Sebastian Rogers’ father calls on FBI to take over investigation
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SUMNER COUNTY, Tenn. (WKRN) – As the search for missing teen Sebastian Rogers approaches the three-month mark, his father, Seth, is calling for a fresh set of eyes on his son’s case.
During a vigil for Sebastian held Sunday, May 19, Seth shared several of his concerns with News 2. Although the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) and FBI are assisting in the case, the Sumner County Sheriff’s Office (SCSO) is the lead investigating agency.
On Sunday, Seth said he would like to see the case turned over to the FBI as the lead agency. In order for the FBI to take over the case, they would need to be requested by either the SCSO or the District Attorney’s Office.
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“I don’t sense a state of urgency from them; it’s not their kid, it’s mine. You know, this is a child of Sumner County,” Seth said. “I tell people when you see something, say something, and then they turn around and they tell me that they see something and they never get a response. They call the sheriff’s department, and a lady called me, she got my number, she was like, ‘I waited over four hours and nobody showed up.’”
News 2 reached out to the Sumner County Sheriff’s Office with several of Seth’s concerns. In response to asking if the SCSO would turn the case over to the FBI, they offered the following statement:
“We share your urgency and concern about this investigation. The Sumner County Sheriff’s Office, in collaboration with our team of investigators, has been diligently working on this case since day one. We are following all leads and gathering evidence. While we cannot disclose specific details of the ongoing investigation, please be assured that we are leaving no stone unturned to resolve this case. We have been working closely with various law enforcement partners, including the FBI, since the start of this case.”
In addition, Seth said he had several articles of clothing brought to him after ground searches that seemed to be around Sebastian’s size. Seth said more than a month after reporting it to the SCSO, they had not followed up.
WATCH: Sebastian Rogers’ father shares frustrations with search for missing 15-year-old
The SCSO said they did look into a pair of sweatpants that Seth had brough to their attention, but they were not linked to Sebastian.
Seth also voiced frustrations after driving to North Carolina to follow up on a tip about a possible sighting of Sebastian. Once he got there, Seth said he was not able to review surveillance footage and was told he would have to go through his local sheriff’s office.
“I just wanted to see his body language and the way the child was walking to see if it was possibly my son. The lady, her and her son, I would like to say thank you because that gave me a little bit of hope,” Seth said.
The SCSO said they reviewed the footage, which proved not to be Sebastian.
“We understand the frustration in such situations. When dealing with inter-jurisdictional cases, there are protocols that need to be followed to ensure proper chain of custody and integrity of the investigation. The surveillance footage is part of the ongoing investigation and was reviewed by investigators. We confirmed that the sighting in North Carolina was not Sebastian,” Chief Deputy Eric Craddock said in an email.
News 2 asked District Attorney Ray Whitley’s office if he wished to comment on Seth’s concern into the investigation. We were told he didn’t wish to comment due to the ongoing nature of the investigation.
News 2 circled back, asking if he would consider requesting the FBI to take the lead on the investigation. News 2 was told, “As stated, this is an active investigation. He cannot comment on anything further at this time.”
Despite Seth’s concerns about the investigation, he was still encouraged by the turnout at Sunday’s vigil. More than 100 motorcycles and Jeeps drove across Hendersonville to help keep Sebastian’s search top of mind.
“It gives me hope that my son’s case isn’t going to become a cold case, and the only reason it’ll become a cold case is if the sheriff’s department doesn’t drop their ego and ask for a new set of eyes,” Seth said.
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In response to Seth’s concerns about lack of communication from the SCSO, Craddock shared the following:
“We have and will continue to release updates to Seth and Katie when they are relevant to the case. Due to the nature of the ongoing investigation, some aspects will not be releasable until the case is concluded.”
Anyone with information about Sebastian is asked to call the SCSO 615-452-2616 or the TBI at 1-800-TBI-FIND.
Sebastian Wayne Drake Rogers, 15, was reported missing on Monday, Feb. 26 from the Beech area in Hendersonville.
Sebastian Rogers: Description
Sebastian is 5 feet, 5 inches tall, 120 pounds with dirty blond hair. He was last seen on Monday, Feb. 26 near Stafford Court wearing a black sweatshirt and black sweatpants, said the TBI.
AMBER Alert Issued
The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) originally issued an Endangered Child Alert for Sebastian on the morning of Feb. 26 as multiple agencies took to the area to look for him.
Based on additional investigative information developed during the search, the TBI issued an AMBER Alert for Sebastian on the afternoon of Feb. 27. An AMBER Alert is issued when there is reasonable belief by law enforcement that an abduction has occurred and the child is in imminent danger of serious bodily injury or death, per the DOJ.
Multiple agencies including the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, Tennessee Highway Patrol, Nashville Fire Department, City of Hendersonville’s first responders, Sumner County Sheriff’s Office and Shackle Island Volunteer Fire have assisted in the search for Sebastian.
Who to Contact
If you have seen Sebastian or have info about his whereabouts, call the Sumner County Sheriff’s Office at (615) 451-3838 or TBI at 1-800-TBI-FIND.
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