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

Katie Nixon, Craig Shoup and Nicole Young, Nashville Tennessean
Updated ·4 min read
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As the search effort for 15-year-old Sebastian Wayne Drake Rogers nears day five, there was still very little information to go on and prayer was top of mind in Sumner County after multiple vigils were held for the missing teenager who continues to be at the center of a statewide Amber Alert.

In a Thursday afternoon press conference, Sumner County Sheriff Chief Deputy Eric Craddock encouraged residents to search their properties once in the morning and again at night, focusing on sheds, crawl spaces and tarps, in hopes of finding the teen.

There have been no confirmed sightings of the boy as hundreds of people continue to search the area, Craddock said.

"There have been no investigative leads to take us anywhere. We are still operating under the assumption that Sebastian walked off from his home," Craddock said during the televised news conference.

Local officials asked the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation to issue an Amber Alert for Sebastian Tuesday after the boy went missing Monday from his Hendersonville home.

Sumner County Emergency Management Agency Director Ken Weidner said several hundred first responders covered 2,000 miles on foot after the first two days. Authorities are using drones, helicopters, planes and K-9 units to locate Sebastian. As of Thursday, they have not found any evidence to track and locate the teen.

Family members have, thus far, declined to speak publicly about the boy's disappearance, issuing a statement through the TBI late Wednesday.

Tennessee Amber Alert: Few leads in search for missing Sumner County teen

"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 TBI's statement reads.

Craddock said the family has been fully cooperative with law enforcement.

15-year-old Sebastian Wayne Drake Rogers was reported missing on Sunday, February 25, 2024.
15-year-old Sebastian Wayne Drake Rogers was reported missing on Sunday, February 25, 2024.

It was not clear if any family members were in attendance at Wednesday's prayer vigils.

At Gallatin's NorthField Church, Sumner County Mayor John Isbell said the most important thing people could do was pray.

"Pray for the family and also pray first responders," Isbell said during the vigil. "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."

Isbell said when first responders are gathered for debriefings at the command post, the group does not use the word "if," but "when" they find Sebastian.

"And we lean in on that faith to know that we will find him. We have some of the top professionals out there searching right now," Isbell said. "We have been blessed with a community outside Sumner County that has come in to serve Sumner County. This a time where we see community come together. We saw it through the tornadoes, now we see it through this."

Other prayer vigils were held at Legacy Park at Long Hollow Church in Hendersonville and in the teen's neighborhood and single-family development, Victoria Place, near Happy Hollow Road and Long Hollow Pike.

More: Tennessee Amber Alert issued for missing teen out of Sumner County

Officials are searching for 15-year-old Sebastian Wayne Drake Rogers who went missing from his home in Hendersonville Monday.
Officials are searching for 15-year-old Sebastian Wayne Drake Rogers who went missing from his home in Hendersonville Monday.

So far, officials say they have had very little information to go on in the search for the missing boy. They've also been worried about the weather as strong winds, rain and colder temperatures rolled in Wednesday.

Sebastian was last seen "near Stafford Court in Hendersonville wearing a black sweatshirt, black sweatpants and glasses," the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation said on X.

Weidner said rain, colder weather and strong winds gave them concern Rogers could suffer hyperthermia

"Based on the cumulative nature of information gathered from tips and investigative findings, and especially due to concerns for the potential welfare of Sebastian due to his health concerns, lack of medication, and weather threats, the alert level was elevated to an AMBER Alert," TBI said in a statement.

He is 5’5”, 120 pounds and has dirty blond hair.

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.

Anyone with information on Sebastian's whereabouts is encouraged to contact Sumner County Sheriff's Office Detective Carter at (615) 442-1865 or bcarter@sumnersheriff.com.

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

Katie Nixon can be reached at knixon@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Tennessee Amber Alert: No sightings, leads in Sebastian Rogers case