as tips continue to pour into the agency.

Instead, people are asked to share information about conversations they may have had with Sebastian, where he liked to go and “any people he may have mentioned that are in his life.”

Anyone with information is asked to call the Sumner County Sheriff’s Office at 615-451-3838 or TBI at 1-800-TBI-FIND.

38 children still missing from previous AMBER Alerts

Even though Sebastian and Elijah’s disappearances are the only two listed as active AMBER Alerts on the NCMEC’s website, the organization also maintains a list of previous AMBER Alerts that still have not been resolved — some dating as far back as 2003.

UNSOLVED TENNESSEE: Find more of the state’s cold cases, missing persons, and other mysteries →

In total, there are 38 children still missing from previous AMBER Alerts across the nation — four of which are Tennessee children. They include Zaylee Fryar, Chloie Leverette, Christopher Daniel and Summer Wells.

As of December 31, 2023, at least 1,200 children had been recovered due to AMBER Alerts. To view of full list of the children still missing from AMBER Alerts and their posters, click here.

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